NZ Publisher Eyes Deal With Nine To Buy The Australian Financial Review

NZ Publisher Eyes Deal With Nine To Buy The Australian Financial Review

A Kiwi publisher has signalled his intention to make a play for Fairfax Media masthead The Australian Financial Review via a consortium of wealthy investors.

Todd Scott, a former TV presenter who owns New Zealand’s The National Business Review, told The Australian Financial Review he has gathered a group of wealthy backers who are keen to purchase the publication, should the merger of Nine and Fairfax eventuate.

Scott said the motivation of the consortium – which includes a billionaire – is to unite the AFR, NBR and a Japan affiliate to focus on the tradition of business news.

“We’re deadly serious about business news. It’s about doing a job that needs to be done,” he said.

Todd Scott

Todd Scott

Failing this, Scott said the consortium would look at buying Stuff – one of Fairfax’s Kiwi media assets – instead.

Nine declined to comment when contacted by B&T.

After clearing the ACCC hurdle last week, Nine’s focus is now on securing the support of Fairfax’s shareholders on Monday to get this year’s biggest media deal over the line.

Subject to a positive shareholder vote (and subsequent court approval), the merger of Nine and Fairfax will be completed on Friday 7 December, with the first day of business as a combined group on Monday 10 December.




Latest News

The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
  • Advertising

The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card

The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]

TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
  • TV Ratings

TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick

A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]