Nine to stream all channels, 7Live to have full launch next week.

From http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/10/nine-to-stream-all-channels-7live-to-have-full-launch-next-week.html

Nine is set to join Seven with the streaming of its three channels online. Nine will begin Upfronts with advertisers this week, in which it is expected to confirm all three channels will be available on desktop and devices.

It follows Seven announcing its plans for 7Live earlier this year, and streaming Sunrise on tablets and phones in August. Australian Financial Review reports Seven will now bring its streaming plans forward, from December 1st to next week, taking advantage of Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday November 3rd.

The streaming will be geo-located to local markets. But the move has raised the ire of regional broadcasters lobbying the government to remove the reach rule and arguing that current rules are out of date. Andrew Lancaster, chief executive of Nine’s regional affiliate, WIN Corporation, said: “It makes no sense that regional broadcasters are constrained by the reach rule whilst metro broadcasters are free to stream their channels across regional Australia.

The legislation needs to enter the same century as the technology.” John Hartigan, chairman of Seven’s regional affiliate, Prime Media, added, of Nine’s plans: “It’s further proof of how outdated the media legislation is. I don’t have any issues with Nine, as we are not their affiliate partner, but this shows our laws are stuck in horse and buggy days when the rest of the world is turbocharged.”

Excitingly, OzTAM is finally set to launch an audience measure called Video Player Measurement, which will combine audiences across TV, mobile, tablet and desktop, in early November.