FTA prominence and the platform regulation agenda

The Australian Government prepares to regulate digital platform home screens to ensure local content visibility.

David Kennedy · Venture Insights24 November 2023Period: Q4 20234 min read

Last updated 8 June 2026

2023→

Deadline for introduction of draft prominence legislation to Parliament

2020→

Year the Media Green Paper first committed to a prominence framework

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Companies covered:AmazonACCCVenture Insights

Abstract

This report examines the Australian Government's commitment to introduce draft prominence legislation by the end of 2023 to ensure Free-to-Air (FTA) TV services remain visible on digital platforms. It analyzes the shift from theoretical platform bottleneck power to actual commercial threats, such as Amazon's withdrawn attempt to levy FTA providers. The brief positions prominence reform as the opening salvo in a broader regulatory agenda targeting platform self-preferencing and interoperability restrictions documented by the ACCC.

Key Takeaways

Draft prominence legislation to ensure FTA TV availability on digital devices is scheduled for introduction before the end of 2023.
Amazon's withdrawn threat to levy FTA services on its Fire platform has shifted the bottleneck power debate from hypothetical to actual.
The legislation aims to prevent global platforms from demoting local FTA apps in favor of their own preferred commercial services.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Australian Government is scheduled to introduce draft prominence legislation to Parliament before the end of 2023. This move formalizes a regulatory process that began with the 2020 Media Green Paper.

The transition was accelerated by Amazon’s withdrawn attempt to levy FTA providers on its Fire platform, moving the bottleneck debate from a hypothetical concern to an actual commercial threat. This legislation now serves as the primary mechanism to counter 5 specific platform practices, including self-preferencing and interoperability restrictions.

Prominence reform is the opening phase of a wider agenda targeting the economic power of global tech giants. The success of this 2023 legislative push is a critical prerequisite for maintaining regulatory credibility ahead of the 2024 news media bargaining renegotiations.

FTA prominence and the platform regulation agenda

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