Foxtel names new CEO ahead of merger

Fox Sport Australia’s CEO, Patrick Delany, will become chief to the newly merged Foxtel and Fox Sports, once its finalised in upcoming months.

Peter Tonagh, Australian pay TV giant Foxtel’s incumbent chief executive, will depart the company after two years in the role.

News Corp is part owner of Foxtel, with Telstra, and owns Fox Sports outright. Once the merger is complete it will control 65% of the stake in Foxtel/Fox Sports and Telstra will retain 35%.

The greenlight for the merger came from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in December.

News Corp CEO Robert Thomson thanked the outgoing Tonagh, saying: “There is no question that Peter Tonagh has been a thoughtful, far-sighted leader, and his positive influence will resonate for many years to come.”

Tonagh said: “With the process of bringing Foxtel and Fox Sports together proceeding towards a conclusion soon, it is the right time for me to move on and put Foxtel into the hands of the person who will lead the new company.

“I have known Patrick from his years at Foxtel and Fox Sports, and he is the right person to be at the helm in this new era.”

Delany has been head of Fox Sports for seven years. He was previously head of digital at Foxtel, meaning he knows the ropes inside both businesses.