Megan Brownlow — Screen Australia

Megan Brownlow has transitioned to a role at Screen Australia, marking a notable career move from the private consulting sector to the public media funding and development space. Brownlow was previously a prominent figure at PwC Australia, where she served as a media and entertainment industry leader and was widely recognised for her work on the Australian Entertainment & Media Outlook, an annual industry report covering advertising, digital media, and content trends. Her move to Screen Australia represents a shift toward the publicly funded screen industry body responsible for supporting Australian film, television, and digital content production. Screen Australia is a Commonwealth government agency that provides funding, support, and strategic guidance to the Australian screen industry. Brownlow's deep expertise in media economics, advertising market analysis, and digital content trends makes her a significant addition to the organisation. Her background in analysing advertising revenue streams, streaming platform dynamics, and audience measurement positions her well to contribute to Screen Australia's strategic direction in an increasingly complex media environment. This leadership change is noteworthy in the context of Australia's evolving screen and advertising ecosystem, where the boundaries between content funding, streaming platforms, and advertising-supported video on demand (AVOD) are increasingly blurred. Brownlow's arrival at Screen Australia signals a potential strengthening of the agency's analytical and commercial capabilities at a time when Australian content quotas, streaming regulation, and screen industry economics are under significant policy scrutiny.

Brownlow's move from PwC to Screen Australia has indirect but meaningful implications for the AdTech and media ecosystem in Australia. At PwC, she was a trusted voice on advertising market forecasts and media industry trends, and her departure may create a gap in PwC's media advisory practice. For Screen Australia, her commercial and data-driven background could influence how the agency approaches partnerships with streaming platforms, many of which operate ad-supported tiers and are increasingly relevant to the AdTech landscape. As AVOD and FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channels grow in prominence, Screen Australia's strategic decisions around content funding have downstream effects on the supply of premium Australian inventory available to advertisers and programmatic buyers. Her expertise may also inform Screen Australia's engagement with advertising-funded content models, potentially shaping policy positions on Australian content obligations for ad-supported streaming services.