Austar is the second largest pay TV provider in Australia, with almost a 100% market share in rural and regional eastern Australia. As of 2003, Austar had over 425,000 subscribers, mostly via satellite, in a region of over 2.0 million homes, and annual revenues in excess of A$300 million. A small portion of revenue is generated by reselling mobile phone and internet service to its pay TV customer base. Austar also holds a strategic investment in the largest Australian producer of pay TV channels, accounting for 20% of all pay-TV viewing in Australia, as well as a small investment in a 24-hour home shopping channel business.

This is a co-investment between Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P. and the CHAMP I funds, which hold a controlling interest in an entity that owns more than 80% of Austar. The other investor in that entity is United Global Communication Inc. (UGC), which is ultimately controlled by Liberty Media Corp. Austar has been publicly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange since 1999 and trades under the symbol AUN.