Foxtel Business iQ Wins Major MinRes Deal, Bringing Premium Sport and Streaming to 3,000 Remote Mining Rooms

Published 6 December 2025

Foxtel Group has secured a major commercial win in Australia’s resources sector, expanding its Foxtel Business iQ platform into Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) remote accommodation network in Western Australia. The upgraded partnership will see Business iQ installed in around 3,000 onsite rooms across MinRes villages, delivering the full Foxtel at‑home experience – live sport, entertainment, on‑demand content and integrated communications – directly into some of the country’s most isolated mining communities. ^[1]

Announced on 4 December and amplified by industry outlets over the following days, the deal positions Foxtel Business iQ as a key technology layer in MinRes’ push to create resort‑style FIFO accommodation that feels more like a home than a traditional mining camp. ^[2]

What Foxtel and MinRes Have Announced

Under the expanded agreement, Foxtel will roll out its Business iQ device and user experience across Mineral Resources Limited’s 3,000‑room onsite accommodation portfolio. Workers staying in MinRes villages will gain access to: ^[3]

Foxtel’s full line‑up of live sport, including cricket, AFL, NRL, Formula 1 and Supercars
A deep library of on‑demand entertainment, from Australian hits like Colin From Accounts to international dramas and thrillers
The familiar Foxtel “at‑home” interface, rather than a stripped‑back corporate system

The deployment covers MinRes’ network of remote villages in Western Australia – sites attached to long‑life projects such as Onslow Iron and Mt Marion – where workers often stay for weeks at a time on fly‑in, fly‑out (FIFO) rosters. ^[4]

Crucially, Foxtel will deliver the service via its satellite network, which is designed to move high‑bandwidth video over hundreds of kilometres from regional hubs into areas where local broadband and mobile coverage can be limited. Both Foxtel and industry coverage highlight that the system can support Ultra HD (4K) delivery, an important differentiator in regions where streaming services can struggle. ^[5]

Inside Foxtel Business iQ: More Than Just TV in a Room

Foxtel Business iQ is not a consumer set‑top box repackaged for corporate clients. It’s a cloud‑managed platform built for multi‑room and multi‑site environments such as hotels, casinos, hospitals and now large mining villages. ^[6]

Key features highlighted by Foxtel include: ^[7]

Full Foxtel channel suite and on‑demand library – live sport, news, lifestyle, documentaries and drama, plus thousands of hours of movies
Casting from personal devices – workers can cast from compatible streaming apps on their phones or tablets directly to the in‑room TV
Integrated communications layer – screens can carry site information, safety content, internal messaging, local news and weather, or digital signage
Cloud‑based control at scale – operators can manage anywhere from a single site to more than 10,000 screens, grouped by brand, location or village
Operational resilience – managed cloud updates, remote monitoring and an “all‑in‑one” anti‑microbial remote, designed to minimise on‑site maintenance

Foxtel says Business iQ is already installed in more than 300,000 rooms globally and over 60,000 rooms in Australian commercial properties. Recent deployments include The Star Entertainment Group’s properties and hundreds of independent and regional motels, with mining and workforce accommodation positioned as a key growth vertical. ^[8]

For MinRes, that means the large flat‑screen TVs already standard in its resort‑style pods become powerful communication and engagement tools, not just entertainment screens.

MinRes’ Resort‑Style Villages: A Different Kind of FIFO Camp

Mineral Resources has spent the past few years radically rethinking what FIFO accommodation looks like. At its flagship Onslow Iron project in the Pilbara, the company has developed “resort‑style” villages such as Mungala Resort, featuring large, apartment‑like rooms and extensive shared amenities. ^[9]

Public disclosures and media reports show that typical pods at Onslow Iron: ^[10]

Are around 45 square metres – roughly triple the size of a conventional donga
Include a queen‑size bed, private ensuite, kitchenette, laundry with washer and dryer
Offer a separate lounge area and a large TV with video‑call capability
Open out to a private balcony with an electric barbecue, overlooking landscaped grounds

Village‑wide facilities span pools, indoor gyms, sports courts, recreation buildings, cinema spaces and high‑quality food and beverage options – all designed to make FIFO life more sustainable, attract more women and couples into the workforce, and reduce the mental‑health strain associated with long swings away from home. ^[11]

In that context, the Foxtel Business iQ rollout is another building block in MinRes’ strategy to offer what executives have repeatedly called a “home away from home” experience. Company leaders have framed the villages as a deliberate move away from basic, temporary camps toward environments that support long‑term wellbeing and diversity. ^[12]

Worker Wellbeing: Entertainment Meets Critical Communications

From the workers’ point of view, the deal changes what the main in‑room screen can do.

Rather than a limited free‑to‑air or hotel‑style menu, residents will see a familiar Foxtel interface, with live AFL, NRL, cricket and F1 matches, plus popular series and movies available on demand – an immediate quality‑of‑life upgrade for sports‑obsessed FIFO crews who often miss marquee events while on site. ^[13]

But the system’s integrated communications tools may prove just as important:

Site‑specific messaging: Management can push shift updates, weather warnings, emergency instructions or community notices directly to room and common‑area screens. ^[14]
Safety and training: Business iQ supports custom channels and content insertion, allowing companies to loop toolbox talks, induction videos or refresher training across the network. ^[15]
Connection with home: With casting and large screens, workers can use their own video‑calling and streaming apps more comfortably, complementing the Wi‑Fi and video‑call functions MinRes has already built into its pods. ^[16]

MinRes commercial manager Scott Randall has previously stressed that the company’s people strategy is about reimagining life on site, not just adding amenities. In announcing the Business iQ deal, he underlined that “our people are at the centre of everything we do”, framing the partnership as another way to support wellbeing and retention in a tight labour market. ^[17]

Why the MinRes Deal Matters for Foxtel

Industry coverage has described the agreement as a “major commercial win” for Foxtel’s subscription arm. The company secures thousands of effectively captive screens in a sector where streaming competitors face structural disadvantages. ^[18]

Several factors make the deal strategically important:

Defensible distribution in bandwidth‑poor regions
Foxtel’s satellite infrastructure means the service does not rely on high‑capacity last‑mile internet at each village. That’s a serious advantage over pure‑play streamers in parts of the Pilbara where connectivity is patchy or expensive. ^[19]
Scalable B2B recurring revenue
Business iQ is sold on multi‑year contracts tied to screen counts, expanding Foxtel’s enterprise revenue alongside residential subscriptions and OTT services like BINGE and Kayo Sports. With more than 60,000 commercial rooms already running Business iQ, the MinRes rollout reinforces Foxtel’s positioning as an infrastructure partner, not just a content supplier. ^[20]
Showcase for future mining and resources deals
MinRes is one of Australia’s most prominent mid‑tier miners, with operations across lithium, iron ore and energy. ^[21] A successful deployment here provides Foxtel with a case study it can take to other mining and energy companies competing in the same talent pool.
Synergies with Foxtel Group brands and ad tech
Business iQ can surface content from across the Foxtel ecosystem – including sports through Kayo and entertainment from BINGE – and is compatible with advanced ad formats and digital signage. While this particular deal is centred on worker amenity and internal communications, it also showcases Foxtel’s ability to deliver targeted, screen‑based experiences at scale. ^[22]

For Foxtel, mining villages sit alongside hotels, pubs, clubs, aged‑care facilities and hospitals as part of a broader commercial strategy to own the screen and the software in multi‑occupancy environments.

Why It Matters for MinRes and the FIFO Workforce

For MinRes, the investment is less about television for television’s sake and more about making a demanding lifestyle workable over the long term.

FIFO roles in remote Western Australia are high‑paying but can be physically and mentally taxing, with long shifts, harsh climates and extended time away from family. Research and media reporting have repeatedly highlighted mental‑health risks and retention challenges in the sector, particularly among younger workers and women. ^[23]

MinRes has responded with a multi‑year program of upgrades that includes: ^[24]

Larger, more private accommodation pods designed for singles and couples
Expanded wellness and recreation facilities
On‑site services aimed at making village life feel more like a modern regional resort

Embedding Business iQ into that ecosystem helps MinRes:

Differentiate its employee value proposition – offering premium sport and entertainment is a tangible perk in a sector where rivals are also investing heavily in amenities.
Standardise communications across villages – safety briefings, site notices and cultural content can be rolled out consistently across thousands of screens.
Support diversity goals – a more comfortable, connected living environment is part of MinRes’ push to attract more women and families into resources careers. ^[25]

In short, the technology is a visible symbol of a deeper shift: mining camps being redesigned around lifestyle as much as logistics.

Outlook: What to Watch Next

As of 6 December 2025, the Foxtel–MinRes agreement is positioned as a starting point for a deeper collaboration, rather than a one‑off tech install. Several trends are worth watching over the next 12–24 months:

Further expansion across MinRes’ portfolio
The current rollout targets around 3,000 rooms, but MinRes continues to grow its resort‑style accommodation footprint. It would be a logical next step to extend Business iQ to new villages as they come online, including additional phases at Onslow Iron and other long‑life projects.
Adoption by other miners and energy operators
If the deployment proves reliable and popular with workers, other ASX‑listed miners and energy companies may look to similar solutions, especially where satellite delivery solves bandwidth constraints. Early movers could gain an edge in recruitment and retention.
Deeper integration with site systems
Business iQ already integrates with site management tools and supports digital signage, emergency messaging and custom channels. Over time, expect tighter connections with training platforms, HR systems and even environmental monitoring, turning the TV into a central endpoint for operational as well as entertainment data. ^[26]
Measurement of wellbeing and retention outcomes
Both Foxtel and MinRes are framing the deal around worker wellbeing. The next phase will be whether the company can demonstrate tangible improvements in metrics such as turnover, incident rates or employee‑engagement scores in villages where Business iQ is live.

Key Takeaways

Foxtel Business iQ is being rolled out across 3,000 Mineral Resources accommodation rooms, bringing full at‑home Foxtel sport and entertainment into remote FIFO villages in Western Australia. ^[27]
The system leverages Foxtel’s satellite network, which is engineered for long‑distance delivery into bandwidth‑constrained regions and can support 4K Ultra HD. ^[28]
MinRes’ resort‑style villages already offer hotel‑like pods and extensive amenities, positioning Business iQ as a logical upgrade that turns the in‑room screen into both an entertainment hub and safety‑critical communications channel. ^[29]
For Foxtel, the agreement is a flagship commercial win, reinforcing Business iQ’s role in more than 60,000 Australian commercial rooms and strengthening the group’s foothold in the resources sector. ^[30]
For the FIFO workforce, the partnership promises a more connected, humane experience of remote work, aligning with broader industry efforts to treat village life as a core part of the employee value proposition rather than an afterthought. ^[31]

As mining companies race to secure skilled labour in a tight market, deals like this suggest that the battle for talent will increasingly be fought not only in salaries and rosters, but on the quality of life between shifts – right down to what’s available on the TV at the end of a long day.