CRICKET – ECONOMIC ASPECTS – AUSTRALIA

Cricket loss not all bad for Nine

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Samantha Bailey, Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 19 : 17-Apr-18

Tennis and cricket broadcasting rights generate a loss for the Seven and Nine networks, and this is likely to continue when the sports change networks. Nine is estimated to have lost around $A50m a year from its cricket coverage, but Citigroup forecasts that its annual losses from tennis broadcasts will be within the range of $A20m to $A30m. Meanwhile, UBS forecasts that Seven will gain an increased share of advertising revenue at the expense of Nine and Ten following their loss of cricket broadcasting rights.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

$200m hole in media rights feared as sponsors getting cold feet

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 6 & 7 : 27-Mar-18

Media analyst Greg Fraser says Cricket Australia was always unlikely to secure a $A1bn deal for broadcasting rights, but the ball-tampering scandal means it can expect to gain $A800m at best for its next rights deal. This includes no more than $A500m for rights to international cricket matches, but potentially more than $A300m for the domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League. Meanwhile, major sponsors of cricket in Australia have expressed disappointment over the scandal, although none are believed to have sought to terminate their deals as yet.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, BIG BASH LEAGUE, MAGELLAN FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX MFG, ACCENTURE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, LION PTY LTD, SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD COMPANY, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION

Network Ten focused on Big Bash League, Cricket Australia calls for bids by Easter

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason, John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 12-Mar-18

Cricket Australia wants bids for its next broadcasting deal to be submitted by Easter, with tender details sent to interested parties in the week ending 9 March. Ten is said to be very keen to retain the rights to the Big Bash League, and could potentially bid as much as $A60 million a year. Nine and Fox Sports are understood to be planning a bid that would cover all Cricket Australia’s broadcasting rights, including the BBL. Cricket Australia is said to be seeking a deal of around $A150 million a year.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, CBS CORPORATION, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD

Nine and News Corp in tie-up talks on cricket

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 26-Feb-18

The Ten Network may lose the Big Bash League broadcasting rights if a potential deal between Nine Entertainment Company and News Corp’s Fox Sports comes to fruition. Sources have indicated that they may a joint bid for all forms of the game, with Nine to retain its existing coverage of international matches and share coverage of the domestic Twenty20 competition with Fox Sports. The two media groups are believed to be proposing to offer between $A130m and $A150m per year, although they have not yet approached Cricket Australia.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, CBS CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Nine has options if cricket broadcast rights escalate

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 23-Feb-18

Nine Entertainment Company has posted a 2017-18 interim net profit of $A116m, compared with $A75m previously, with revenue rising nine per cent to $A720m. Meanwhile, CEO Hugh Marks says that while Nine wants to retain the cricket broadcasting rights, it will not pay an excessive price. He has also signalled that Nine may be open to a joint bid for the cricket rights. Nine paid $A500m for international cricket broadcasting rights under the current five-year deal, with Ten paying $A100m for Big Bash League rights. There has been speculation that the next rights deal could cost close to $A1bn.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

Networks douse CA’s rights hopes

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson, Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 19-Feb-18

Cricket Australia hopes to gain nearly $A1bn for its next broadcasting rights deal, compared with $A600m for the five year-deal that expires in 2018. However, free-to-air TV network executives have warned that the industry cannot afford a large increase in the cost of broadcasting rights. Some have noted that the new rights deal between European pay-TV company Sky and the English Premier League is significantly lower than the previous deal. There is speculation that a free-to-air network will bid for the cricket rights in partnership with Fox Sports.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SKY PLC, BT PLC, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, CBS CORPORATION, BIG BASH LEAGUE

$1bn battle for cricket broadcast rights

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 29-Jan-18

One of Australia’s free-to-air TV networks could potentially bid for cricket broadcasting rights in partnership with Fox Sports. Telcos and technology companies are also believed to be interested in a broadcasting deal, with Cricket Australia set to commence negotiations in the next week. The total cost of the next five-year deal for cricket broadcasting rights could approach $A1bn, with expectations that the Big Bash League rights may cost up to $A250m, compared with $A100m under the current deal.

CORPORATES
FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CBS CORPORATION, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, SKY PLC, BT PLC, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Nine to make a loss on Ashes despite record commercial interest

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Arvind Hickman
Ad News – Page: Online : 16-Jan-18

The 2017-18 Ashes Test series has been a ratings hit for the Nine Network, whose coverage of the five-match series attracted 14.8 million viewers nationwide, including 10.4 million in the capital cities. Nine also expects its revenue from advertising and corporate sponsorship packages to be 15-17 per cent higher than in 2016-17, and 7-8 per cent higher than its Ashes coverage in 2013-14. However, Nine sales director Sam Brennan concedes that the network will book a loss on its cricket coverage when production costs and the cost of its broadcasting rights are taken into account.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD

Nine puts hard word on CA for new rights deal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 2 : 12-Jul-17

Nine Entertainment Company is said to be keen to secure a broadcasting rights deal for all cricket formats before the end of 2017. The Nine Network’s head of sport, Tom Malone, does not expect Cricket Australia’s pay dispute to have an impact on negotiations over broadcasting rights, which Nine wants to finalise quickly. Cricket Australia had expectations that the next five-year deal could be worth up to $A900m, although broadcasting rights experts suggest that about $A700m is more likely. The current deal is worth about $A600m.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIG BASH LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS’ ASSOCIATION

Cricket rights set for delay amid pay war

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 24 : 3-Jul-17

Negotiations for a new cricket broadcasting rights deal are expected to be put on hold until 2018. Cricket Australia had commenced preliminary talks with TV networks, but factors such as the pay dispute with top cricketers and the collapse of the Ten Network may prompt a final deal to be delayed. Cricket Australia had been aiming to gain around $A900m for the next five-year rights deal, compared with about $A600m under the current deal. However, sports rights experts say Ten’s collapse means that around $A700m is more likely.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, BIG BASH LEAGUE, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, PPB ADVISORY, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TENNIS AUSTRALIA