TELEVISION BROADCASTING OF SPORTS – AUSTRALIA

Free TV networks push for anti-siphoning laws to include streaming services

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Original article by Parker McKenzie
The New Daily – Page: Online : 14-May-24

Australia’s free-to-air networks have joined forces to launch the ‘Free for Everyone’ advertising campaign. The networks are urging the federal government to update the nation’s anti-siphoning laws to specifically include streaming services. They argue that the existing laws only guarantee that major sporting events are broadcast on linear TV rather than the streaming platforms of FTA networks, and at present there is nothing to prevent companies such as Netflix from buying the exclusive digital broadcasting rights to flagship events. The networks note that many consumers now watch broadcast TV via the internet rather than using a traditional aerial.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Tabcorp to pay $35m-$40m for Melbourne Cup broadcast rights in new deal

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 17 : 21-Feb-24

Tabcorp will sub-licence the free-to-air broadcasting rights to the Melbourne Cup to Nine Entertainment Company. Tabcorp has finalised a six-year deal with the Victoria Racing Club for exclusive broadcasting rights for the Melbourne Cup Carnival, at a cost of between $35m and $40m a year. Tabcorp was required to secure a sub-licensing deal with a free-to-air network to comply with the anti-siphoning laws for major sporting events; the Melbourne Cup will also be broadcast on Tacorp’s Sky Channel service. Nine’s deal with Tabcorp will commence with the 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival; the rights were previously held by the Ten Network.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, SKY CHANNEL, VICTORIA RACING CLUB LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Amazon snaps up key cricket rights

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 5-Dec-23

Amazon Prime Video has secured an exclusive deal with the International Cricket Council. The deal includes the Australian broadcasting rights for the Cricket World Cup, the T20 World Cup and the World Test Championship Final until 2027. Data from OzTAM shows that the Nine Network’s recent coverage of the 2023 Men’s World Cup final in India was watched by more than 1.6 million people nationwide; the final also attracted record viewer numbers on Foxtel and its Kayo Sports streaming service. World Cup and Championship matches are not subject to the anti-siphoning list unless they are played in Australia or New Zealand.

CORPORATES
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL, OZTAM PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS

Seven kicks a goal with Matildas’ Cup victory

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 3 : 9-Aug-23

The FIFA Women’s Wold Cup continues to be a ratings boon for the Seven Network. Data from OzTAM shows that Seven’s broadcast of the Matildas’ win against Denmark on Monday night attracted 3.248 million viewers nationwide, plus an additional 385,000 via its 7plus streaming platform. The Matildas’ 2-0 win to advance to the quarter-finals has become the most-watched program in Australia so far in 2023; the recent must-win match against Canada boasted an average audience of 2.42 million viewers. Seven has the free-to-air rights to 15 World Cup matches, with Optus Sport holding the rights to all 64 matches in the tournament.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, 7PLUS, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, MATILDAS, OPTUS SPORT

Most loved Matildas smash Ashes

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Aug-23

More than 2.4 million Australians watched the Matildas defeat Canada to advance to the next round of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Monday night. The match, which was broadcast by the Seven Network and on its 7Plus streaming service, was the first women’s sporting event in Australia to attract an average TV audience of more than two million. The match also had a total reach of 4.7 million viewers, which comprises people who watch at least one minute of content on TV or 15 seconds online. In contrast, the Nine Network’s coverage of the first session of the final day of the fifth Ashes Test attracted just 926,000 viewers; an average of 1.2 million viewers watched later sessions of the match.

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MATILDAS, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Andrews blindside puts Commonwealth Games broadcast deal on ice

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Original article by Calum Jaspan
The Age – Page: Online : 19-Jul-23

The Seven Network was the official broadcaster of the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022, and it has first-refusal rights to the next two Games. Sources have indicated that Seven had been close to finalising a new broadcasting rights deal, but the negotiations have been put on hold due to uncertainty about the 2026 Games following the Victorian government’s decision to terminate its contract. The source has indicated that the 2026 Games will have significantly less appeal for Seven if they are held in a different timezone.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Nine to take a hit from Kyrgios’s Australian Open exit

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 2 : 18-Jan-23

Data from OzTAM shows that the Nine Network’s broadcast of the first night session of the 2023 Australian Open attracted a national audience of just 476,000; this compares with 885,000 viewers in 2022. The withdrawal of Nick Kyrgios from the grand slam tournament due to injury is expected to affect Nine’s rating for the remainder of the event, given that he was one of the major drawcards. A TV industry insider notes that viewers have traditionally tended to lose interest when the leading tennis stars are not playing or are defeated in the early rounds. Nine Entertainment Company renewed its broadcasting rights deal in late 2022; it is paying about $85m a year, plus contra.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS

Foxtel pays more for less in record $1.5b cricket broadcasting deal

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 4-Jan-23

Cricket Australia’s new seven-year broadcasting rights deal with Foxtel and Seven West Media is worth more than $1.5bn. Foxtel will pay about $980m for the broadcasting rights, which equates to nearly $140m a year. However, the Big Bash League will be reduced from 61 matches per season to just 43 under the new rights deal, which runs from 2024-25 to 2030-31. Seven in turn will pay about $65m a year, which is about 13 per cent lower than the cost of its current rights deal. Meanwhile, Ten Network owner Paramount has stated that it did not make a formal bid for the cricket rights.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA,FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD,SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM,SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED,TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED,PARAMOUNT GLOBAL

Billion-dollar cricket bid drags as rivals pick up pace

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Original article by Ben Horne
The Australian – Page: 3 : 23-Dec-22

Cricket Australia is believed to favour a joint bid from Nine Entertainment and Fox Sports for its broadcasting rights, despite the fact that Ten Network owner Paramount has made the highest offer. CA is said to be reluctant to give the rights to all forms of cricket to Paramount, although it could secure some of the rights. Meanwhile, Nine is believed to have been given financial advice that it could handle the broadcasting rights to both cricket and the Australian Open.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, PARAMOUNT GLOBAL

Cricket chiefs look to post a big score

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 14-Nov-22

Sources have indicated that Cricket Australia was "underwhelmed" by the initial ­offers for the next broadcasting rights deal and has asked broadcasters to make new submissions. Seven West Media and Foxtel paid $1.18bn for the current rights deal, which expires in two years’ time. Seven and Nine Entertainment are believed to have offered around $50m per year solely for Test match rights, while Ten and Foxtel are said to have pitched for the rights to all international and domestic matches. CA’s negotiations with broadcasters follows Nine’s recent renewal of its rights deal with Tennis Australia in a new five-year deal worth a record $425m.

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