TELEVISION BROADCASTING OF SPORTS – AUSTRALIA

Cricket loss not all bad for Nine

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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

Nine hopes for early tennis break

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 16-Apr-18

The Nine Network will not broadcast any major sporting events during the 2018-19 summer after losing cricket broadcasting rights. A spokesman says the network will shortly decide on its summer schedule, and it has not ruled out approaching rival Seven about taking over tennis broadcasting rights a year ahead of schedule. Seven’s deal to acquire cricket rights in partnership with Foxtel means that it will broadcast both cricket and tennis for the next two summers, unless it strikes a deal with Nine and Tennis Australia to exit its contract early. Ten will also lack a major summer sport after losing the Big Bash League rights.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

$1bn cricket deal to stump Nine

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 13-Apr-18

Cricket Australia is poised to secure a broadcasting rights deal with Foxtel. The pay-TV group would simulcast some international matches in partnership with a free-to-air network, most likely Seven or Ten, while Foxtel would have exclusive coverage of some Big Bash League matches. The six-year rights deal is expected to be worth around $A1bn, compared with $A600m under the current deal. The Nine Network has been the main cricket broadcaster for more than four decades.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CBS CORPORATION, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Cricket Australia engages on all free-to-air broadcast rights bid

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 10-Apr-18

The Ten Network, Nine Entertainment Company and Cricket Australia have declined to comment on the progress of negotiations regarding a broadcasting rights deal. However, CA CEO James Sutherland and other key executives are believed to have travelled to Sydney to meet with Ten CEO Paul Anderson on 10 April. Ten and Nine have submitted a joint bid for all broadcasting rights, including free-to-air and digital. Pay-TV group Foxtel is also expected to hold talks with CA, despite recently withdrawing from negotiations.

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

Nine and Ten offer $900m for cricket

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 9-Apr-18

The Ten Network would broadcast one-day internationals and all Twenty20 matches if its joint bid with Nine Entertainment Company is accepted by Cricket Australia. Nine would only broadcast Test matches under a revised bid by the two networks. Their offer is worth around $A150m a year, or $A900m over the six-year life of the new broadcasting rights deal. Cricket Australia has previously rejected a joint bid from Nine and Ten that was worth about $A130m a year. Meanwhile, Fox Sports has cited the lack of progress regarding a rights deal for its decision to withdraw from negotiations with Cricket Australia.

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

FTA networks concerned over potential pay TV cricket deal

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 5-Apr-18

Cricket Australia has signalled that its new six-year broadcasting rights deal may require only certain matches to be televised by free-to-air networks. There is growing concern among the three commercial networks that CA could secure a rights deal for pay-TV coverage that would require them to negotiate directly with Fox Sports rather than CA. The three commercial networks are also believed to have expressed interest in at least some cricket broadcasting rights.

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

CA chases deals as Nine tipped for tennis losses

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 4-Apr-18

Citigroup forecasts that Nine Entertainment Company will lose between $A20m and $A30m per year on its coverage of Australian tennis. However, the firm notes that Nine is already losing about $A50m a year from its cricket coverage. The three commercial TV networks all hope to secure cricket broadcasting rights, with Cricket Australian expected to conclude negotiations for a new rights deal in early April. CA is also said to be close to securing a deal for pay-TV rights.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, BIG BASH LEAGUE, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

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

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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

CA rejection opens door to pay-TV deal

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 26-Mar-18

Cricket broadcasting rights are likely to be shared by the free-to-air and pay-TV sectors, after Cricket Australia rejected a joint bid by the Nine and Ten networks. CBS executive Armando Nunez has also met with Tennis Australia officials, although his priority is said to be retaining Ten’s broadcasting rights to Big Bash League matches. Meanwhile, Facebook and Google have declined to comment on whether they have expressed interest in acquiring cricket streaming rights.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, BIG BASH LEAGUE, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Foxtel weighs Fox Sports streaming service

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 26-Mar-18

Foxtel is working on an "over-the-top" streaming video service for Fox Sports, which could allow consumers to view a limited selection of sports channels without taking out a pay-TV subscription. Should the new video-on-demand services be launched, it is expected to have unique branding to distinguish it from Foxtel and its existing product range. Foxtel is keen to attract consumers who have previously not been interested in taking up a pay-TV subscription.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL NOW, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD