TELEVISION BROADCASTING OF SPORTS – AUSTRALIA

Free to air squeeze on games

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Original article by Caroline Wilson
The Age – Page: 40 : 9-Jun-16

The Seven Network’s coverage of the Australian Football League will be reduced from 2017 under the new six-year broadcasting deal. Seven will only broadcast three matches in 11 rounds of the home-and-away season, compared with four at present. The Ten Network had hoped to buy the free-to-air rights to these matches from Foxtel, but negotiations have stalled. The pay-TV group is believed to have been reluctant to surrender exclusive coverage of these matches.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX FOOTY CHANNEL, BIG BASH LEAGUE

Ten aims to build on Big Bash success

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Original article by Max Mason
The Age – Page: 20 : 8-Jun-16

Ten Network CEO Paul Anderson is optimistic that ratings for the Big Bash League domestic Twenty20 competition will increase in the 2016-17 season, after growth of 25 per cent in capital city audiences in 2015-16. The national audience rose by 16 per cent. Ten will expand its coverage of the Big Bash League to include live broadcasts of 47 matches. The network’s current broadcasting rights deal is worth $A20m annually over five years, but this cost may rise significantly when the current deal expires in 2018.

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

Leaders vie to score goals in women’s sport

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Original article by Sarah Martin, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 8 : 30-May-16

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten notes that women’s sports events account for just seven per cent of Australian TV networks’ overall sports coverage. Shorten aims to address this imbalance by committing an extra $A21m in funding for the ABC to provide greater coverage of women’s sports. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has indicated that the Government will provide an additional $A60m in funding for the Sporting Schools program.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Optus foray into sports ‘good for competition’

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 30-May-16

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says Optus’s acquisition of local broadcasting rights for the English Premier League demonstrates the competitive environment for sports rights. Telstra has traditionally been the dominant telco in terms of sports rights, but Optus has signalled its interest in expanding its exclusive sports coverage.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NETBALL AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Netball thrust into prime time with Nine deal

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 20-May-16

Nine Entertainment Company will broadcast two live netball matches on Saturday nights from 2017 after securing a five-year deal with Netball Australia. Telstra will have exclusive rights to two matches each week, while it will simulcast the live broadcasts of Nine. The deal with Nine also includes a revenue-sharing arrangement. Netball Australia chief executive Kate Palmer says netball players will receive higher salaries as a result of the deal, which will also boost the sport’s profile.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NETBALL AUSTRALIA, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION, NETBALL NEW ZEALAND, COLLINGWOOD FOOTBALL CLUB, MELBOURNE STORM RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, NETBALL NEW SOUTH WALES, TELSTRA MEDIA HOLDINGS, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Optus defends controversial English Premier League plans

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Original article by Paul Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 17-May-16

Optus has attracted criticism for restricting access to its English Premier League coverage to its own broadband and mobile customers. However, Optus’s Ben White says the telco aims to differentiate itself from rivals by offering exclusive content to its customers, and he notes that Optus is upgrading its infrastructure to ensure that its EPL coverage is of broadcast quality. Optus will also be the primary Australian broadcaster of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with SBS to broadcast some matches.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, SOCCEROOS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Optus enters the fray for FFA rights

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 16-May-16

Optus will establish a 24-hour football channel as it prepares to launch its coverage of the English Premier League. CEO Allan Lew says the telco is also keen to secure rights to A-League and Socceroos matches. The Ten Network is also said to be interested in A-League matches, which are currently broadcast by Fox Sports under a four-year deal worth $A40m a year. Meanwhile, Lew stresses that Optus’s EPL coverage will only be available to its own customers.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, SOCCEROOS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FETCHTV PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), WORLD SPORTS GROUP, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, OLIVER AND OHLBAUM, FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CITY FOOTBALL GROUP, MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB, MELBOURNE CITY FOOTBALL CLUB, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC, MANCHESTER UNITED PLC, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FOOTBALL CLUB, LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC, CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB, BEIN SPORTS

NBA and EPL’s dedicated viewers are the most open to paying for sports on demand

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Apr-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 12.25 million Australians aged 14+ (63 per cent) have at least one sport that they "almost always" watch on TV, and over 1 in 6 of these dedicated fans either already pay to watch sporting events on demand or say they would like to. The survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2015, also shows that 23 per cent of American NBA basketball viewers already pay to watch sport on demand and another 21 per cent agree that they would like to. Meanwhile, 25 per cent of English Premier League viewers already pay to watch some sport on demand, with another 16 per cent open to the idea.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION, SUPER RUGBY, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Nine and Ten to duke it out for Big Bash League

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 4-Apr-16

Nine Entertainment Company will seriously consider bidding for the rights to the domestic Twenty20 cricket tournament, says CEO Hugh Marks. The 2015-16 Big Bash League was a ratings success for the Ten Network, whose current broadcasting rights deal is worth $A20m a year. Media industry analysts have suggested that the next deal could cost between $A50m and $A60m a year. Ten CEO Paul Anderson says the network is keen to retain the BBL rights.

CORPORATES
NINE FILMS AND TELEVISION PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Merged Foxtel, Fox Sports ‘easier’ to float

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 30-Mar-16

Credit ­Suisse media analyst Fraser McLeish says a proposed IPO for Foxtel would be more attractive to investors if the pay-TV group was merged with Fox Sports. McLeish estimates that a merged Foxtel-Fox Sports would boast an enterprise value of about $A8.5bn. Telstra and News Corp each own 50 per cent of Foxtel, and News Corp has full ownership of Fox Sports.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, EUROSPORT