TELEVISION BROADCASTING OF SPORTS – AUSTRALIA

News Corp warns of hit to Foxtel, Kayo and real estate classifieds

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 15-Apr-20

News Corp expects to lose more Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on live sports events. Foxtel’s broadcast and commercial subscriber base fell to 2.268 million in the December quarter, compared with 2.326 million in the September quarter, while its churn rate rose from 14.4 per cent to 16 per cent. Meanwhile, Kayo boasted 402,000 paid subscribers in early November, but this had fallen to around 370,000 by early February. News Corp also expects its property listings businesses in Australia and the US to be hit by the pandemic.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MOVE INCORPORATED

AFL, NRL members can get discounted Kayo

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 20-Mar-20

Foxtel and its Kayo Sports streaming service are the only option for AFL and NRL fans who want to watch every match while the coronavirus-induced lockout of stadiums continues. A basic Kayo subscription usually costs $25 a month, but members of AFL and NRL clubs will be offered a discounted rate of $2.50 a month for two months. Kayo boasted 402,000 paid subscribers in early November, but this had fallen to around 370,000 by early February; this was expected to increase when the AFL and NRL seasons began.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Broadcast deal up in the air for AFL clubs

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Original article by John Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 3 : 18-Mar-20

The Australian Football League is said to be keen to roll over its broadcasting rights, for which the Seven Network and Fox Sports paid $2.5bn under the current five-year deal. The AFL faces a huge financial hit, with the home-and-away season to be reduced to 17 rounds and the initial rounds to be played in empty stadiums. The host broadcasters could also potentially seek a fee reduction under minimum delivery requirements in the current rights deal. On the other hand, the lockdown could result in a TV ratings boom for AFL matches.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Sports TV rights deals in turmoil

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 16-Mar-20

The growing list of sports events that have been cancelled or suspended due to the coronavirus has implications for broadcasting rights holders. Seven West Media faces the loss of about $90m in revenue if the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are cancelled; however, it is believed that the debt-laden official broadcaster would save about $150m if this occurs, including the return of about $100m that the International Olympic Committee has already received. Broadcasters are not expected to seek refunds from sports bodies if seasons such as the AFL and NRL are suspended rather than cancelled.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SUPER RUGBY, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Fears of low-ball offer for TV rights

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Original article by Jamie Pandaram
The Australian – Page: 32 : 6-Mar-20

Rugby Australia will give prospective bidders an additional week to submit offers for its next broadcasting rights deal, after failing to attract any interest. Optus appears set to gain the broadcasting rights after RA’s current broadcast partner Fox Sports declined to sign a non-disclosure agreement. There is speculation that Optus will capitalise on the lack of rival bidders to offer a low price for the rights; RA rejected Fox Sports’ offer of $40m a year in late 2019. Ten Network is tipped to offer about $5m for limited free-to-air coverage of rugby matches.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, RUGBY AUSTRALIA, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Streaming lifts Foxtel’s sports subs to record

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 28-Feb-20

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany has defended the pay-TV group’s Kayo Sports streaming service, after its subscriber base declined in the December quarter. He argues that four of the five major sports in Australia end their seasons in September, so Kayo can expect to have fewer subscribers in a period when cricket is the only major sport. The media group’s sports subscriber base has risen to a record level when measured across its traditional broadcast, Foxtel Now and Kayo services.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, FOXTEL NOW

Optus eyes more European football

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 24-Feb-20

Optus has ramped up its soccer coverage since gaining the local broadcasting rights to the English Premier League in 2015. The telco also has the rights to the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League, amongst others, and its Optus Sport streaming service now boasts some 825,000 active subscribers. Optus is also believed to be looking at gaining the rights to Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A; beIN Sports Australia’s existing rights deals are set to end in the next year or so.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, OPTUS SPORT, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, BEIN SPORTS AUSTRALIA

Lions tour for next rugby TV deal scrum

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 17-Feb-20

Rugby Australia hopes to sign off on a new broadcasting rights deal by the end of April, with Foxtel, Optus and Network Ten understood to have signed non-disclosure agreements for the negotiating process. It is believed that Rugby Australia has secured the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour to help make its five-year rights deal more appealing to broadcasters; it had previously been reported that the deal would not include the tour. Rugby Australia’s new rights deal will include over 400 matches, including New South Wales and Queensland club rights.

CORPORATES
RUGBY AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Optus in rugby maul as it chases new subscribers

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 14-Feb-20

Tender documents for Rugby Australia’s new five-year broadcasting rights deal will be sent to prospective bidders within days. Optus CEO Allen Lew says the telco would be interested in buying the rights, which would boost the offering of its sports streaming service. Optus Sports boasts some 825,000 active subscribers, making it the nation’s largest sports-focused streaming service. Foxtel has been Rugby Australia’s broadcast partner for 25 years, and some media reports have suggested that it will not seek to renew the rights.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, OPTUS SPORTS, RUGBY AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Seven warning as rugby rights deal in balance

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 10-Feb-20

Super Rugby matches are exclusively shown on Foxtel under Rugby Australia’s current broadcasting deal. With Foxtel having chosen not to renew its deal, RA is believed to be want at least one Super Rugby match to be shown on free-to-air TV under its next rights deal. However, factors such as low ratings for rugby matches and a crowded sports schedule may deter interest from commercial networks. Meanwhile, Seven West Media CEO James Warburton says sporting bodies need to deliver "incremental revenue and growth opportunities" for their broadcast partners.

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