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Broadcast rights

This Month

Jake Paul lands a left to Mike Tyson during their heavyweight boxing match which became the most streamed sporting event in history in November.

Netflix refines its sports plan as Jake Paul helps wow investors

The streaming service says acquiring the rights to stream full seasons of sport makes no economic sense, despite success with the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match.

  • Amelia McGuire
Turning Foxtel into a passive bet in a global sports rights group is part of News Corp’s evolution into bigger, digital businesses, happening under chairman Lachlan Murdoch.

Foxtel’s $3.4b sale a bet on a billionaire, not a deal of the decade

There’s much more to the pay TV and streaming provider’s ownership change than the headline price. Now Saudi Arabia is involved.

  • Anthony Macdonald
A Saudi Pro League football match at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh. The kingdom is pouring money into sport and broadcasting.

Saudi Arabia nears deal to take big stake in Foxtel’s new owner DAZN

The investment would value the British sports streaming business, in which News Corp will have a six per cent holding, at more than $16 billion.

  • Kylar Loussikian

December 2024

MasterChef is one of Ten’s most popular franchises.

Ten writes TV licence values to zero as losses balloon to $322m

But the broadcaster, now owned by Paramount Global, said it was optimistic about the future as it repositioned itself for a world where streaming dominates.

  • Kylar Loussikian

November 2024

V8 Supercars, the host of the Bathurst 1000, wants a new multimillion dollar broadcast deal.

V8 Supercars taps advisers for $200m-plus TV deal

Sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said the motor racing organisation has already met with Nine and incumbents Seven and Foxtel about a new deal.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
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September 2024

Bruce Gordon’s WIN is taking TVSN to the NSW Supreme Court.

Why Rich Lister Bruce Gordon is suing the TVSN shopping channel

WIN claims TVSN breached its contract by refusing to meet – all while it was quietly striking a new deal with the Seven Network behind WIN’s back.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones

August 2024

Teenagers, especially young men, are the cohort identified most at risk of problem gambling.

Ban all gambling ads and let the kids play the game, not the odds

Kids appear to know as much about multi bets as they do about the players they are watching.

  • Zoe Daniel

July 2024

Local broadcasters are hoping for big growth in their streaming and catch-up services but face significant competition from Netflix and other international groups.

Streaming, catch-up services on verge of eclipsing TV advertising

Revenue growth has slowed significantly across the media and entertainment sector – particularly in news – a widely followed annual PwC survey has found.

  • Kylar Loussikian

May 2024

Striking the balance: Senators are furious about changes to Australia’s anti-siphoning laws. But sports administrators are wary.

Labor’s controversial sports broadcast plans heading for Senate fracas

The government’s proposal, which would allow big streamers like Netflix to bid against free, local platforms, is “un-Australian”, according to the Greens.

  • Zoe Samios
ARN chairman Hamish McLennan has urged media law reform after his initial plans for Southern Cross Austereo failed.

ARN throws a Hail Mary to revive collapsed radio merger

Takeover target SCA gave a dim view of the revised plan, which doesn’t include private equity firm Anchorage Capital.

  • Nick Bonyhady
There are similarities in the hitting style of Glenn Maxwell and former Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia.

New laws risk the end of free sports on TV

The government has one chance of modernising how broadcast rights are organised. Otherwise, iconic sporting events will be harder to find.

  • Greg Hywood

April 2024

Foxtel’s main players: Chairwoman Siobhan McKenna, News Corp boss Lachlan Murdoch, and Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany.

Foxtel faces its streaming apocalypse

Once the country’s most profitable media group, Foxtel is losing subscribers and is facing a mega-sports rights bill. Will it make it through?

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones

December 2023

Australia won the 2023 Men’s World Cup. If you want to watch them defend the title in 2026, it will be on Prime Video.

Amazon snaps up rights to cricket World Cups until 2027

The deal means major tournaments including the T20 World Cups – previously aired by Foxtel, Nine and Seven West – will instead be consolidated at Prime Video.

  • Zoe Samios

October 2023

The ECB could make more than $50 million on its next rights deal.

England wants $50m for next two Ashes series

Seven may be out of the race to secure the rights to the English Ashes series, informing top executives it could not meet its financial expectations.

  • Zoe Samios
The Matildas celebrating Cortnee Vine’s match-winning penalty against France.

Matildas success prompts World Cup rights deal

The FIFA Women’s World Cup was a major success for Football Australia. Now, they’re betting on the Matildas to generate a record broadcast deal.

  • Zoe Samios
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Steve Smith plays a shot at The Oval.

British cricket execs hosted at AFL, NRL as Ashes talks heat up

Seated among the thousands of fans at the NRL and AFL grand finals were two unlikely attendees: two English executives in charge of brokering a new Ashes deal. 

  • Zoe Samios

September 2023

Gold Trip winning last year’s Melbourne Cup. The incumbent broadcaster Network Ten isn’t bidding for the rights.

Nine alone in Melbourne Cup rights race after Seven withdraws

Seven West Media boss James Warburton told Tabcorp and the Victoria Racing Club the network would pull out of the Melbourne Cup bidding.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones and Zoe Samios

August 2023

Football Australia wants to leverage the success of the Matildas and secure a record-breaking broadcast deal.

Football Australia chases record TV deal after Matildas success

The governing body’s chief executive, James Johnson, is expecting a record-breaking cash injection for the sport off the back of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

  • Zoe Samios

July 2023

Australian players celebrate scoring against France in their friendly in Melbourne on Friday.

Women’s World Cup offers broadcaster Optus a shot at redemption

It can’t control how well the Matildas do in the World Cup, but Optus Sport says it has pulled out all the tech stops to make its coverage a success.

  • Paul Smith

June 2023

The Melbourne Cup is likely to end up with Tabcorp, but is dependent on how the money it can make from sublicensing the rights to a television network.

Network Ten quits race to broadcast Melbourne Cup from next year

The Paramount-owned broadcaster has aired the race for the last five years. Its exit leaves Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media competing for the rights.

  • Zoe Samios

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/broadcast-rights-1mq9