Cricket TV rights: Network Ten angry after cash loosens handshake deal
NETWORK Ten was outbid and outmanoeuvred by Channel 7 in the high-stakes negotiations to secure cricket’s free-to-air broadcast rights.
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NETWORK Ten was outbid and outmanoeuvred by Channel 7 in the high-stakes negotiations to secure cricket’s free-to-air broadcast rights.
Ten believed they had the deal done to become the summer’s new superpower after a handshake agreement with Cricket Australia on Thursday evening only find on Friday they’d been gazumped by Seven and Foxtel who won the rights with a $1.2 billion joint offer.
At about 6pm on Thursday, Ten chief executive Paul Anderson walked out of a meeting with CA heavies believing they had cricket’s word that they would be granted the rights to broadcast Test matches and continue their award-winning Big Bash League coverage in conjunction with Foxtel.
Ten were of the understanding that CA chief James Sutherland was off to draw up a heads of agreement, but about two hours later Ten received a call back telling them they needed to come up with more money.
At that point, Ten chiefs decided the new going price was simply too great to justify and with CBS officials in the US still asleep, opted to walk away.
First thing Friday morning, Ten received a phone call from Cricket Australia to say their bid had been unsuccessful.
Sutherland refused to be drawn when asked at Friday’s press conference but said Cricket Australia was comfortable with how it had done business.
Sutherland paid tribute to the contributions of Ten and Nine over the years.
The dramatic late twist could have an enormous impact on the future of the Ten Network, as they lost their successful hold on BBL to Seven.
After helping build the BBL into one of the fastest growing sports league in the world, Ten are privately fuming at their treatment by Cricket Australia during a tense and at some stages bitter negotiation process.
“Network Ten turned the BBL into the television phenomenon it is today and one of the most popular sports in Australia, a sport that all Australians were able enjoy for free,” said Ten CEO Anderson in a statement.
“We had planned to extend that innovation to other forms of the game.”
Less than a fortnight ago a leaked email revealed that Cricket Australia chairman David Peever had described Ten as “bottom feeders” in correspondence with CBS President Armando Nunez.
Peever later apologised for the tone he used in the email, but stressed the language used wasn’t completely out of the ordinary in the context of a negotiation.
Like buying a house, nothing is final with a TV rights process until the dotted line is signed, but Ten chiefs felt they’d been looked in the eye and given CA’s word and now feel dudded that word appears to have meant nothing.
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