Page 13: Tim Worner and wife Katrina together at gala dinner

SEVEN executives had a good chuckle at Nine paying $300 million for the Australian Open. But will boss Tim Worner, in his first public outing with wife Katrina since his scandalous affair, stump up the cash to steal cricket from Nine?

From left, games boss Peter Beattie with Juan Carlos Capelli and Kerry Stokes at the Longines gala dinner.

CHANNEL 7 honchos were in their penguin suits for a black-tie dinner and some heavy backslapping.

Kerry Stokes and glamorous fourth wife, Christine Simpson arrived with Stokes’s son Ryan Stokes and his impossibly good-looking wife Claire Campbell at the Longines Records Club ‘Elegance is Attitude’ gala dinner on the Gold Coast.

Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell and hosts David Koch and Samantha Armytage hung off every Stokes word. All eyes were on the other big cheese, Seven boss Tim Worner, who arrived with his wife Katrina firmly by his side.

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Kerry Stokes with wife Christine Simpson.

Tim Worner arrived with wife Katrina firmly by his side.

HOW NINE OUTSMARTED SEVEN FOR THE TENNIS

It was their first public outing since the scandal over Worner’s relationship with former employee Amber Harrison, which erupted in December 2016. But you wouldn’t know it. The Seven chief executive was oh-so attentive to his wife, asking if she would like to swap entrees and mains and dutifully playing the doting husband.

“I’m here with Katrina and she’s really looking forward to the Commonwealth Games,” Worner said. “Katrina loves the gymnastics and we are looking forward to hosting quite a few of our (corporate) partners here and having a bit of fun.”

Tim Worner, with Ryan Stokes and wife Claire Campbell

■ PAST indiscretions were worlds away as the Seven men haw-hawed loudly at Nine paying $300 million for the Australian Open tennis in a five-year deal. Nine will be paying $60 million a year compared with Seven’s reported $35 million for one of the world’s top tournaments.

One Seven bigwig said they still lost money on the tournament this year, despite the ratings bonanza and the promos served up for upcoming prime-time shows.

On the record it was a more measured approach, with Worner telling Page 13 the numbers just didn’t stack up for Seven.

“We’ve probably maintained a polite silence about these things,” Worner said suavely.

“It comes down to the numbers. It’s an event that we have a very long connection with, but when it comes down to it, it can’t be an emotional connection.

“In the end it was pretty straight forward. You have to make the call. And we had to make that call.”

Game, set and match.

So, will Seven be the new home of cricket? The power players were again rubbing their hands with glee.

“You look at everything you have to, you always are,” Worner said. Looking that is.

“The way live sports attracts audiences, it is your responsibility to look at everything and make a measured call about everything.

There are the known knowns, the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns. Watch this space.