Channel 10 to take over broadcast rights for Melbourne Cup

NETWORK Ten has been confirmed as the new broadcaster of the Melbourne Cup — striking a $100 million deal to televise the race that stops the nation.

NETWORK Ten has hijacked exclusive TV rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival in a sports rights coup.

Continuing a musical chairs shake-up of Australian sports coverage, Ten will next year take over as official broadcaster of the race that stops a nation and its high-profile support days.

The Herald Sun can reveal Ten this afternoon struck a $100 million deal — one of the biggest in Australian sport — to take over from Seven.

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The five year deal will take effect from 2019 until 2023 and see Ten hold the rights to the Cup, Derby, Oaks and Stakes days at Flemington.

The deal is the most lucrative in the history of Australian racing and one of the biggest in the world.

Channel 10 is poised to snatch the broadcast rights to the Melbourne Cup with insiders confirming a contract could be signed as early as this weekend. Picture: Getty Images

Victoria Racing Club chief executive Neil Wilson said the deal was “transformational’’ for TV and the racing industry.

“It’s a level that has never been seen before,’’ he said.

“This is a very different scope … it has at its core the free to air carnival coverage but it is a much, much bigger package when you consider the range and reach of content and where the networks are heading on content.’’

The agreement covers free to air TV, internet, social media, mobile coverage and more.

The Ten takeover continues an incredible year of jostling between TV networks for prized sporting content.

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Channel 9 this year stole Australian Open tennis rights from Channel 7.

But Seven returned fire by pinching the summer of Test cricket from Nine.

Seven has held rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival since 2002 with legendary commentator Bruce McAvaney a staple in coverage sent into loungerooms around the nation.

Seven will retain coverage of Group 1 racing at Flemington outside the Melbourne Cup Carnival until at least the end of June 2020.

Jockey Corey Brown rides Rekindling to victory in last year’s Melbourne Cup. Picture: Getty Images

Network Ten chief executive Paul Anderson said the Melbourne Cup Carnival was “one of the most prestige horseracing events in the world”.

“And Cup Day is iconic, not just in the sporting calendar, but for all Australians,’’ he said.

Seven will remain broadcaster of this year’s Cup Carnival, with sources ruling out a buyout similar to that Channel 9 orchestrated in taking over Australian Open rights a year earlier.

It is believed part of Ten’s push to seize control of the Cup Carnival was attracting a younger audience.

Entertainment, food and fashion are tipped to form a big part of its coverage, as well action on course.

Ten previously held Melbourne Cup broadcast rights from 1978 til 2001.

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