Andrews blindside puts Commonwealth Games broadcast deal on ice

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ decision to no longer host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in the state has thrown a potential broadcast deal with Network Seven in the air.

A senior source close to the network, who spoke privately due to confidential details of the negotiations, said Seven was “very close” to agreeing to a multi-Games deal with the Commonwealth Games Committee, but uncertainty over where the Games would be held forced the talks to be put on hold.

Seven is the incumbent partner for the Commonwealth Games Committee, having aired the 2022 Birmingham Games, as well as the 2018 Games, held on the Gold Coast. The network had an exclusive first-refusal negotiating period to extend its rights deal.

The proposed deal, according to the source, was for the next two Games, with an option for the third. The appeal of the 2026 games “significantly weakens” for Seven if the event ends up being hosted in another timezone, the source said.

The Commonwealth Games broadcasting rights are protected under federal anti-siphoning laws, which cover a list of sporting events the communications minister believes should be televised free to the public.

The rights to broadcast the next cycle of Olympics Games was secured by Nine Entertainment (the owner of this masthead) earlier this year for $315 million, in a deal which includes the 2032 Brisbane event.

Australian gold medallists in 2022. Credit: Getty Images

Seven was the incumbent broadcaster of the Olympic Games, securing a multi-year deal in 2014 that included the summer Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020 (hosted in 2021) and the winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018.

The Victorian government’s decision, announced on Tuesday, has blindsided the Games Committee, which will now have to scramble to allocate the Games to an alternative location, looking domestically and beyond on short notice.

“We are disappointed that we were only given eight hours’ notice and that no consideration was given to discussing the situation to jointly find solutions prior to this decision being reached by the government,” the committee said.

Andrews said on Tuesday the decision to scrap the Games was easy to make, after updated estimates pointed to the sporting event costing the state more than $6 billion, more than double the original figure.

The Games were to be held in March 2026 across five regional centres: Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland and Shepparton.

Nine and Ten were not in the running to broadcast the event.

Commonwealth Games Australia confirmed to this masthead that no broadcast deal has been signed yet.

When asked why several events – or the entire Games – weren’t shifted to Melbourne, Andrews said those alternatives were canvassed.

“We have looked at every conceivable option. All of them are far in excess of the $2.6 billion that’s been budgeted, so all of them represent more cost than there is benefit,” he said.

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