Foxtel, Seven buckle up for Supercars deals

Streaming of its motorsports across its three platforms has surged by 82 per cent.

The broadcasting rights deals come after Foxtel disclosed on Tuesday that it had a record of almost two million sports subscribers, due to its coverage of the NRL, AFL and motorsports.

Foxtel and the Seven Network have beefed up their sport line-up by striking two separate five-year broadcasting deals with Supercars, as Rugby Australia’s broadcast future remains up in the air.

Foxtel’s new five-year deal will ensure that every Supercars Championship session will be available live across its pay-television and streaming platforms Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go and Kayo Sports through to 2025.

Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany said he was pleased to have a new five-year agreement in place, particularly given its motorsport audience had jumped 35 per cent this year from a year ago. Streaming of its motorsports across its three platforms has surged by 82 per cent.

“Our relationship with Supercars dates back to 2015, and along with Formula One and MotoGP has established Foxtel as the home of Australia’s premium motorsport experience, while Kayo has opened up motorsport to a new audience of streaming viewers,” Mr Delany said.

“Supercars are quintessentially Australian, and the championship is a core part of our motorsport offering, attracting huge audiences in its own right.

“The iconic Bathurst 1000 recorded the highest rating day in subscription television history in 2019.”

The deal also includes a special launch event, exclusive to Foxtel, which is majority-owned by News Corp, publisher of The Australian.

Seven has signed a “multi-year deal” with Supercars, ensuring the motorsport will be available on free-to-air TV. The Australian understands Seven’s deal is also for five years, and only half the price that Network Ten paid at the end of 2013. No financial details were publicly disclosed.

Ten, which is owned by US media giant ViacomCBS, announced in July that its six-year broadcasting partnership with Supercars would conclude at the end of the year.

Seven chief executive James Warburton, who ran Supercars for more than four years until the end of 2017, was thrilled with the new broadcasting deal after recently threatening to dump the network’s pricey contract with Cricket Australia.

“Seven and Supercars have so much shared history, so we’re excited to begin the next part of our story together with this multi-year deal,” he said.

“Seven has long been a pioneer in motorsport coverage; our world-leading innovations include the iconic RaceCam, which made its debut in our coverage of the 1979 Bathurst 1000.”

Supercars boss Sean Seamer said it was an “exciting day” for the sport.

“Not only are we continuing our great relationship with Fox Sports, but now announcing a new agreement with our original broadcast partners, the Seven Network, for our free-to-air coverage,” he said.

Mr Seamer hinted on Tuesday during a Foxtel advertising event that some “good news” was coming following speculation it was set to lock in broadcasting deals with Foxtel and Seven.

The broadcasting rights deals come after Foxtel disclosed on Tuesday that it had a record of almost two million sports subscribers, due to its coverage of the NRL, AFL and motorsports.

Kayo has more than 600,000 paid subscribers now following the resumption of live sport at the end of May as coronavirus restrictions eased. That is up about 11 per cent from 542,000 paid subscribers as at August 4.

Seven parent company Seven West Media’s first payment to Cricket Australia last week was less than the $25m due and one of three it is obliged to make.

The broadcaster said that was all the 2020-21 summer of cricket was worth, given the weakened player line-up during the coronavirus crisis, and it would not pay any more.