Rugby secures breakthrough broadcast deal with Fox Sports
Fox Sports signed the rights to both the New Zealand and Australian 2020 Super Rugby competitions.
Rugby fans can breathe a sigh of relief, with both the Australian and New Zealand Super Rugby tournaments set to beamed around the country – starting this Saturday.
The first rugby game in the world with a live crowd since the COVID-19 lockdown began will be televised in Australia on Saturday, after Fox Sports signed the rights to both the New Zealand and Australian 2020 Super Rugby competitions.
In a major breakthrough for rugby, Foxtel secured both tournaments on Wednesday and will screen Saturday’s Highlanders v Chiefs at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium (5.05pm AEST) that is expected to draw 20,000 fans after New Zealand lifted their coronavirus restrictions.
That will be followed by Sunday afternoon’s Blues vs Hurricanes clash at Eden Park that will feature the return of superstar Dan Carter for the Auckland team (1.35pm AEST), an event that could see 35,000 Kiwi fans attend.
For Rugby Australia, the deal is a much-needed windfall that will allow them to restart their local Super competition on Friday, July 3 with the grudge match between NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds, though at this stage Australian games are still expected to be played in empty stadiums given the slower success rate of defeating the pandemic.
The announcement of the broadcast deal came as reports emerged that a global private equity giant was in talks with Rugby Australia to make an investment in the code.
Nine Entertainment newspapers reported US firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts was interested in investing “hundreds of millions of dollars”.
The five-team Australian competition will see the return of the Western Force. It will run over 12 weeks, with the final to be played on September 19. All matches will be broadcast live and ad-break free on Fox Sports on Foxtel, Foxtel Now and streamed on Kayo.
The deal is for Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Aotearoa only; Rugby Australia must negotiate rights to The Rugby Championship separately, and then pitch their package for 2021 and beyond after that.
But Wallabies legend and Fox Sports commentator Tim Horan said the Super Rugby deal is a crucial development.
“There are a lot of people who have been anticipating what’s next for rugby, and this is the first step,” Horan said.
“Rugby is back on television, and how exciting will it be that we can watch a game with a live crowd again.
“Players and supporters have been nervous about the future of the game, this is the first step, and the next will be to look at securing Fox Sports as the broadcast rights holder for the next couple of years.”
The last match of the regular 2020 Super Rugby season was played on March 15, when the Brumbies defeated NSW 47-14, before COVID-19 shut down live sport across Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Japan.
The latter trio have yet to organise new competitions.
All teams in Australia and New Zealand will start their revised tournaments on zero competition points.
The new Australian season kicks off when the Reds host the Tahs at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 3 (7.05pm AEST).
The following night in Canberra, the Brumbies will host the Melbourne Rebels at 7.15pm AEST after the Highlanders and Crusaders battle it out across the ditch in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
“We are excited to announce the return of professional Rugby in Australia and the kick-off of Vodafone Super Rugby AU on July 3,” RA interim CEO, Rob Clarke, said.
“A huge thanks goes to our broadcast partner of 25 years, Fox Sports, who have backed the revised competition format for 2020 and have delivered the best possible news to rugby fans across the country today. I offer my personal thanks to Foxtel CEO, Patrick Delany and Head of Fox Sports, Peter Campbell for their ongoing support of rugby.
“We will continue to work closely with Fox Sports and Foxtel on the schedule for the international season following the revised Super Rugby tournament and look forward to making further exciting announcements with regards to our 2020 Test match schedule over the coming weeks.
“Our focus is now back where it should be, getting Vodafone Super Rugby AU up and running next month and watching our five Australian teams go head-to-head in week after week of Aussie derby action.
“Fans can also expect to see something different during the new season, as we use the opportunity to innovate and push the boundaries and we look forward to showcasing a new brand of Rugby throughout this 12-week competition.”
Campbell said: “It might not be Super Rugby as we know it, but its super to have rugby back on Fox Sports. We are looking forward to broadcasting every match of this competition to Australian viewers live and ad break free on Foxtel, Foxtel Now and streamed on Kayo.
“Rugby-starved fans will be able to watch their favourite teams in viewer friendly timeslots each week. Additionally, Foxtel has also reached an agreement to air the New Zealand Super Rugby Aotearoa competition, which starts this weekend, so rugby fans can settle in to watch more of the sport they love.
“The return of Super Rugby AU continues the return of live sport to our screens following the resumption of the NRL competition and this week the AFL premiership. We are beginning to see more sports announce and release their plans to return to competition and Foxtel is the best place to see it all.”
The full Super Rugby AU season draw will be revealed on Thursday at 11am.
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