Video exclusive: Why Foxtel boss gave Nazi salute

Graphic content

New video footage of Foxtel boss Patrick Delany performing a Nazi salute shows him mocking former Socceroos player Mark Bosnich, who infamously made a similar gesture during an English Premier League game in 1996.

After an image was published by Crikey on Sunday, Delany, who was at the time chief executive of Fox Sports, said the only context he could think of for the image was that he was demonstrating a likeness between the Sieg Heil and a hand action made by Western Sydney Wanderers fans during a popular chant.

“Since becoming aware of this photo, I have been searching my mind for a circumstance, from over a decade ago, where a photo capturing me in this pose could ever be possible. The picture is completely inconsistent with my values and beliefs, and family connections,” Delany said in an all-staff email on Sunday.

While the specific date of the footage is unknown, it probably dates from the 2014-15 A-League season, set between October 2014 and May 2015.

The video shows the context appears to be different to the initial explanation offered to staff, and subsequently to media.

During the video, Delany is on Fox Sports’ Hyundai A-League set alongside Bosnich, who was at the time a presenter for the broadcaster’s coverage. Delany was chief executive of Fox Sports at the time. In what appears to be an off-air recording, Bosnich is demonstrating the studio’s new virtual soccer ball, and asks Delany to try to kick it.

“Just run up and kick it towards our viewers,” says Bosnich, to which Delany asks if he should kick it “rugby league style”.

“We’ll do it like you would’ve done, mate. You ready?” Delany says, before he places two fingers between his nose and mouth, to imitate Adolf Hitler’s moustache, raises his hand in the style of the Sieg Heil salute and kicks the ball.

Responding to queries from this masthead, Delany reaffirmed the apologies he expressed earlier in the week.

“As I said earlier this week, it is difficult to recall events from 10 years ago. This additional context does not take away from the hurt I have caused, or the sincerity of my apologies,” he said.

Delany is probably referencing a similar salute Bosnich made while playing for English Premier League club Aston Villa against Tottenham Hotspur in 1996. Tottenham is a team from North London with a historically large Jewish following. Bosnich was fined £1000 at the time.

Bosnich apologised at the time after the incident was investigated by police, saying he was “distraught” during a radio interview with the BBC. He said the gesture was intended as a joke, and was done out of ignorance, according to a report from The Independent.

Mark Bosnich was fined for performing the Nazi salute during the Tottenham v Aston Villa game in 1996.Credit: David Jacobs

After the Delany image was made public on Sunday, he met NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip, who said the executive had made a full and unreserved apology to the Jewish community, and made clear that regardless of the context in which the salute was performed, he understood the offence and hurt that the gesture causes Jewish Australians and the many Australians whose family members were killed or injured fighting the Nazis during World War II.

“We accept Patrick’s apology and recognise his and [News Corp chair] Lachlan Murdoch’s strong and unequivocal repudiation of antisemitism in Australia over the past 10 months.”

Foxtel is majority-owned by News Corp, which did not respond to a request for comment.

In 2018, Delany was appointed chief executive of Foxtel when the company was merged with Fox Sports. Global News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson announced this month that Foxtel was for sale, after receiving initial third-party interest.

Delany was a signatory to the “Say No to Antisemitism” letter published in late 2023.

Bosnich was approached for comment.

The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.