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Nine in Wallabies bid

Nine said to have lodged a $10-million bid for Rugby Union games.

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There has recently been some manoeuvering in the other Rugby code with Nine said to have lodged a $10-million bid to broadcast Tri-Nations matches, home Tests featuring the Wallabies and a highlights package of Super 15 games in 2011-15.

The Australian reports that the offer is said to be less than the $15-$20m rugby officials wanted but Nine appears to be in the box seat given Seven is not involved in the bidding process and TEN remains frustrated that a $US40m offer has already been rejected.

Seven is believed to have paid about $17m for the last five-year deal but ratings for Wallabies matches have dropped. Bledisloe Cup games which once attracted 1.5m viewers in 2001 were lucky to get half that number in recent years.

Nine already holds the rights to broadcast the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups along with FOX Sports.

Source: The Australian

21 Responses

  1. Now that Nine has won the rights to Wallabies home tests in 2011-2015, for the next two years at least (2011 and 2012) Nine will be home to both rugby league and rugby union. That will affect SANZAR’s plan to hold a Tri-Nations match in September, as it clashes with Nine’s coverage of NRL finals. And the Wallabies home tests in the middle of each year will also interfere with Nine’s coverage of Wimbledon, British Open golf, as well as the Ashes cricket series in 2013, regarding of how the anti-siphoning laws will change by then.

  2. The Australian Financial Review confirms today that Nine has bought the rights to home tests involving the Wallabies, including the Tri-Nations series. Nine Network CEO David Gyngell refused to tell the AFR how much the network paid for the rights, but the media industry estimated the deal cost $9 million, plus $1 million in production costs.

  3. league freak, do you realise thats exactly the same in australia and most countries in the world?

    you didnt respond to my comment on the vastness of the game compared to yours either

  4. Nick do you realize that of the 50 million in South Africa, the vast majority don’t give a stuff about rugby union? The most popular sport by far in RSA is soccer. Problem is, it isn’t the favorite past time of those over there that control the media.

  5. These things go in cycles…once the Wallabies start winning a few games, win a world cup perhaps then everyone will be rugby crazy again. Remember football? No one did until 2005 or so.

  6. “Absolute madness!”

    No it’s not. Newcorp paid 300 million dollars for the Super 15 and Tri-Nations for the next 5 years. This 10 million is Fox onselling it.

    I doubt Fox get much of a profit from the Super 14 which is why they are reluctant to share advertising revenues with Ten and One. Also why would they help a competitor sports channel by giving it top flight rugby?

    “NRL should just buy it out”

    lol…very naive aren’t you. Super 15 involves two other countries. South Africa and NZ are rugby mad and SA has a population of 50 million.

  8. @DansDans
    I know what you mean. Ten offer US$40million and they have a dedicated Sports channel, yet a $10million offer from Nine seems to be the preferred offer? Absolute madness!

    @League Freak
    Exactly, Nine will shove it at an unwatchable time that is after midnight. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the weekly highlights as a 5minute ‘highlights’ package on WWOS on Sundays.

    If Nine can take this seriously for all 5 years of the contract, then there just might be hope.

    @Chris
    It’s currently Super 14, the addition of the Melbourne franchise will make it Super 15 (not 16 😉 ).

    Ten have not been shy regarding their interest in getting Rugby to Ten/ONE, particularly the Super 15. I wonder how much Ten are going to offer for FTA Super 15 rights when they go up for grabs. They might be able to get a bargain if a 40mil offer is rejected over a 10mil.

  9. league freak is obviously dillusional as to how “big” league is and how “small” rugby is, hows that world cup and olympic competition going LF? the 196,000 people who play will never let your scenario play out, nor will the 115 Union member and associates who make up the International Rugby Board – opposed to your 10 or so.

  13. for them to take less money for tests and these are the biggests in the sport. they must have had a gutfull of 7’s rubbish coverage.

    the sport is on it’s way out here in australia

  14. some of these mungos are as idiotic as the players they support, i would have given it to ten and let some of the fox contract go for wider coverage, but obviously the ARU board doesnt see it like that. I also would have extended it to the year after the 2016 olympics, that way once rugby picks up theyd have better bargaining power.

  15. noooooo. Please let this be a simulcast agreement with Fox otherwise here in Adelaide we will be lucky to see this a June Test by the end of November.

  17. If a network has the rights to Rugby World Cup, you may as well bid for Wallabies home tests. The problem is, Channel Nine has very little experience covering rugby union (its first broadcast was the rugby sevens tournament of 2006 Commonwealth Games), and unless Nine poaches people from other networks (Gordon Bray anyone?), its broadcast will be worse than Seven’s and it could reduce the popularity of rugby union in this country even further. I can only think the ARU is resisting Ten’s offer because it doesn’t want any matches to be shown on ONE, Fox Sports’ arch-rival.

  18. They are just about giving the rights away at this stage. Non one had wanted to pay for the rights so this is a lifeline by Nine. With the way they treat a highly ratings sport like Rugby League, Rugby Union will be flat out being shown before 1am.

  20. FFS ARU, give 10 a short 2 year deal (or 1) including some Super 16 (which it will be from next year, perhaps 2 Aus games each and split the rest) for a tad less than you want. Split Super 16 between 10 and Foxtel, if Foxtel don’t want to pay, take it from them as they have more to lose than 10. Lower gate charges with an extended season and maybe you’ll get some fans from greater Sydney not just the eastern fringe and north shore.

    Would love to see rugby expand its fan base but it would be disappointing to cut off their own legs just to get a better pay day in 2011.

    Maybe even a 1 year deal (FTA trail). God forbid Australia win or make the World Cup final (we’re looking ok), you may have a property all three will bid for.

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