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FOX Sports in new deal for Australian Open

FOX Sports will resume its coverage of the Australian Open after a new deal with the Seven Network.

FOX Sports will resume its coverage of the Australian Open after a new deal with the Seven Network.

The Pay TV channel will return to the tennis court with live access to matches on courts excluding the Rod Laver Arena centre court. These include Hisense Arena and Margaret Court Arena.

The deal runs until 2014.

Matches at the Australian Open have long been a point of contention to the Pay TV industry, with many matches comprising a large chunk of the 1300 events on the Anti-Siphoning List.

Seven’s Head of Sport, Saul Shtein said: “We’re pleased to be working once again with FOX Sports on a broad coverage of the Australian Open across broadcast and subscription television.”

Tennis Australia CEO, Steve Wood, added: “We are fortunate to be in a position with our free to air and pay television partners that will see Australian Open 2011 broadcast live to more people than ever before. Together with our broadcast partners we will continue to build tennis, both as a spectator and television sport to increase the audience, as well as boost participation and get more people playing more tennis more often.”

The deal with Seven also reiterates one of Pay TV’s complaints about having to negotiate its deals via a Free to Air network instead of direct with one of the Codes.

10 Responses

  1. I as others on this story echo the same sentiments. Live Australian Open Night matches are a must have, Do not care about day matches whether they are Live or not but Night Matches in Primetime have to be Live, no ifs ands or buts about it. It does not make any sense that the 7network think that day matches would rate better than night matches, considering everyone is outside enjoying summer. It makes more sense to air the night matches Live.

  2. Stupid Channel Seven better be showing the night matches live at all places! It’s such a turn off because they have no clue how to broadcast tennis matches.

  3. Good stuff.This also shows you that the digital channels will not be committed to live sporting events in the future,no matter what they say,and what i have been saying all along.Another example why the government must but out and have a even playing field with FTA and Foxtel.Well Done Foxtel

  4. If I remember correctly, the last deal between Fox and Seven, Seven had exclusive coverage of both Rod Laver and Hisense, now only Rod Laver, better news for coverage of the tournament. I’ll be at the open watching it so it doesn’t matter for me.

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