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Foxtel withdraws offer for Rugby Australia rights

Negotiating tactics are underway for next five-year deal for rugby union.

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Foxtel has withdrawn its offer for a five-year deal to continue broadcasting rugby union in Australia.

But deals are not finalised, and the move echoes similar action in 2018 over cricket broadcasting rights, prior to a deal being done.

A withdrawal for five-year rights to the Super Rugby competition, the National Rugby Championships and Wallabies Tests comes after Foxtel and other broadcasters have been vocal about unsustainable costs for sports rights.

Optus has reportedly expressed interest in the broadcast rights, but said in a statement it was “unable to comment on any rights speculation.”

In a statement Rugby Australia confirmed they were “currently in general discussions with the broader market about the rights for the period for 2021 to 2025.”

“No formal negotiations with the broader market have yet taken place.

“Rugby Australia will commence a formal rights offer process at an appropriate time before the end of the current rights period.

“Rugby has had a 25-year partnership with FOX Sports and continues to be in discussions with their key executives.”

Source: WA Today

4 Responses

  1. Mr Mudoch identified the AFL as Foxtel’s premium sports code in Australia and that AFL will be kept at all costs with cricket and NRL coming after, rugby union was needed mostly to give a more complete winter sports package and fill vacant time slots. If union was able to attract more FTA coverage it could become more valuable commercially, having said that rugby union is played many thousands around the world, Australian sport would be a major loser without the ARU being able to invest in the professionalism of the union game.
    Foxtel is associated with sports streaming services in Europe so rugby union coverage should still be a good earner for them.

  2. The rights for TV coverage of most sports is unsustainable in the current state of the fta channels. Somehow the rights and the ability to make a little money need to be reasonable. The problem is that the people that have the sports want millions for the coverage, and the channels are getting to the point where they can not be able to pay for the sports.

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