Many expected the deal to have been wrapped up some time ago as a free-to-air component was required by the anti-siphoning regime and Seven is not believed to have shown great interest due to clashes with the AFL finals series. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources indicated the deal was in the low double-digit millions range.
Ten has broadcast the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship for a number of years and replays one Saturday night Super Rugby match on Sunday mornings. Fox Sports has exclusive live rights to the Super Rugby competition.
“What world rugby had to do is give a free-to-air presence, it is very important for them to grow the game,” Mr Anderson said.
Rugby Australia faces a crossroads with its current TV deal set to run out at the end of the 2020 Super Rugby and international Test series. It has fallen well behind the AFL and NRL in terms of popularity, which have large free-to-air components on their respectively deals, but also don’t face the awkward time zones rugby often faces with matches in South Africa and Argentina.
Asked whether Ten is interested in trying to get more Super Rugby on free-to-air television, Mr Anderson said: ” We are interested in rugby and we have a very good relationship with Rugby Australia. We’ve been the home of the Wallabies for some time, we’ll see how the rest of that plays.”
The Australian part of the TV deal for Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship is just one component of the $285 million SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby) deal and a big chunk of the previous deal came from selling rights into the United Kingdom.
Super Rugby has been the domain of pay TV in Australia and it was not until the last deal was signed in 2015, did it encompass any free-to-air coverage. With Foxtel facing its own cost pressures, the Murdoch-controlled subscription TV business will unlikely be keen to see rights prices increase and Rugby Australia will need to weigh up the value of exposure on free-to-air television for the Super Rugby competition versus the cash it is paid by pay TV.
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