Jarro
23rd December 2005, 06:30 PM
Nine 'secures' TV rights
By staff writers and wires
December 23, 2005
THE AFL has accepted a massive $780 million bid from Channel 9 for the new television broadcast rights deal.
The league announced its decision this afternoon at AFL House in Melbourne, chairman Ron Evans and chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirming the deal.
It represents one of the biggest deal for a sporting event in Australia's history.
The deal will not be secured for at least another fortnight.
"This does not mean the process is over," Evans said of today's announcement.
"We have advised the Seven Network and the Ten Network of the decision and they have up to 14 days to match that offer."
Under the first-and-last rights clause, the bid by Channels 7 and 10 have 14 calendar days to match Nine's offer.
With the Christmas period coming up, that is reduced in business terms by public holidays.
However, the AFL did not agree that this put the Seven and Ten constortium at any disadavantage.
Currents rights holder Nine, in conjunction with Foxtel, has been bidding for the new deal against a joint Seven and Ten consortium.
The AFL had been resigned to continuing negotiations into the new year, but its executive held an emergency meeting yesterday afternoon and another this morning to allow today's announcment to be made.
The new deal will start in 2007 and will run for either five or six years.
It allows Nine to sub-licence up to four games to another free-to-air or pay-TV operator.
No details were given of what the deal woudl bring to the Sydney and Brisbane markets, which are already saturated by Nine's National Rugby League coverage.
The deal also does not cover Internet, mobile or 3G rights.
Nine and Ten will broadcast AFL in 2006 before the new deal takes hold.
By staff writers and wires
December 23, 2005
THE AFL has accepted a massive $780 million bid from Channel 9 for the new television broadcast rights deal.
The league announced its decision this afternoon at AFL House in Melbourne, chairman Ron Evans and chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirming the deal.
It represents one of the biggest deal for a sporting event in Australia's history.
The deal will not be secured for at least another fortnight.
"This does not mean the process is over," Evans said of today's announcement.
"We have advised the Seven Network and the Ten Network of the decision and they have up to 14 days to match that offer."
Under the first-and-last rights clause, the bid by Channels 7 and 10 have 14 calendar days to match Nine's offer.
With the Christmas period coming up, that is reduced in business terms by public holidays.
However, the AFL did not agree that this put the Seven and Ten constortium at any disadavantage.
Currents rights holder Nine, in conjunction with Foxtel, has been bidding for the new deal against a joint Seven and Ten consortium.
The AFL had been resigned to continuing negotiations into the new year, but its executive held an emergency meeting yesterday afternoon and another this morning to allow today's announcment to be made.
The new deal will start in 2007 and will run for either five or six years.
It allows Nine to sub-licence up to four games to another free-to-air or pay-TV operator.
No details were given of what the deal woudl bring to the Sydney and Brisbane markets, which are already saturated by Nine's National Rugby League coverage.
The deal also does not cover Internet, mobile or 3G rights.
Nine and Ten will broadcast AFL in 2006 before the new deal takes hold.