Rugby is better off without fox. They continually stifle any attempts to broaden the appeal of the game. This is why RA are taking the rights to market. Fox are carrying on anti competitively.
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Two potential reasons I can think of straight away:
- There is a level of ‘heritage’ around Rugby and Subscription TV, especially the Super Rugby that was formed to take advantage of the new medium
- Sports leaving Foxtel (especially to other platforms) will ultimately lead to subscribers leaving as well - for some it will be because the Rugby has left, but for others, it will be a culmination of sports. Foxtel are in an awkward position (of their own making) where they can’t afford to maintain the current stock of sports at the price they are currently paying, but also can’t really afford for the sports to find a new home.
This rights deal is in somewhat unchartered territory - there appears to be waning interest in signing a deal across the board. RA are somewhat hamstrung in that they need to include Foxtel in the process, because of their market presence and that they may offer the better deal (if they do bid). The recent talk about South Africa breaking away from the rugby championship in favour of an expanded 6-Nations won’t help either.
Allegedly they haven’t done it for 25 years (which is stupid) and they’ve decided at possibly the games lowest ebb in this country to do so - Fox’s arrogance and blustering aside, this could backfire for RA.
Is that on-top of the offer that was “upped” to cover US to AU currency exchange?
For a sport that is allegedly played mostly by the ‘upper class’ of Australian society - their leadership and governance hasn’t reflected that for some time. There is a baying for blood within the sport starting to form
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There was no issue not until Fox Sports they were going to pay less for non marque sports.
Once that happen things started to go sour.
It’s been upped to $50 million from $40 million, this suggests they really don’t want to loose Union TV rights but also do not want to pay extra for them.
It’s called Pro 14.
Julian Linden wrote in The Australian today there was a suggestion that South Africa could join the Six Nations tournament in 2024, meaning the breaking up of SANZAAR which will also affect the value of the TV deals.
Yep as I’d they were gonna walk away, it was all hot air from.their exit only passage.
The last known leak was that Fox Sports prior to the last rights offer upped it to $50 million a year no contra which is still down $7 million on current deal.
My understanding so that they will need to bump that up to at least $65 million a year if they want to keep the rights and that is the 1st stage of negotiations.
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Where did you get that?
Seems like a decent evolution of the look
Is that look new for Fox Sports?
I like that a lot. They aren’t major changes, but they’re more than enough to keep things looking fresh. Worth pointing out that there was no Union in that video, or on their website: http://occreative.com.au/fox-sports-2020-channel-brand
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Aaaand why isn’t Fox Cricket part of this package?
Either of these reasons:
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Because Fox Cricket is not producing any cricket until next summer so there is not need to have it in the package.
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Because Fox Cricket is separate (their graphics and other elements have always been different to the rest of Fox’s graphics packages).
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
From Friday 21 February
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SA GUHA AND MEL JONES TO LEAD FOX CRICKET’S COVERAGE
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LIVE IN HD WITH NO AD BREAKS DURING PLAY
The Australian Women’s cricket team will attempt to conquer the world from their own backyard when every game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is LIVE and ad-break free on FOX CRICKET, on Foxtel from Friday, February 21.
Contested by 10 teams playing 23 matches in 17 days across six host cities, FOX CRICKET will cover every game with expert commentators Isa Guha and Mel Jones , alongside World Cup winning captain Alex Blackwell and reporter Megan Barnard .
Ranked No.1 in the world, the stage has been set for Australia’s World Cup defence with heroes Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy featuring alongside captain Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney .
Here to challenge them when FOX CRICKET will have every ball LIVE is India, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Thailand.
The tournament culminates in the Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on International Women’s Day – Sunday, March 8, when Katy Perry performs LIVE from 5.00pm before teams take the field for the Final.
FOX SPORTS Head of Television, Steve Crawley , said: “How good is this: true world class sport in our own backyard with Australia ranked number one and the tournament favourite. The best of the best.”
FOX CRICKET Expert commentator, Mel Jones , said: “This will be the most competitive Women’s T20 World Cup ever. It’s no longer the big three of Australia, New Zealand and England who are now joined by India, South Africa and West Indies to make six serious contenders, all boasting their own X factor players that will entertain and take the game to the next level.”
The only place to watch every ball of every match Live and ad-break free during play of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is on FOX CRICKET.
Watching the highlights of yesterday’s AFLW match from Launceston on YouTube, I notice Katelyn Barry’s name on the commentators list. I have since found out that Katelyn spent two years at Fox Sports before leaving in August 2019 and returning to her home state of Tasmania, working as a freelancing journalist. However this summer (according to her Instagram) she worked as a boundary reporter on Fox Cricket’s coverage of Hobart Hurricanes home games in the BBL and also yesterday’s AFLW clash.
Yes I believe so.
Reckon this is a pretty good (& balanced) piece which outlines (as the title and blurb states) why Fox would want to hold onto the rugby rights and why Optus are interested in securing them
Supercars Adelaide
FOX SPORTS is ready to bring the 2020 Supercars season to life from the car-crunching streets of Adelaide for the Superloop Adelaide 500, where every session is LIVE and Ad-break free during racing on Foxtel.
Getting underway from tomorrow – Thursday, February 20 – at 1.25pm, Jess Yates , Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes will cover every angle off before and after each session leading into two 250km action packed races this weekend.
n 2020 the team is joined by Supercars commentators Neil Crompton , Greg Murphy , technical analyst Mark Larkham and pit lane reporter Riana Crehan for every session.
On Saturday, Supercars Qualifying and the Top Ten Shootout will show who’s the fastest in the field before it’s time to see who the early pace setter is in 2020, with the first of two 250km at races at 4.50pm.
Then racing on Sunday will crown the Adelaide 500 champion with Qualifying and a second Top Ten Shootout leading up to race start at 3.50pm.
On-track everyone has their sights sets on stopping one man – Scott McLaughlin, who will be shooting for a hat-trick of drivers’ titles but will have to contend with an angry pack of contenders led by Shane Van Gisbergen , Jamie Whincup , David Reynolds and Chaz Mostert .
Foxtel subscribers will be able to watch support categories with the Dunlop Super2 Series, Stadium Trucks, Porsche Carrera Cup and thunderous Touring Car Masters all weekend only on FOX SPORTS.
FOX SPORTS BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Virgin Australia Supercars Championship
Superloop Adelaide 500
Thu, Feb 20
LIVE coverage begins – 2020 Adelaide 500
1.25pm FOX SPORTS 506 plus Foxtel GO
Practice 1 4.25pm
Fri, Feb 21
Practice 2 2.35pm
Practice 3 6.30pm
Sat, Feb 22
Qualifying 12.25pm
Top Ten Shootout 1.00pm
Supercars Race (250kms) 4.50pm
Sun, Feb 23
Supercars Qualifying 12.20am
Top Ten Shootout 12.55pm
Supercars Race (250kms) 3.50pm
All times in AEDT*
What do you guys think about the commentary when a Aus team goes to South Africa, like Hugh Bladen and Gavin Cowley? Cowley and Bladen are totally unable to generate any excitement like Greg Clark or Sean Maloney do, or the NZ callers like Grant Nisbett or Tony Johnson or even Rikki Swannell do.