Fox Sports

Fox Sports to broadcast Vodafone Super Rugby AU From July 3

Rugby Australia and the Foxtel Group have reached agreement today on a revised broadcast arrangement for 2020 which has given the go-ahead for the proposed Vodafone Super Rugby AU competition to be broadcast on FOX SPORTS.

The five-team competition, which features the four Australian Super Rugby teams plus the Western Force, will kick off on July 3 and will be contested over 12 consecutive weekends. All matches will be broadcast live and ad-break free on FOX SPORTS on Foxtel, Foxtel NOW and streamed on Kayo.

The competition will involve 10 weeks of round robin action, with teams to face-off twice and have two byes each, before a two-week finals series featuring a Qualifying Final on September 12 and a Final on September 19.

All teams will start on zero competition points under the revised domestic format, with the 15-team three-conference Vodafone Super Rugby competition abandoned for 2020 after seven rounds.

The new season gets underway with the longest-running rivalry in Australian Rugby when the Queensland Reds host the NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane at 7.05pm AEST on Friday, July 3. The following night in Canberra, the Brumbies will host the Melbourne Rebels at 7.15pm AEST after the Highlanders and Crusaders battle it out across the ditch in Super Rugby Aotearoa. The SANZAAR tournaments will be the first professional Rugby competitions to launch since the global COVID-19 shutdown in March. Western Force will begin its campaign in Round 2 after an opening round bye.

All matches to kick off the Vodafone Super Rugby AU season will be played at closed venues, with Rugby Australia to review its position regarding spectator attendance regularly in line with Government restrictions. All 22 matches in the tournament will be broadcast exclusively live and ad-break free during play in High Definition on FOX SPORTS on Foxtel, Foxtel NOW and streamed on Kayo.

Rugby Australia interim CEO, Rob Clarke said: “We are excited to announce the return of professional Rugby in Australia and the kick-off of Vodafone Super Rugby AU on July 3.

“A huge thanks goes to our broadcast partner of 25 years, FOX SPORTS, who have backed the revised competition format for 2020 and have delivered the best possible news to Rugby fans across the country today. I offer my personal thanks to Foxtel Group CEO, Patrick Delany and Head of FOX SPORTS, Peter Campbell for their ongoing support of Rugby.

“We will continue to work closely with FOX SPORTS and Foxtel on the schedule for the international season following the revised Super Rugby tournament and look forward to making further exciting announcements with regards to our 2020 Test match schedule over the coming weeks.

“Our focus is now back where it should be, getting Vodafone Super Rugby AU up and running next month and watching our five Australian teams go head-to-head in week after week of Aussie derby action.

“Fans can also expect to see something different during the new season, as we use the opportunity to innovate and push the boundaries and we look forward to showcasing a new brand of Rugby throughout this 12-week competition.”

Head of FOX SPORTS Peter Campbell said: “It might not be Super Rugby as we know it, but it’s super to have rugby back on FOX SPORTS. We are looking forward to broadcasting every match of this competition to Australian viewers live and ad break free on Foxtel, Foxtel NOW and streamed on Kayo.

“Rugby starved fans will be able to watch their favourite teams in viewer friendly timeslots each week. Additionally, Foxtel has also reached an agreement to air the New Zealand Super Rugby Aotearoa competition, which starts this weekend, so rugby fans can settle in to watch more of the sport they love.

“The return of Super Rugby AU continues the return of live sport to our screens following the resumption of the NRL competition and this week the AFL premiership. We are beginning to see more sports announce and release their plans to return to competition and Foxtel is the best place to see it all.”

The full Vodafone Super Rugby AU season draw will be revealed tomorrow (Thursday 11 June) at 11am AEST.

Rugby Australia is also set to showcase law variations and innovations during the tournament. Further announcements will be made ahead of the season start.

UPDATE 15/6: under the new Super Rugby AU draw, there will be one Friday night match and one Saturday match each week with one bye. It will be a 10-round round robin competition.

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Yet 10 is not out of it if Foxtel is trying to bring them back into the fold.

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The A-League will return on July 16 with a Melbourne derby at AAMI Park to relight the competition after four months in a coronavirus coma - with or without Fox Sports, say the FFA.

The match between the Melbourne Victory and Western United will kick-start an unprecedented 27 games over an action-packed 28-day period before the end of season Finals Series.

But there is still no definite TV deal in place to broadcast the planned games.

“With key milestones being met, FFA will continue to work collaboratively with the competition’s long-term partner and host broadcaster, Fox Sports, regarding the broadcast arrangements to complete the season,” said an FFA statement today.

If there is no deal with Fox Sports, then the ABC won’t be able to show the Saturday twilight match either.

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Yes that is correct.

Unless the FFA does a deal directly with the ABC? Of course the match coverage would have to be supplied to the ABC for no cost I would assume.

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Foxtel better bring dumptrucks full of cash to Supercars headquarters, because this is a silly move

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Hard to know whether these two actions are negotiating tactics or a sign that Fox might be about to walk away from their FFA deal

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Both. I wouldn’t be surprised if either was the case. They removed all traces of the A-league to scare and panic the FFA into agreeing a much lower deal. At the same time, Fox wouldn’t be upset if the FFA moved on.

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Breaking: Sydney Morning Herald: Fox terminates A-League deal but could still show rest of season.

Australia’s boxing twins headline LIVE boxing return on FOX SPORTS

ANDREW MOLONEY v JOSHUA FRANCO WBA SUPER FLYWEIGHT TITLE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 LIVE FROM 9.00AM

JASON MOLONEY v LEONARDO BAEZ BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT FRIDAY, JUNE 26 LIVE FROM 9.00AM

Boxing fans can rejoice and settle in ringside for the return of live boxing next week on FOX SPORTS, on Foxtel, over two big nights, from the iconic MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, with bouts headlined by Australia’s boxing twins, Andrew and Jason Moloney.

On Wednesday, June 24, Andrew “The Monster” Moloney will return to the ring to defend his WBA Super Flyweight title against Joshua “El Professor” Franco with LIVE coverage from 9.00am AEST on FOX SPORTS 505.

Andrew won his title with an eighth round stoppage win over Elton Dharry in Melbourne last November. His opponent, Franco, is 16-1-2, competing in both the Super Flyweight and Bantamweight divisions, most recently scoring a ninth round TKO victory over Jose Burgos in January.

Two days later on Friday, June 26, WBO No. 2 bantamweight contender Jason Moloney goes head-to-head against Leonardo Baez in a 10-rounder for the Bantamweight contest with LIVE coverage from 9.00am AEST on FOX SPORTS 505.

Jason most recently fought and won against Dixon Flores, also on the same card his brother Andrew won his world title in November.

Before the return of live boxing, re-live some of the best bouts in boxing history with FOX SPORTS ‘Boxing Week’ pop-up channel this week on FOX SPORTS More 507. Re-watch some of the best pay-per-view fights from the last year including Wilder v Fury II and Pacquiao v Thurman.

A local spotlight will also be shed showcasing some of the best in Australian boxing, including the code-war PPV bout Hall v Gallen as well as a behind-the-scenes look into the world of boxing through special documentaries featuring our own in ‘All Access: Tszyu v Brubaker’ and ‘Paul Gallen: The Road so Far’.

BROADCAST SCHEDULE:

ANDREW MOLONEY (21-0, 14 KOs) v JOSHUA FRANCO (16-1-2, 8 KOs)
WBA SUPER FLYWEIGHT TITLE
Wednesday, June 24
LIVE 9.00am AEST
FOX SPORTS 505

JASON MOLONEY (20-1, 17 KOs) v LEONARDO BAEZ (18-2, 9 KOs)
BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT
Friday, June 26
LIVE 9.00am AEST
FOX SPORTS 505

FOX SPORTS ‘BOXING WEEK’ POP-UP CHANNEL

Monday, June 15 – Sunday, June 21
Daily 9.00am AEST
FOX SPORTS More 507

Fox Sports’ live motorsport coverage resumes Saturday, June 27 with the Supercars BP Ultimate Sydney SuperSprint, followed by F1 on July 3.

The revised deal (which the Nine newspapers say is worth $32 million) covers:

  • The conclusion of the 2019/20 A-League season (which will resume on July 16);
  • The 2020/21 A-League (December - July next year) & W-League seasons;
  • The final 4 Socceroos R2 World Cup matches; and
  • All Socceroos & Matildas friendly matches played until July 31 2021

What’s missing from that is the FFA Cup - Fox have lost the rights to the competition

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Good luck finding venues that are free

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Supercars announced back on Friday that the 2020 season would now finish in December. Events at The Bend in South Australia, the second Bathurst race and the NZ leg had all been scrapped. The final round would be held at Sydney Motorsport Park on the weekend of December 12-13.

Do we know what happened to Bill Woods?

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He probably left FSN when ‘Bill & Boz’ was axed


Simon Hill won’t be returning to the commentary booth for the A league’s return. His contact with Fox Sports is about to expire and will be exploring other opportunities.
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