Seven Sport

[BigVic]

@cmo

Finally after years of pathetic coverage from Seven the rights move back to their original home on Ten.

The home of the big race

[JohnsonTV]

Seven still has the rights to Epsom Handicap, The Everest, Caulfield Guineas, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate though.

[BigVic]

A big loss for 7. 2018 will be the last Melbourne Cup on 7. Certainly the end of an era.

[Djohns2740]

I would have thought it would have all been packaged as part of the spring carnival…surprised it’s just the one day

[SydneyCityTV]

The Melbourne Cup Carnival includes Derby Day (Saturday before the Cup), Oakes Day (Thursday) & Stakes Day (Saturday after the Cup) along with the big race itself on November’s first Tuesday - I’d imagine that Ten will have the rights to show all four of those race days like they did in the past.

[William_C]

Its for the whole week not just one day. It would be a bit stupid to just acquire the “race that stops the nation”.

[Frankie]

@SydneyCityTV

I’d imagine that Ten will have the rights to show all four of those race days like they did in the past.

Also used to include the Australian Cup and Newmarket Handicap in March.Be interesting to see if they’re included along with the Turnbull Stakes in Spring or if they stay with Seven. When they were split in the past, Nine gave ordinary coverage to Flemington Races, an after thought from Sydney.

[TV.Cynic]

Adnews says
The deal is believed to include the week-long Melbourne Cup carnival, as well as other Group 1 race days such as Victoria Derby Day, Oaks Day and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day.

[Jeffmister]

@cmo

Finally after years of pathetic coverage from Seven the rights move back to their original home on Ten.

To be fair, Seven’s horse racing coverage is quite good - there’s far fewer faults with it than say their AFL coverage where there’s a lot that can be criticized about it

[littlegezzybear]

@cmo

Finally after years of pathetic coverage from Seven the rights move back to their original home on Ten.

Original home? I remember when ABC, Seven, Nine and Ten all broadcast the Melbourne Cup.

[TFTV]

From a racing fans perspective, Sevens coverage of the racing is fantastic. Best in the country and world class. People that don’t really like/know much about racing will probably think differently

[Andrew]

Seven has now lost two iconic Melbourne sports in one year, with both Melbourne Cup and Aus Open gone.

With the trifecta of AFL, Melbourne Cup and Aus Open, Seven really was the home of sport in Victoria. That’s no longer the case.

[Super_SC]

@Kushaa

Looks like Seven is saving up BIG to secure the next round of AFL broadcast?

You mean from 2023 onwards?

[SydneyCityTV]

@Kushaa

But the next broadcast right could be a lot more expensive.

I reckon the next lot of AFL & NRL broadcast rights deals might be worth so much that at least two networks will decide to share the FTA component to offset the costs and maybe in 10-15 years time (perhaps slightly longer), we’ll see the sporting bodies start to completely bypass the networks altogether and produce coverage for their own online streaming services.

@Kushaa

Don’t these prices always go up and never come down? :))

Pretty much.

[Andrew]

@Kushaa

Not a categorical loss though - they’ve got the cricket

Cricket isn’t an exclusively Melbourne sport though.

In 2018 viewers knew that to watch major sport, more often than not, they switch on 7. That is not the case from 2019 and I don’t think the loss of tennis and racing can be underestimated.

[MBB]

This is quite odd for Seven to let this go. Along with the Aus open, I’m getting Dejavu from when they lost the AFL and bombed in the ratings. It seems a cycle is happening.

[SydneyCityTV]

@Andrew

Cricket isn’t an exclusively Melbourne sport though.

…and knowing how embarrassing the Australian cricket team has been in recent months (with the ball tampering scandal and a poor performance on the pitch in general, post-Ashes), Nine very well might have the better end of the deal with the Australian Open leading into Married At First Sight - strong female appeal for both.

By contrast, it’s unclear whether viewers of Seven’s cricket coverage are really the same people who’d tune into My Kitchen Rules.

[JohnsonTV]

Brief statement from the Victoria Racing Club (via Mumbrella)

The Seven Network has been the Victoria Racing Club’s free to air broadcast partner for the Melbourne Cup Carnival since 2002 and this contract remains in place until the end of March 2019. The VRC is in the process of reviewing media rights arrangements for the 2019 Melbourne Cup Carnival and beyond. Details regarding this process remain commercial in confidence.

[newsatten]

@MBB

This is quite odd for Seven to let this go. Along with the Aus open, I’m getting Dejavu from when they lost the AFL and bombed in the ratings. It seems a cycle is happening.

Here’s a thought.

Tennis Australia was heavily criticised for selling the Aus Open rights to Seven without a tender in 2016, apparently undervaluing the rights by about $50 million. A review was held, a bidding process put in place and in the end Nine picked up the rights next time round.

Racing Victoria put the Melbourne Cup rights to tender for the first time since 2002, making seven execs furious. Seven keep the spring racing carnival but lose the Melbourne Cup Carnival to Ten, who smash the network out of the park in the bidding war.

I think these first losses will only be the beginning

[parano1a]

Will be the Melbourne Cup Carnival still be shown on Racing.com and Sky Racing 1 or does Ten have exclusive rights?