Well i dont see why ten would want to buy the rights for one year. The cost to produce etc would be too much for one year.
If Seven were to sell them, Seven would probably want to get $50 million for them and Nine offer $10 million - with the view that it was a “fire” sale.
Ultimately, it will end up on 7Mate (with the AO final LIVE on Seven)
If Ten can pick up the Tennis from Seven next summer, that would be a big bonus.
I just don’t know how seven can juggle both sports.
I doubt TA would allow Ten do get rights for 2019.
Nine are their new long-term partner, only reason they don’t have next year is because Seven are contracted. It’ll be Seven or Nine.
As much as I’d love to see Ten have the Australian Open.
The Cricket schedule will determine the outcome of where AO ends up
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So you think Seven will wait until then? That could be months away!
I seriously doubt they will given Nine any advantage and retain the rights. They probably won’t be too worried about upsetting TA as its the last year of the current broadcasting contract. The only catch may be is if anything is specified in the contract that the AO airs on Seven’s main channel
Fed Cup live on 7mate this afternoon (with horse racing on 7, 7Two in Melb later due to VFL).
Todd Woodbridge hosting, from Wollongong (where’s @Zampakid!?)
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If it goes past 3:00pm in Sydney it may have to move to 7flix as the Shute Shield rugby union is scheduled to start then on 7mate.
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But the GWS AFL game is on isn’t it?
What about 7Two at 3pm?
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Great to see Jelena Dokic calling the tennis again.
7TWO in Sydney has horse racing from 3pm.
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GWS was on the main channel in Sydney
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Is that the first time Prime (MediaHub) have switched themselves, between “Live & Free” and “Sport” on their generic sport watermarks?
Usually with tennis / Olympics / Comm Games now, Seven just have the “7” (or whatever channel) with no “sport” attached when it’s delayed. When live, the production adds or removes the “Live & Free”.
But today for metro, BCM were controlling the entire watermark for some reason, meaning MediaHub needed to control Prime/GWN’s, including the add-ons.
Seven Melbourne managing director Lewis Martin told 3AW this evening that the network was still committed to next year’s Australian Open and the tennis unit would start work soon on preparing the telecast.
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Seven will be hoping that CA will allocate BBL matches which are exclusive to Fox Sports, during the Australian Open fortnight, so Seven can concentrate on the tennis.
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Not sure why anyone is surprised 7 are covering both? Unless 9 want to pay more to 7 than 7 paid for it, why would they on sell it?
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It’s odd how Seven’s “home of sport” promo (with Bruce McAvaney standing in front of the wall of screens) removed “Australian Open” from the montage.
Either the producer(s) of the promo weren’t sure whether the network had committed to the final year?
Or the promo is more holistic/towards the future (in which yes, Seven won’t have rights)?
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I also hope (now with the confirmation) that Seven will go ‘all out’ with the Aus Open next summer.
They should put in the effort for a number of ‘40 year highlights’ or something and have former hosts/commentators make guest appearances. I mean they have 9 months to plan!
If they don’t do anything like that and just show the coverage as if normal, including possibly ‘spitting the dummy’, that’ll be a real shame 
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