They have a streaming/Pay arm. My point is that it won’t be shared (2 FTA networks). There’s a reason why it’s that way in the UK is because the event is fully protected.
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The sheer size of the tournament and the likely schedule will make it almost impossible for a single broadcaster to cover it and it’s hard to see the whole tournament being available on FTA moving forward. We’ve got lucky in previous WCs (in part thanks to Optus’ failure to run a streaming company properly)
It’s hard to see a shared arrangement like is seen in the UK for a couple of reasons - the whole event is listed and the shared arrangement is between a (well-funded) public broadcaster and a commercial one. I can’t see two commercial networks sharing it, especially given they have their own streaming services.
Herein lies a problem - the World Cup is in a group of events where you need to be able to mount a minimum level of FTA coverage (effectively by law) so while it might be content that a streamer might be interested in, they need the FTA partnership. It would make sense for Stan to mount a bid, but it means dragging Nine (the FTA network) in - if it’s beyond their capability or priority then it basically rules a line through any NineEntCo bid.
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didn’t know where to post this
Former nearly three decade Seven Sport star Garry Wilkinson, whose contract was not renewed in 2003 after the summer of tennis, has opened up on that experience, as well as his broader career with the V8 Sleuth podcast (re-published by TVT this morning as well):
I’d love to know who Wilko is referring to, “engineering somebody else into my vacancy left”, my first thoughts are Sandy Roberts or Matt White 
That’s pretty bad treatment by the network though, who had just had yet another management shake-up at the time, the David Leckie era beginning, he was known to swing the axe, must’ve gone above the HoS etc heads (who I’m sure were friends with Wilko/would’ve wanted to keep him). But yeah that call to Melbourne Park, flying back to Epping, meeting in a room with two one of which was Head of HR and then silence bar an envelope and a ‘see you later’ plus reportedly no LSL payout, ouch!
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Its an interesting interview (over two parts) that predominately focuses on his time covering the Touring Cars (at Seven).
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Yeah I definitely want to find the time to sit down and have a listen. His voice itsself is a joy to hear 
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Clearly, around the time Leckie arrived (whether it was him or others), something changed. He did say “there’s back story, something happened, I’m not allowed to say” or the like (which is intriguing in itsself). But just a few years earlier, he was front and centre at Sydney 2000 (and was alongside Ann Sanders during the famous announcement years earlier and lead-up events later) and hosting Atlanta and Nagano Olympics, as well as V8s and tennis of course and part of ATN Epping’s fabric since the mid-70s. I recall by the late 90s, certainly around 2000, Sandy Roberts and John Alexander had sort of become the main Australian Open callers such as the finals and of course Seven lost the V8s to Ten. And golf was Sandy and Seven also lost the AFL to Ten-Nine-Foxtel. So if contract and expensive, as well as whatever went down, maybe Seven thought they’d move him on, as sad as it must’ve been. The “two young kids” and “mortage” as well as only being late 50s age does read poorly.
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Football Australia has acquired the broadcast rights for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and will include it as part of their overall 2025 - 2028 rights package which is about to go out to tender.
The governing body has not done the same thing for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup though. As for those rights, the AFR is reporting that Optus, SBS and Nine are currently involved in those negotiations.
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Can’t see behind the paywall but does it mean “next two” being the next men’s and women’s series or the next two of each?
pay-TV company Foxtel are seeking to retain the broadcast rights
Has this writer watched the last two series?
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The latter - the 2027 & 2031 series.
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How long are the rest of ECB cricket rights locked away for?
I think they were looking to say that Foxtel wants to keep the rights they currently have, but it is poorly written.
The rights were through this year. The ECB is currently offering both out.
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I think she means the other package of one day games and other ECB tests.
No mention of 10 involved. Those lunatics at that network never seem to be active in the sports rights markets. They should try and secure these smaller packages to try and build a portfolio of sports offerings.
Failing 10 getting them let’s hope nine secure them again.
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$50 million for both 2027 and 2031 Ashes series is cheap compared with hundreds of millions of dollars Seven would have been asked to pay for the 2024-2032 Olympic Games rights. Seven needs to go for the Ashes.
Also agreed.
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Its two packages - an Ashes package (currently held by Nine, but for the next two mens series in England) and a broader ECB package (held by Foxtel)
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That’s an apple to oranges comparison on numerous levels.
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I’m aware of that. It’s just written poorly.
Except that it isn’t
Huh? This clearly sounds like they are talking about the Ashes rights:
English cricket executives want more than $50 million for broadcast rights to its next two Ashes series, an amount that is likely to end Seven’s attempts to bring the biennial contest on to a single television network.
Nine Entertainment and streaming and pay-TV company Foxtel are seeking to retain the broadcast rights, which are held by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Also, does the writer not know it’s been on the one network only for the past two series?
an amount that is likely to end Seven’s attempts to bring the biennial contest on to a single television network.
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Seven last aired a UK Ashes in 2001
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They are talking about the recombination of the home and away Ashes rights, which were split when Seven gained the home rights.
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