Channel Ten are bidding aggressively for all the international cricket TV rights from Channel Nine after missing out on the AFL, NRL, horse racing, A-League and V8 Supercars TV rights.
However, Nine still has the last rights of refusal – effectively, a chance to match any bid from rival networks to televise cricket.
Channel Nine may have lost the Wimbeldon Tennis TV Rights and Autumn and Spring Racing Carnival TV rights to Channel Seven, but Nine still holds the Rights to NRL and several other tennis tournaments.
The sporting brand is called the “Wide World of Sports”.
It has been 35 years since Kerry Packer secured the TV rights for Channel Nine to broadcast international cricket matches played in Australia.
But Nine can still retain the international cricket TV rights although both Packer and Tony Greig have passed away.
Nine and Fox renewed the rights to the NRL for $1.025 billion in August 2012, but Nine Entertainment is sinking under a $3.2 billion debt pile.
Nine and Fox has also recently announced a broadcast partnership with ESPN Star Sports to show the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia.
Nine is widely expected to retain the rights to international cricket it has held for 36 years, but much will depend on discussions in Los Angeles between Nine chief executive David Gyngell and the company’s US hedge fund owners.
Nine managing director Jeff Browne says that his network remains hopeful of retaining the Australian rights to international cricket, despite his debt-laden network edging towards the point of collapse.
Browne said that the network’s financial troubles would have ”no impact” on the negotiations. ”We are hopeful of retaining our current suite of rights,” he said.
Betting agency Sportsbet has recently opened a market on the negotiations with Nine being the favourites to retain the international cricket TV rights at $1.15, $5 for Ten and $9 for Seven.
I am predicting that Nine will retain the rights, however Ten will show the Big Bash.
Jack Bollingmoore
Guest
Network Ten will get Domestic Cricket rights like the Shield final the Big Bash League and the Ryobi Cup and Nine Network will get International Cricket rights like One Day Internationals Tests and T20 Internationals
John Doe
Guest
You didn't get to see Channel 10's coverage of the Golf earlier in the year? It was truly woeful. Having to listen to supposed expert commentators based in Australia, as well as seeing tour of different courses, despite the fact that there was still a Golf game happening. Oh and not to mention their butchering of a days play by going back to regular programming when the leading Australian was playing the 17th hole. Yep, great broadcasting.
John Doe
Guest
I take it that means you didn't mind Glenn Munsie, Matt Jenkins from Sportsbet, Betfair and the guy that did the Bet365 segments during last seasons games? They were deadset awful.
John Doe
Guest
The Cricket will be in high definition as will the NRL starting next Summer. The reason that it hasn't been in HD, is because the networks would effectively be cutting out around 30% of the audience, until such time digital and VAST (Viewer Access Satellite Television) infrastructure are installed. That's OZTam's figures. What is wrong with their League coverage, besides the Broncos playing games on a Friday night? It's the NRL's fault for not scheduling games properly. It's not hard to move a Friday game to either Saturday afternoon at 1pm or Sunday Night at 6:30pm, and it's definately not hard for them to shift the 3pm Sunday game to 4pm. The NRL are useless in that department.
John Doe
Guest
And have to listen to guys like Brendon Julian, Mark Waugh, the supposed "bowlologist" Damien Fleming continually reminescing about what happened on a West Indies tour in 1995? I'll pass on that. The only good commentator out of the whole lot is Allan Border. Take Mark Nicholas out of Nine's coverage and replace him with Border. If Ten get the rights, I'm hoping all of Nine's commentators go across, because there is nothing worse than hearing guys with either no or single figure test experience think they know something about international Cricket.
Boomshanka
Guest
Apparently our FTA networks can't survive without government protection or selling their souls to the devil bookmakers. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/tv-cant-afford-gambling-ad-ban-conroy-20130527-2n7k6.html Time we took the anti siphoning protection away and finished the job.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
Surely Nine can't keep using the title 'Wide World of Sports'? How long before they'll be promoting the show as 'Wide World of Sport' (singular)?
Grover
Guest
I'd be much happier to see it all on Fox Sports. They did a brilliant job with the Big Bash. Fox Sports Cricket anyone?
William
Guest
Nine won't retain it and they should go by what their owners said "not to match Ten's bid". They will be mad if they actually matched it as they will be making a huge loss on NRL and now CA? That is bizarre. I really doubt Ten is @ $5 as they are the preferred bidder not Nine! Nine is in $700 million debt
c
Guest
wide world of sports ha ha, have they ever had the widest sport in the world?
Tasman
Guest
Nine completely butchered Olympics. All we get to see was Australian rowing and swimming team. Here I thought the beauty of the Olympics was its globality.
Chairman Kaga
Guest
Good news for cricket if Nine wants to stump up all that money. Cricket is in rude health.
Lasantha
Guest
It's about time some new blood gets on the Cricket tele. I don't think anyone can do it better than TEN at the moment. I thought odds are ridiculous (ten @ 5) provided that nine seems to be fishing in mud water .. I won't be watching cricket this season if that's on nine.. HARDLINE I KNOW.. They r all about money.. And using Cricket to kill Cricket off...
Roarsome
Guest
Another reason 9 shouldn't get the cricket: Tom Waterhouse. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Boomshanka
Guest
Nine is a dead man walking. They are the Ford Motor Company of Australian media, producing stuff that people are indifferent to. Take away the government protection of three national networks and the anti siphoning laws and they'd be buried. The kindest thing we could do is ask our politicians to pull the plug and stop giving out rebates (http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/1001/pc=PC_312206). In a time when we're asked to all tighten our belts, Conroy has continued to provide reduced licence operating fees to these networks while seeking nothing in return. This year the rebate is 134 Million dollars.
Junior
Guest
The Hedge Fund that owns CH9 is underwater with debt - all they have done is use an old fashioned accounting trick to move the debt from 9's books onto the Hedge Funds balance sheet but the same company that owns CH9 still owns the debt - they can't escape it that easily. The US Hedge Fund is hoping AND praying to god that in a couple of years time, they can offload this 'turkey' of an investment through a share market float (ie. READ - 'sale') onto unsuspecting Australian 'Mum and Dad' investors OR more accurately ONTO the Fund Managers of their Superannuation Funds as Mum and Dad investors don't really have any say in how their superannuation savings are spent - or maybe that should be 'squandered'.
midfielder
Guest
My understanding is nine is debt free
Boomshanka
Guest
A matching cash offer from Nine is not the same dollar for dollar value if say Ten was to stump up. Nines coverage of all things sport is woeful. Olympics anyone? Their current rugby league coverage is third world. Do we really want to see another season of cricket in standard definition, do we want to listen to the same commentary full of self promotion and live betting odds. Its time for Nine to treat sport with respect! A recent trip by Cricket Australia to seek a judgement from the courts on what constitutes equal rights is a proactive step in the right direction. At the moment, I'm enjoying seeing Nine lurch from one financial crisis to the next. Its a long and painful death worthy of such an out of touch media organisation.
Chris
Guest
Why? Didn't exactly get a cohesive argument there. More a series of disconnected thoughts written as "para-sentences".
Matthew Skellett
Guest
You haven't given a real reason why they will do that and no one has explained how such a debt-laden entity is going to come up with 500 million ?