Summer Olympics back on Ch9, Ch7 pulls out of bidding

[Cleavy]

Nine takes Olympics TV rights from Seven as cricket mulls its future

Media sources, who spoke anonymously because the talks are confidential, said two bids were submitted before the deadline on Wednesday evening.

www.theage.com.au

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...x/news-story/0668974d0da85bd8921c0bd76eff02ab (paywall)

Channel 7 has officially pulled out of bidding for the Olympic Games TV rights, in a further twist to cricket’s own broadcasting race.
News Corp understands Seven chief executive James Warburton sent an all-staff email on Friday informing employees of the company’s decision to withdraw from the Olympics rights, which the network has held almost every year dating back to 1956.

Nine are set to claim the Olympics rights with a colossal leading bid industry insiders say is in excess of $300 million, and estimated to be $100 million more than what Seven was willing to offer for the next cycle of Olympics and Winter Olympics up until the Brisbane 2032 Games.

 

[BigVic]

Was inevitable for Nine to win back the Olympics after 12 years. The Olympics have been broadcasted on either 7, 9 10 and Foxtel from 1956 onwards.

9 and Foxtel had the 2010 and 2012 Olympics and 10 20 the Olympics while 7 aired 4 Olympics from 2016-2022 including last summer Beijing Winter Games which were 7’s last Olympic Games.

 

[Cleavy]

I wonder if this means any online streaming would be behind a paywall on Stan? Ch7's online streaming of the Olympics was far superior to its FTA coverage.

 

[Kwality]

Was inevitable for Nine to win back the Olympics after 12 years. The Olympics have been broadcasted on either 7, 9 10 and Foxtel from 1956 onwards.

9 and Foxtel had the 2010 and 2012 Olympics and 10 20 the Olympics while 7 aired 4 Olympics from 2016-2022 including last summer Beijing Winter Games which were 7’s last Olympic Games.

WA did not have television in 1956.
TVW-7 Perth launches.[19]

Foxtel did not have coverage until 2010.

Olympics on Australian television - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I intially was surprised Ch 7 haven't gone for the rights harder, but they obviously have stretched themselves to the max with the new AFL rights and want to dump the cricket because they are over committed.

Betwwen 1980 and 2020 Ch 7 have hosted 8 of the 11 Summer Games. The 3 they didnt, Murdoch made a big bid for 1984 and 1988 as a package and he had just set up Fox to be the 4th network in USA and 9/Foxtel made a huge bid for 2012 along with 2010 winter games, I think $120m combined bid and lost about $40m combined.

7 has never really been that interested in Winter games. I cant remember if they did 1980 I think ot was 9, they did 1984 from Sarajevo in former Yugoslavia and then 1998 in Japan in Nagano our time zone, 2002 US Salt Lake City and 2006 Turin then the Oz timezone games of 2018 Sth Korea Pyeongchang and 2012 China in Bejing.

They bought a package of several Olympics and thats why they went with 2002 and 2006 which is outside the Asian timezone, they had no choice and lost money on those winter games.

Its a risk to ignore the next 4 games combined but they are obviously going to make a big run for 2032 Brisbane as the AFL rights end in 2031 so the new AFL rights and 2032 Olympics rights will both be negotiated in late 2029 and early 2030.

 

[Kwality]

I intially was surprised Ch 7 haven't gone for the rights harder, but they obviously have stretched themselves to the max with the new AFL rights and want to dump the cricket because they are over committed.

Betwwen 1980 and 2020 Ch 7 have hosted 8 of the 11 Summer Games. The 3 they didnt, Murdoch made a big bid for 1984 and 1988 as a package and he had just set up Fox to be the 4th network in USA and 9/Foxtel made a huge bid for 2012 along with 2010 winter games, I think $120m combined bid and lost about $40m combined.

7 has never really been that interested in Winter games. I cant remember if they did 1980 I think ot was 9, they did 1984 from Sarejov in former Yugoslavia and then 1998 in Japan in Nagano our time zone, 2002 US Salt Lake City and 2006 Turin then the Oz timezone games of 2018 Sth Korea Pyeongchang and 2012 China in Bejing.

They bought a package of several Olympics and thats why they went with 2002 and 2006 which is outside the Asian timezone, they had no choice and lost money on those winter games.

Its a risk to ignore the next 4 games combined but they are obviously going to make a big run for 2032 Brisbane as the AFL rights end in 2031 so the new AFL rights and 2032 Olympics rights will both be negotiated in late 2029 and early 2030.

As the existing rights holder, Channel 7 held a “final right of refusal” clause which offered it the opportunity to match any rival offer.

JAMES WARBURTON confirms SEVEN is out of the OLYMPICS race as CHANNEL 9 looks set to secure BRISBANE 2032

In a Friday email to staff obtained by TV Blackbox, Seven West Media CEO James Warburton confirmed a network decision to withdraw from the Olympic negotiations process:

tvblackbox.com.au

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

As the existing rights holder, Channel 7 held a “final right of refusal” clause which offered it the opportunity to match any rival offer.

JAMES WARBURTON confirms SEVEN is out of the OLYMPICS race as CHANNEL 9 looks set to secure BRISBANE 2032

In a Friday email to staff obtained by TV Blackbox, Seven West Media CEO James Warburton confirmed a network decision to withdraw from the Olympic negotiations process:

tvblackbox.com.au

If someone buys the next 4 games as a package then they will get the last right of refusal clause for Brisbane. Thats the main reason why I said its a risk if 7 want to play the wait and see game.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The intial story Ithat was quoted in the OP says upto 2032 I took that as not including the 2032 games. So in my post I seperated Brisbane from the deal. My point still stands that the AFL rights have stretched 7 to their max.

The Age article linked in the OP which I didnt read before my post, ie 9 newspapers article, says it includes 2032.

TV Blackbix article Kwality linked also says it includes 2032 but it says the $300m bid is way below the $400m the IOC wanted.

Dont be surprised if the IOC, says ok this isnt good enough, split ups the 5 games bid to a 3 game package ie 2024-28 games, all 3 venues are known, or 4 game package to 2030 games, which wont be selected until mid next year.

It will then leave Brisbane dangling for higher bids from Oz betworks down the track.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Apart from NBC who in 2014 bought the rights for all 6 Olympics from 2022 to 2032 for $7.75bil USD, nobody else has purchased rights out to and inuding 2032. The other major broadcasters havent gone past 2028.

Its why I wouldnt be surprised if the IOC doesnt accept the offer and splits up the 5 game offer to only 3 or 4 games.

 

[BigVic]

Confirmed.

7 had the Sydney Olympics and shared the broadcast of the 1956 Olympics. It'll be rhe 2nd time 9 aired an Olympics in Australia.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

So 9 get Brisbane 2032 as the big prize but 2, maybe 3 Olympics in a Euro time zone which isn't great for ratings/advertising $$$ when a lot of big finals are on between 2am and 5am Oz EST. LA will have some big finals between 9am and 1am Oz EST which is good but not great.

Nine announces mammoth Olympics deal

Home of the Games up to 2032 Brisbane

wwos.nine.com.au

Nine has announced broadcast rights for five Olympic Games through to 2032.

Nine will be the Australian home of the 2024 Paris Games, 2028 Los Angeles, and 2032 Brisbane Summer Olympics.

In addition, the network will host the 2026 (in Milano Cortina) and 2030 Winter Olympic Games.

Speaking on Today, Nine boss Mike Sneesby said that between the Summer and Winter Games, there's plenty to be excited about for the next decade.
"This is a partnership which has got 10 years ahead of it, culminating in Brisbane 2032," he said."We have the opportunity to work side-by-side with the IOC and the AOC to really build what it is that the Olympic Games means to Australians."
...........

In the statement announcing the deal, Sneesby said: "This partnership with the IOC is an important part of Nine's strategy as we continue to define Australian broadcast and streaming television. We're delighted to be bringing the Olympics Games to Australian audiences, whenever and however they choose from Paris 2024 to Brisbane in 2032."

Nine will bring the Olympic Games to Australians through diverse streaming, television, audio and digital platforms, across 9Now, Stan, the 9Network, and talk radio stations 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR.

Nine snatches Olympics from Seven in $305m cash deal

The blockbuster sports rights deal sees Nine become the official Olympics broadcaster for the next five games, including Brisbane 2032.

www.afr.com

Nine Entertainment will broadcast the Summer and Winter Olympics for the next decade, including the Brisbane 2032 games, paying more than $300 million to snatch the rights from rival broadcaster Channel Seven.

Nine made the announcement after the market closed on Wednesday, going public with details of the blockbuster deal struck with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The media company lobbed the highest bid with the IOC, paying $305 million in cash and another $10 million in free advertising known as contra to become the home of the Olympics for the next five games, starting with the Paris summer games in 2024.

Executives say that taking over the reins from Seven will give Nine the chance to use the Olympics broadcasts as a “tent pole” to promote the company’s media assets across TV, publishing, radio and streaming service Stan. Nine is the publisher of The Australian Financial Review.

But media companies often make a loss on the expensive deals struck with the IOC, with broadcasters footing the bill for production costs. Seven won back the Olympics rights in 2014 for what was then reportedly $200 million for four games, subsequently taking a write-down on the value of the deal.

.....

What goes behind the wall?​

But there are still unanswered questions about what Olympics content that Nine chooses to put on Stan, therefore behind a paywall.

Matthew Stanton, Nine’s chief strategy officer, said the mix of what events would be shown on free-to-air verses paywalled has not yet been decided.

“All the high-interest events, like the 100m swimming will be on free-to-air, and most events will be on free-to-air or 9Now,” Mr Stanton said. “But there will definitely be some streaming as well. We just need to work through the right model for that.”

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

From a combo of memory, and IOC Marketing Fact File reports I have downloaded over the years the Oz broadcasters have been;

Summer Games
1956 - ABC, 7, 9 shared rights
1960 - ABC but took NBC's coverage on a few days delay
1964, 1968, 1972 - ABC
1976 - ABC, 7, 9 shared rights
1980 -7 Network
1984, 1988 - 10 Network, Murdoch stitched up deal a year before the games
1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2020 - 7 Network + 7 in 2000 had 3 channels on their C7 sports station on Optus Vision and Galaxy and 2004 and 2008 shared some with SBS mainly team sports events
2012 9/Foxtel

Winter Games
1980 - shared I think between 7 and 9, 9 definitely had some vision thru Wide World of Sports
1984 - 7 Network
1988, 1992, 1994 - 9 Network
1998, 2002, 2006 - 7 Network
2010 - 9 network
2014 - 10 Network
2018, 2022 - 7 network

So since 2008 Beijing Summer Games 7 has had all the Olympics in the Asian / Oz time zone - 2008, 2020, 2018, 2022 and the only summer/winter games they hosted that wasn't in that time zone, was 2016 Rio when local evening finals were broadcast between 9am and 12noon Oz EST.

7 have obviously said the poor time zones weren't worth paying top $$$ for even though they miss out on Brisbane.

 

[Kwality]

From a combo of memory, and IOC Marketing Fact File reports I have downloaded over the years the Oz broadcasters have been;

Summer Games
1956 - ABC, 7, 9 shared rights
1960 - ABC but took NBC's coverage on a few days delay
1964, 1968, 1972 - ABC
1976 - ABC, 7, 9 shared rights
1980 -7 Network
1984, 1988 - 10 Network, Murdoch stitched up deal a year before the games
1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2020 - 7 Network + 7 in 2000 had 3 channels on their C7 sports station on Optus Vision and Galaxy and 2004 and 2008 shared some with SBS mainly team sports events
2012 9/Foxtel

Winter Games
1980 - shared I think between 7 and 9, 9 definitely had some vision thru Wide World of Sports
1984 - 7 Network
1988, 1992, 1994 - 9 Network
1998, 2002, 2006 - 7 Network
2010 - 9 network
2014 - 10 Network
2018, 2022 - 7 network

So since 2008 Beijing Summer Games 7 has had all the Olympics in the Asian / Oz time zone - 2008, 2020, 2018, 2022 and the only summer/winter games they hosted that wasn't in that time zone, was 2016 Rio when local evening finals were broadcast between 9am and 12noon Oz EST.

7 have obviously said the poor time zones weren't worth paying top $$$ for even though they miss out on Brisbane.

7 would be influenced by their recent results with the Olympics.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

7 would be influenced by their recent results with the Olympics.

Didn't Tokyo rate really well in 2021, but Beijing was poor in 2022??