I wonder if Nine and Ten are going their separate ways because Nine didn't have any finals in the current agreement. I'd presume Foxtel will still keep the pay-tv rights as I heard Clinton Grybis claim Foxtel pumps the second largest amount of $$$ into the AFL coffers.
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You may be onto something as Caro
reports:
Football TV rights ambush
By Caroline Wilson
Chief football writer
March 17, 2005
Channel Seven has stunned the football world with a bold bid to regain TV rights from 2007.
Channel Seven has made a bold pitch to regain a slice of the lucrative AFL television rights, forming an alliance with Channel Ten in a multimillion-dollar deal that threatens to sideline bitter rival Channel Nine.
Channel Ten shocked the Packer-owned Nine and pay TV group Foxtel, its partners in the current $450 million television rights deal, by announcing yesterday that it had broken ranks.
The corporate manoeuvre - designed to win the free-to-air rights from 2007 until 2011 - has also frustrated the AFL, which learned of the new partnership only two days ago.
The Seven-Ten alliance involves a deal for the broadcasters to annually alternate live coverage of the grand final - which neither network would push to televise at night - and the Brownlow Medal count.
Kerry Stokes' Channel Seven would take over Friday night football from Channel Nine and Ten would push for its long-held ambition to televise three Saturday games back to back. The remaining AFL finals would be carved up by the two networks.
AFL executives, who had been hoping to better the league's current broadcasting deal worth $450 million over five years - and were largely satisfied with their current media partnerships - seemed stunned by the move and particularly concerned at Ten's part in the deal. The new agreement looks to have limited Nine's bargaining position and shifted the power in the crucial multimillion-dollar negotiations, creating a buyers' market. The key facets of a new deal could be resolved as early as next month.
Although Nine could bid alone or join forces with Foxtel, the free-to-air network would also be curtailed by its Friday night and Sunday afternoon allegiance to rugby league in NSW and Queensland.
Seven and Ten - which this year will show AFL games for the first time in prime time in Brisbane on Saturday nights - are thought to have agreed to increase free-to-air football coverage in NSW and Queensland.
The Seven-Ten partnership is unusual also because the Seven Network is embroiled in a landmark legal battle with its new negotiating partner, scheduled to open in court on July 18. While Seven indicated yesterday it planned to go ahead with the case, media experts were tipping it could loom as an intriguing negotiating tool.
Seven is suing the AFL, the National Rugby League, Nine and Ten, Foxtel and the AFL's internet provider Telstra, accusing them of colluding in the lead-up to the last round of football broadcast rights.
Should the two networks win the rights, their carve-up scheme would also prove a fillip for free-to-air football fans. While the Fox Football network has indicated it would push for four of the AFL's eight weekly home-and-away fixtures, Seven and Ten want six games between them, with Seven's remaining two matches coming on Sunday.Foxtel could be compensated by a better-quality game - currently it holds exclusive weekly rights to the nominal worst three games of each round - to be televised as a live twilight game each Sunday.
Neither Channel Nine sports chief Gary Fenton nor the network's face of football, Eddie McGuire, would comment on the bombshell public announcement yesterday, which came in the form of a carefully worded statement from Seven to the stock exchange.
Nine is believed to have fired off a series of angry letters to the rival networks questioning Seven's right to strike a deal with Ten.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou would communicate only by a public statement: "The AFL is confident of securing an outcome which benefits our 16 clubs and the supporters of our game and will be exploring all options for our future broadcasting arrangements."
The deal has come after months of negotiations between Channel Ten and the other free-to-air networks. It is believed that Ten chose to join forces with Seven, which pioneered TV football coverage, due to Seven's trump card in holding the right to bid both first and last for the football rights.
Seven paid $20 million in 1997 for the right to bid first and last over the following two rounds of media negotiations. It is thought that Ten relinquished its exclusive role as AFL finals broadcaster as part of the potential deal to be included in that last bid for the next rights round.
FOOTBALL'S GREAT TV HEISTThe deal between Seven and Ten for AFL television rights for five years from 2007
BACK IN THE GAMECHANNEL SEVEN Once synonymous with football in Victoria, would regain the rights after five years on the sidelines.
THE DEAL MAKERCHANNEL TEN Television's one-time minnow has negotiated itself into a position of strength, sharing last right of refusal for football rights. Football-led revival likely to continue.
OUT OF BOUNDS?CHANNEL NINE Stands to lose football just when it is being challenged for supremacy in the ratings.
HOW IT WOULD WORK
GRAND FINAL To alternate between Seven and Ten. Other finals to be shared.
BROWNLOW MEDAL To alternate between Seven and Ten.
FRIDAY NIGHTS Channel Seven
SATURDAYS Channel Ten hoping to show three games, back-to-back. Foxtel to show one or two games.
SUNDAYS Channel Seven to televise two games, Foxtel one.
FREE-TO-AIR Could show six games per weekend, up from five.
FOXTEL Now shows three games per weekend. Wants four, but could end up with only two.
NIGHT GRAND FINAL Likely to fall off the agenda.
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/03/16/1110913671291.html
TWILIGHT GAMES Could become regular part of fixture, possibly shown live on Foxtel on Sundays.
