Nine aces Seven to grab TV tennis
CHANNEL 9 has scored a major coup and snatched the broadcasting rights to major tennis events including the Australian Open from rival Seven.
The five-year-deal, worth $300 million, will see Nine televise the local grand slam as well as the Hopman Cup, and the Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart Internationals from 2020.
“We are very excited to have secured the rights to premium Australian tennis, including the Australian Open,” Nine CEO Hugh Marks said.
“The timing of tennis, and the audience demographics are a perfect fit for Nine’s audience and advertisers.”
The loss of the Australian Open is a massive body blow for Seven which has been broadcasting tennis for more than four decades.
The Australian Open has been a big ratings winner for Seven. The 2017 Men’s Final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer is one of the highest-rating events of recent times with more than 3.6 million viewers across the country.
The Australian Open has also been a powerful promotional platform for Seven shows including My Kitchen Rules. The combination of the Open and ratings blockbuster Married at First Sight, would give Nine an unstoppable start to the ratings year.
“The ramifications of Nine winning the rights to the Australian Open tennis is seismic,” media analyst Steve Allen said.
“This deal not only impacts the fortunes of Nine and Seven but also Cricket Australia which is in the middle of its own broadcast rights negotiations.
“Now Nine will start the year with a bang and it will be hard for Seven to keep up.”
Nine insiders insist that the new tennis deal won’t dampen its interest in cricket. It is believed Nine and CBS-owned Ten have put together a joint bid to Cricket Australia.