Home of Motorsport? Not if footy has its way
6/1/2001 15:50 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - The V8 Supercars may be forced to relocate from the Ten Network or face a steep decline in profile after last month’s AFL broadcast rights announcement shook-up Australian sports broadcasting.
Television’s aptly named Home of Motorsport may be less accommodating to rev heads come 2002, after the Ten Network secured a share of the lucrative AFL broadcast rights late last year.
A consortium consisting of media giants News Limited, Telstra, Foxtel and the Nine and Ten Networks were awarded the rights to broadcast AFL football for six years beginning in 2002.
The Seven Network looks set to end its four decade-long partnership with the AFL after its bid fell well short of the mark. Seven still has the option to outbid the News Limited-led proposal and retain the rights, however the likelihood of a counterattack seems remote.
Under the terms of the Nine-Ten joint free-to-air bid, Network Ten will broadcast live AFL clashes each week on Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights. The network will also telecast the majority of Finals fixtures, and the first AFL Grand Final of football’s brave new broadcast era.
While scheduling would allow the network to continue dedicating Sunday afternoons to motorsport, in particular its coverage of the Shell Championship Series, it may not be enough to keep AVESCO onside.
The Ten Network’s V8 Supercar broadcast rights come to an end this year. Without assurances from Ten that their level of commitment to the sport will remain undiminished, AVESCO will be forced to look elsewhere for a new broadcaster.
Next season, the majority of AVESCO’s showcase events – the Clipsal 500, Canberra’s GMC 400, Bathurst, New Zealand and the season-ending Sandown Raceway finale – all require Saturday afternoon telecasts. Ten could simply not supply the Saturday coverage AVESCO would be seeking on the weekend of these events.
In addition, with the Nine Network committed to Rugby League Finals games, Ten would also be asked to show AFL Finals that clash with those of the rival football code – some of which would fall on a Sunday.
AVESCO could work around the four week’s of Finals football, but would have to forego on Saturday telecasts of key events should they continue their partnership with Ten.
More importantly, as the sport aggressively pushes forward in its quest to tackle Football head-on, striving for increased media exposure and wider acceptance on the Australian sporting landscape, a reduction of crucial television time would lose the sport plenty of ground after gaining so much in recent times.
Ten have, in the past, publicly stated their long-term commitment to further develop V8 Supercar racing in Australia and worldwide. However, an estimated $40 million AFL investment by the network is likely to force the station into a change of heart.
In short, come 2002 (there is talk a bitter Seven could on-sell the rights to Nine and Ten as early as this year) AVESCO may find Ten pulling in a different direction to what they would like.
Supercar boss Tony Cochrane has been quoted as saying all of Australia’s television networks (excluding the SBS) are “all over us” to snatch the rights to telecast Australia’s favourite Motor Racing category in 2002.
However, with sports broadcasting powerhouse Channel Nine’s weekend schedules teeming with Football for at least the next six years, and Seven’s winter sports assets looking decidedly bare (Aunty doesn’t have the funds to sustain its news department let alone outbid a commercial rival for sports broadcasting rights), Seven is the only likely bidder to challenge Ten later this year.
Seven may be reluctant to work with Cochrane and his board again, after being burned by AVESCO during the messy Bathurst fiasco a few years ago. But despite any resentment between the two, Seven may realise they need the V8 Supercars just as much as the V8 Supercars need Seven.
Working in conjunction with Seven’s Pay-TV sports channel C7 would also be attractive to AVESCO.
Of course, it’s all academic until Nine and Ten officially sign the AFL’s papers mid-January. But with Seven down for the count and unlikely to fight on, it may be in AVESCO’s best interests to grab the Olympic Network on the rebound.
A new Australian television deal for 2002 onwards will be announced mid-year.
Meanwhile, Bridgestone’s contract as control tyre supplier for 2002 and beyond is also up for renewal. Yokohama is likely to contest the contract.
| |
