A "content war in Britain" between Sky and BT has forced a "massive price increase" in what Sky must pay for SANZAR matches, according to Roy Masters of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Income from SANZAR broadcasting "is pooled and shared among the partners," with Australia expected to receive an additional A$15.5M ($12M) a year, a 52% increase to A$45M a year. The deal is being "papered," as they say in the industry, with the Australian Rugby Union "poised to announce in the next few weeks the unexpected groundbreaking major uplift in its SANZAR broadcast rights from 2016 to 2020." The four-time increase in money Britain will pay to watch SANZAR matches "is far greater than forecast by the ARU internally, or leading sports media rights externally." The "funding fillip is the result of a battle to the death" for British subscribers between Sky and BT. It has "major ramifications" for the National Rugby League and Australian Football League in Australia, with Foxtel keen to follow this strategy, using Australia's two most popular football codes as "battering rams," a description once used by Rupert Murdoch (SMH, 2/19).
