The Australian Rugby Union secured a new broadcast rights deal worth more than $275M "in a deal that will see all Super Rugby matches live on Fox Sports and a Sunday morning replay on Ten Network," according to Max Mason of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The deal has taken more than a year to complete because the code's governing body South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby (SANZAR), "which will also absorb Argentina as a full member from next year, had to negotiate 11 different broadcast deals before making an official announcement." Apart from the four local markets, "TV rights deals were negotiated for a number of regions," including the Americas, U.K., France, Italy, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Japan. The ARU will announce on Thursday a $55M-plus-per-year deal, up from the current agreement worth around $25M per season, "for broadcast rights to the Super Rugby and Wallabies matches" that will run from '16 until '20. The agreement was "boosted by a large input from Britain's BSkyB for broadcast rights to Super Rugby as well as a stronger U.S. dollar" -- the currency in which the deals were done (SMH, 12/16). In Sydney, Darren Davidson wrote although the ARU "failed to engineer a fierce bidding war between the three main Australian commercial networks, it has secured a hefty increase from Fox Sports and Ten, which remain heavily committed to the sport." The agreement is "a stunning coup" for ARU CEO Bill Pulver, whose new deal will "help reduce the financial pain the sport has been suffering." Under the terms of the contract, it is understood Ten will "remain the Australian FTA broadcaster in partnership with Fox Sports, continuing to simulcast all Qantas Wallabies domestic Tests, the Bledisloe Cup, and all matches played by the Qantas Wallabies in The Rugby Championship." Ten "will show a full replay of one Super Rugby match per round each Sunday morning for the first time in the history of the competition" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/16). Also in Sydney, Wayne Smith reported the ARU is set to be re-energized with the announcement on Wednesday of the "long-awaited broadcast deal," with the ARU's budget to be increased by 148% on its existing deal. The deal also "locks in place the one major initiative" that Pulver was able to instigate "even during the savage belt-tightening phase, with the national Rugby Championship guaranteed funding for another five years." That is a "major breakthrough considering that its predecessor, the Australian Rugby Championship, lasted only one season and the NRC has lasted two." Elsewhere, however, "the financial restraints will be, if not released, at least relaxed." It remains to be seen "whether it will have any dramatic impact on Australia's campaign for the Rio Olympics, but the sevens program funding levels -- for both men and women -- will be significantly boosted" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/17).
