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Year End

Year In Review: Record-Setting TV Deals, Cricket World Cup, F1 Top Aussie Headlines

Australia’s sports leagues have scored big bucks on broadcast rights deals throughout 2015. The country also co-hosted a successful Cricket World Cup and finished runner-up in the Rugby World Cup. This past year was a good one for Australian sports after two straight years in which doping controversies dominated the headlines. The biggest benefactor of the year’s media rights frenzy was the Australian Football League. The country’s most popular sports code signed a new six-year, A$2.5B broadcast rights deal in August. Current broadcaster Channel Seven, Foxtel and Telstra will continue to show AFL games from ‘17-22. The new deal represents a 67% increase on the current one, which is set to expire at the end of the ’16 season.

BUMPY ROAD FOR NRL: In comparison to the AFL, the National Rugby League ran into some trouble in its negotiations regarding a new TV rights deal. The NRL unveiled a new A$925M free-to-air TV deal with Channel Nine shortly before the AFL's announcement. While the figure was a new record for free-to-air rights in Australia, it created tension between the league and its partners Fox Sports and Telstra. Both were reportedly unhappy at being left out of the loop in the negotiations with Nine. It was also the beginning of the end for NRL CEO Dave Smith, who resigned after three years in charge. The Australian Rugby League Commission got Fox Sports and Telstra back on the negotiating table and recently announced details of its new deal with Nine Network, News Corp. Australia, Fox Sports and Telstra. The new five-year deal, which will start in ’18, is worth A$1.8B to the NRL -- 70% more than the existing contract. The deal comes as a positive ending for the NRL, which looked to be the loser in the TV rights battle with the AFL. The league’s deal with Channel Nine infuriated Rupert Murdoch, the owner of News Corp. and Fox Sports, so much that his company overpaid for the AFL rights. At the AFL deal announcement he declared, "We have always preferred Aussie rules.” In the end, however, it was not possible for Fox Sports to leave Australia’s second-most popular sport off its airwaves. The Australian Rugby Union also secured a new TV deal. The A$285M contract represents a 148% increase revenue for the ARU. The A-League is also looking for a new broadcast rights deal after falling ratings and demotion to SBS’s secondary channel have soured the relationship between league and broadcaster. The league’s current deal with SBS and Fox Sports expires at the end of the ‘16-17 season.

ON TAP: Australia and New Zealand jointly hosted the 2015 Cricket World Cup. The two nations also met in the final of the tournament, with Australia capturing its fifth title. The tournament’s off-field numbers included an approximate TV audience of more than 288 million for the India vs. Pakistan match. ICC CEO Dave Richardson said after the World Cup that it “has been the most followed and best attended cricket event in history.” In another Australia vs. New Zealand final, the All Blacks defended their Rugby World Cup title with a 34-17 win over the Wallabies to become the first nation to win back-to-back titles. Despite numbers that showed Victoria subsidized the Australian F1 Grand Prix with close to A$62M this year, the government decided to sign an early contract extension to keep the race in Melbourne until ’23. Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag told SBD Global that the electric racing series is looking Down Under to expand its global reach. He did not mention any potential cities, but Adelaide, with its racing history, could be a candidate.

HONORABLE MENTION: Jarryd Hayne's first NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers has been nothing short of a soap opera that has captured the collective Aussie imagination. The former NRL star, who decided to forgo millions when he left the Parramatta Eels, has already seen the ups and downs of being an American football player. Hayne's NFL journey has been well documented by the Australian media and increased the league's exposure in the country. From signing a deal with Under Armour to being demoted to the 49ers' practice squad, Hayne's first season in the U.S. has been a rollercoaster ride on and off the field. He recently was recalled to the 49ers' active roster and made his first career start against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. In the loss Hayne ran for 27 yards on nine carries and caught five passes for 20 yards.

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