This winter, broadcaster Fox Sports will launch "the most comprehensive coverage of all the major codes," according to Darren Davidson of THE AUSTRALIAN. For the first time, Foxtel subscribers "will be able to view almost 10,000 hours of live coverage" of National Rugby League, Australian Football League, Super Rugby, A-League, V8 and F1 racing. The "wall-to-wall action was enabled by two recently signed record-breaking TV sports rights deals that handed Fox Sports greater access to the live matches." The NRL administrators drove a 70% jump in the price of its rights with a A$1.8B ($1.3B) agreement, and the AFL’s governing body kicked a 67% rise with a "colossal" six-year, $2.5B ($1.8B) deal. Every NRL game will be live and advertisement-free, "supported by extra talk shows including the new show Friday Night Footy." A "dedicated NRL channel is to be launched" in '17. Other "new offerings include" AFL Tonight and NRL Tonight on the Fox Sports News channel. Fox Sports is also "ramping up coverage of motorsport, tennis, basketball and netball" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 2/23).
