Channel 9 has "won the free-to-air battle to showcase the Socceroos," starting with Friday’s match away in Saudi Arabia and Tuesday’s blockbuster at home to Japan, according to David Davutovic of the HERALD SUN. Fox Sports will simulcast the final eight Russia 2018 qualifiers after last month’s games against Iraq and the UAE "were on Pay-TV only, with SBS previously holding FTA rights." World Cup qualifiers are on the anti-siphoning list, but Lagardère -- Asian football’s marketing arm -- "could not strike a deal with the FTA networks." Fox Sports bought the rights on the eve of last month’s qualifiers and then "negotiated directly with Seven, Nine and Channel 10, with a deal finally struck this week." It is understood that Nine paid a multi-million-dollar fee to Fox for the qualifiers, "which are headlined by the Japan blockbusters" (HERALD SUN, 10/5). FOUR FOUR TWO reported the news is a "major boost for the game and Australian football fans." Fox Sports commentators Simon Hill and Andy Harper "will be behind the mic calling all eight games for both networks" (FOUR FOUR TWO, 10/5).
