Australian rugby fans "face a Wallabies TV blackout for the first time in over three decades" with two Tests of the Spring Tour not scheduled to be broadcast on Australian screens, according to Iain Payten of NEWS CORP. In a situation that has Australian rugby officials "increasingly anxious, the Wallabies’ Test match against France in Paris in 19 days time and the hyped rematch with England in London on December 3 will not be shown" on either free-to-air TV or pay-TV, unless rights deals "can be struck soon." It is believed "it will be the first time" a Wallabies Test match has not been broadcast at home since '84. The "awkward scenario has arisen because free-to-air networks all passed on buying the Spring Tour rights this year," and beIN Sports outbid its Foxtel stablemate, Fox Sports, to broadcast some of the Wallabies’ games on subscription TV. Network Ten has been the free-to-air broadcaster for Wallabies Tests this year "but elected to not buy the rights for the Spring Tour games against Wales, Scotland, France, Ireland and England." The home unions and France sell the rights to their home Tests individually and sources said that they are "so expensive that Network Ten -- and other FTA channels -- baulked, given the games all kick-off between midnight and 7am" (NEWS CORP, 11/1).
