The rugby league, AFL, cricket and football departments at Fox Sports are bracing for staff cuts after the broadcaster took an axe to its once-sprawling rugby department on the eve of the new Super Rugby season.
Rugby officials were briefed by Fox executives on Thursday that their sport was the first cab off the rank for staff and programming cuts, as the pay television provider embarks on a cost-slashing campaign on the back of $417 million in financial losses at its parent company Foxtel.
The sport was rocked by news that popular rugby host Nick McArdle had been let go the day before the launch of the new season and that the Monday and Friday night shows had been scrapped in favour of a drastically leaner schedule.
Former Wallaby Drew Mitchell has also been let go, while pundits Greg Martin and Stephen Hoiles will be used on a "pay-per-play" basis as needed throughout the season.
The news came at a worrying time for Rugby Australia, as they prepare to open the bidding process for the rights to broadcast the sport from 2021-2025.
But a top RA source told the
Herald that Fox executives reassured officials that cuts were imminent across all departments, including the broadcaster's "big three", rugby league, AFL and cricket.
Dragons great and regular Fox face Mark Gasnier has already moved on, taking up a key strategic role with OzTag Australia, and the plethora of NRL and AFL mid-week shows could face significant trimming.
Fox Sports officials would not comment when approached by the
Herald.
RA executives and those involved in the broadcast rights process remained confident on Thursday that the cuts would not affect Fox Sports' appetite for rugby.
Chief executive Raelene Castle, who launched the season with new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie in Sydney, said the organisation was also sure there was competitive tension in the market.
"That's why we've gone to market," Castle said. "We believe that we have more than one party that's prepared to step forward and have a serious look at the rights for rugby.
"That will be the first time in 25 years that we've managed to have a competitor involved in the process.
"That's a very normal process that goes on in all sports rights deals. Certainly all the other major codes go through that competitive process. That's what drives the best outcome for them ultimately.
"We've got a great partner in Fox, they've been amazing supporters of us for 25 years, and they will continue to work closely with us in developing this year and we're certainly hoping that they come to the table with some other bidders."
The major change to the new season, which is the last of the current broadcast cycle, is Friday and Saturday night Australian games kicking off at 7.15pm, 30 minutes earlier than previous seasons.
Castle and Fox Sports hope the change can help them build on small ratings increases last season.
"We had a tough couple of years when we made the changes from 18 teams back to 15 [in 2018]," she said. "That change saw us move the dial so we have seen an increase.
"Attendances have been a bit flat, but broadcast numbers have certainly increased since we've solidified the competition back to 15 [teams].
"Not all sports are seeing an uplift in viewership, so we think it's a positive thing and we want every year to be a success, whether it's working with the Super Rugby teams to make sure their fans have a reason to go to games or whether it's working with Fox to make sure they turn the TV on."
McArdle's departure from the Fox Sports line-up was met with disappointment across the industry and social media. The 51-year-old was told his contract would not be renewed on Wednesday, which marked his 13th year at the pay TV broadcaster.
Two sources told the
Herald that executives briefed staff there would be no dedicated mid-week rugby shows and only a skeleton staff, including veteran commentator Greg Clark and former Wallabies Tim Horan, Phil Kearns, George Gregan and Rod Kafer would be retained on contract, to work across the weekend games.
Along with Clark, McArdle became synonymous with rugby during his time with Fox, winning over audiences with his calm professionalism, light touch and courteous but forensic interview style.
The news follows the departures in the middle of last year of up-and-coming commentator Sean Maloney, rugby executive producer Simon Gee, veteran director Matthew Heaton and football department executive producer Murray Shaw.
The cuts come in the context of significant financial losses within Foxtel's controlling shareholder News Corp, which flagged cuts to the broadcaster's spending on "non-marquee sporting content" and another price rise for customers after a financial loss of $417 million.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...ve-of-super-rugby-launch-20200123-p53tyi.html
