Ten to step up bidding for sports
John McDuling
Ten Network chief executive James Warburton has signalled plans to bid more aggressively for exclusive rights to sporting content as he looks to lift the broadcaster’s share of ratings.
Speaking at the Financial Review and Macquarie Future Forum yesterday, Mr Warburton said he would consider bidding for more sporting content but conceded that breaking the stranglehold of incumbents, who usually had first and last rights to bid for content, would be difficult.
“We are up to our eyeballs having a look at things,” Mr Warburton said. “It’s a matter of getting in there and figuring out what makes sense.”
Rights for a wide range of sporting content become available in coming months – NRL broadcast rights are up for renewal at the end of the season, while negotiations for the V8 Supercars are also under way.
Next year, rights to broadcast cricket matches and the Australian Open tennis from 2014 onwards will be open. Last year the AFL sold its broadcast rights until 2016 for $1.1 billion.
“Do you want to derail the entire programming strategy of the network? No, but I think we will be a lot more competitive than people give us credit for,” Mr Warburton said.
“I’m the first to admit we are a little bit skinny on the programming front at the moment.”