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CALL it sour grapes or sticking the knife in, but a day after Channel Nine walked away with the prize of the NRL rights, Channel Seven predicted its rival might lose at least $200 million over the course of its five-year deal.
Don Voelte, the managing director of Seven's parent company, Seven West Media, could not resist a dig, saying he was not prepared to go that high.
''Let me say that last night I couldn't help myself. I looked at the numbers, put them in my spreadsheet and did the economics with the advertising rates. I just keep coming up with a $42 million dollar a year loss and we couldn't support that,'' Mr Voelte said.
Nine hit back but refused to discuss any potential losses. A spokesman for Nine's chief executive, David Gyngell, said the comments amounted to little more than a ''loser's lament'' or ''some self-serving revisionism''.
''Seven went toe-to-toe right to the death on the NRL rights deal and were confidently telling people as late as Monday afternoon they had it stitched up,'' he said. ''But when they are ultimately outflanked, it's suddenly their wise call on costs.''
Speaking at Seven's results, Mr Voelte also announced Seven's intention to steal the rights to the cricket from Nine and bid for the next Olympics.
Seven and Ten both put in bids late last week, with Seven drafting its chairman, Kerry Stokes, in support. But ultimately Nine and Fox Sports won with a combined bid of $1.025 billion.
The trading of blows has only served to fuel speculation in the media industry that Seven bid up the price at the last minute knowing that as Nine had last refusal it had to better Seven's bid or lose rugby league.
A cash-strapped Nine, which is carrying debts of $2.8 billion, has nearly doubled the amount it pays for the rights each year to $85 million and will need to charge more for ads or run more ads in order to turn a profit.
Now Seven is setting its sights on the cricket - the rights to which have been held by Nine since the late 1970s and are up for renewal later this year for the 2013-14 season.
The fee for the present seven-year deal with Nine to broadcast the Tests, one-day internationals and international and domestic Twenty20 cricket could rise from $350 million to well above $500 million, media industry sources predict. Cricket Australia declined to comment.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...over-rights-20120822-24mw0.html#ixzz24K8dRIWk
Don Voelte, the managing director of Seven's parent company, Seven West Media, could not resist a dig, saying he was not prepared to go that high.
''Let me say that last night I couldn't help myself. I looked at the numbers, put them in my spreadsheet and did the economics with the advertising rates. I just keep coming up with a $42 million dollar a year loss and we couldn't support that,'' Mr Voelte said.
Nine hit back but refused to discuss any potential losses. A spokesman for Nine's chief executive, David Gyngell, said the comments amounted to little more than a ''loser's lament'' or ''some self-serving revisionism''.
''Seven went toe-to-toe right to the death on the NRL rights deal and were confidently telling people as late as Monday afternoon they had it stitched up,'' he said. ''But when they are ultimately outflanked, it's suddenly their wise call on costs.''
Speaking at Seven's results, Mr Voelte also announced Seven's intention to steal the rights to the cricket from Nine and bid for the next Olympics.
Seven and Ten both put in bids late last week, with Seven drafting its chairman, Kerry Stokes, in support. But ultimately Nine and Fox Sports won with a combined bid of $1.025 billion.
The trading of blows has only served to fuel speculation in the media industry that Seven bid up the price at the last minute knowing that as Nine had last refusal it had to better Seven's bid or lose rugby league.
A cash-strapped Nine, which is carrying debts of $2.8 billion, has nearly doubled the amount it pays for the rights each year to $85 million and will need to charge more for ads or run more ads in order to turn a profit.
Now Seven is setting its sights on the cricket - the rights to which have been held by Nine since the late 1970s and are up for renewal later this year for the 2013-14 season.
The fee for the present seven-year deal with Nine to broadcast the Tests, one-day internationals and international and domestic Twenty20 cricket could rise from $350 million to well above $500 million, media industry sources predict. Cricket Australia declined to comment.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...over-rights-20120822-24mw0.html#ixzz24K8dRIWk
