Supercars signs $200m five-year broadcast deal with Foxtel and new FTA partner Seven
Supercars is heading back to Seven as part of a $200m five-year broadcast deal which will see the sport change its free to air (FTA) partner for the first time since Ten won the rights in 2014.
Under the new agreement, Seven will broadcast six Supercars events, including the Bathurst 1000, while Foxtel will continue to broadcast all races.
[L – R] Mark Beretta, Sean Seamer and James Warburton
“This deal is the product of a significant body of work to ensure we have the best team possible to take us forward in to the future,” Seamer said.
“It provides certainty for our teams, fans and commercial partners that Supercars is here to stay as the top motorsport category in Australasia.
Supercars are back on Seven from Red Engine Creative on Vimeo.
“I am delighted to continue working with Patrick Delany and his team at Fox Sports and Foxtel. Their commitment to the sport and standard of coverage is world-class and we’re looking forward to watching on as they showcase the future of Australian motorsport.
“We’re also thrilled to welcome back the Seven Network which helped bring motorsport to Australian living rooms way back in the early 1960s as the original broadcast partners of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the early days of Supercars.
The deal will make Fox Sports the longest continuous broadcast partnership for the sport in the Supercars era from 1997.
(L-R) Patrick Delany, Sean Seamer, Jess Yates and Mark Skaife
Foxtel CEO, Patrick Delany, said: “I’m pleased to have a new five-year agreement in place for the Supercars Championship, putting our subscribers in the driver’s seat for all the excitement and action of every race.
“Our relationship with Supercars dates back to 2015, and along with Formula One and MotoGP, has established Foxtel as the home of Australia’s premium motorsport experience while Kayo has opened up motorsport to a new audience of streaming viewers.
Seven held the rights to the sport from 1963 to 1996 and then from 2007 to 2014. CEO James Warburton said the new deal was a natural return to a long-running partnership.
“Seven and Supercars have so much shared history, so we’re excited to begin the next part of our story together with this multi-year deal. Seven has long been a pioneer in motorsport coverage; our world-leading innovations include the iconic RaceCam, which made its debut in our coverage of the 1979 Bathurst 1000,” said Warburton.
“I want to thank Sean, the Supercars Board and the Supercars team for this outcome, which is a great result for Seven, Supercars, and most importantly, the fans. It will help fuel the growth of the sport into the future. We can’t wait to bring Supercars home to Seven from next year.”
Lewis Martin, managing director Seven Melbourne and network head of sport, said: “Motorsport has always been a passion of ours at Seven, and there’s no greater motorsport in Australia than Supercars. We’re thrilled to bring Supercars back to Seven from next year and with it what are sure to be so many more iconic Australian motorsport moments.
“This partnership between Seven and Supercars is going to deliver a spectacular experience for viewers, with these key races live and free on Seven and 7plus, and every race replayed the same day – simply an unbeatable offering.
“Everyone at Seven is excited to continue our legacy of broadcasting Supercars, delivering our audience a better experience than ever before.”
Seven supercharges Supercars from Red Engine Creative on Vimeo.
Earlier this year, Supercars chose Repco as its new naming partner following former naming partner Virgin Australia’s voluntary administration.
Ten, which had been part of a five-year $241m deal with Foxtel for the sport, signalled this year it was looking to end the partnership.
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