Channel Nine’s tennis deal will be obsolete by the time it runs out
While Nine snatching the tennis rights from Seven might seem like the grab of the century, the station needs to have a serious think about what the future might hold, writes strategist Mike Chmielewski.
Note: Nine’s sports boss Tom Malone has responded to this piece.
You would have read all over the media interwebs that Channel Nine has snatched the rights from Seven to broadcast the Tennis in Australia.
The deal, worth $60m a year, gives Nine the free-to-air and pay-TV rights for the Australian Open, Hopman Cup, Davis Cup, Fed Cup and the Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart Internationals from 2020 all the way to 2024.
Think about that for a minute. We’re discussing and celebrating (or mourning, if you’re Seven) a television deal for 2024. What will television even be in 2024? Six years ago there was no Netflix in Australia, no Stan, no Instagram, no Snapchat. What we consider media consumption now will be very, very different in two, let alone six years time.
Apart from the television rights, the deal also includes the online streaming rights. Nine hands down has the best streaming platform of the three major television networks, and that will continue to grow, but what is really interesting to consider, is how they will evolve what “streaming” means in the future — and if they’re even allowed to.
We are entering a digital age where the audience is going to expect very different experiences online then they get through traditional television. It’s no longer enough to trade on “it’s time shifted” or “platform agnostic,” that’s standard, even old hat. Digital will no longer be “the second screen experience,” digital will be the first, and often, the only screen experience that matters.
If Nine is smart, and if this deal lets them, they are in a position to reshape what “streaming sport” means in Australia. But if all they are allowed to or willing to do is repurpose their television stream and throw in a couple extra “second screen” experiences, this will be among the last digital rights deal they win.
Look at what the NBA is doing. As part of their NBA League Pass, they stream every game and push the boundaries by offering a courtside VR experience for the user. This is one example of VR actually making sense and adding something to the experience. On top of live games, the app has access to time shifted games, as well as historic games from past seasons, documentaries, highlights and more. Tennis Australia, and every other Australian sporting organisation, can very well follow suit and offer fans a tailored experience.
NBA’s courtside VR experience
Alternatively, they can embrace digital first publishers. For example, the US Open has sold their digital streaming rights to Amazon, who can really push and develop their stream and format without being restricted by the “television first” business model Nine has to abide by.
The English Premier League is expected to follow suit any day now. The NFL and MBL are broadcasting games and shows on Twitter, while continuing to build their own apps and experiences like the NBA is, and Facebook and YouTube are making pushes into sport.
Digital first broadcasts will allow sports to tailor the user’s experience and content specifically to their location, or their favourite team, push the boundaries and offer viewers new and unique ways to experience the sport.
Nine could pull a rabbit out of the hat and reshape their offering, like I said, their 9Now platform is the best in the country, and they have the resources, and should have the motivation. But it remains to be seen if they will, or even if they’re allowed to under the current deal. One thing is for sure, the 2025 and beyond negotiations will be very, very different.
Mike Chmielewski is a strategist at Fairfax Media. This article first appeared on LinkedIn.
A classic example of someone ‘much smarter’ from outside the TV industry providing some advice to those ‘dumb’ people within the TV industry, telling them how to do their jobs better.
The irony is that these ‘much smarter’ people tend purely base their advice on their experiences as male, white, 20 something, house sharing, Sydneysiders who work in advertising.
Surely we are better than this?
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The article cites other ‘much smarter’ TV examples and the author has worked as a strategist in television and digital.
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Pretty sure the article mentions other ‘much smarter’ international alternatives happening right now, it’s not like it’s pure speculation.
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I think you’ve just made yourself a strategy salad – a series of disconnected ideas that don’t actually make or prove any point. Mumbrella showing it really will publish anything. BTW Mike, it’s actually the called the Premier League…you know, the most famous annual football competition in the world?
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Dear Mike,
Anti-syphoning.
Regards,
Monster
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Once again Australian media is behind the 8 ball and behind what the rest of the world is doing. The article doesnt mention it, but it would be interesting if AMAZON came in and snapped up the next set of digital rights considering what they’re doing in the US and the fact they’re making huge in-roads into this country.
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That’s because we outside the TV industry ARE much smarter.
#digitalnative
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Hey smartarss, you are wrong, it is not called the Premier League, it is the English Premier League, or EPL. [Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]
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What on earth has Mumbrella succumbed to when they publish articles by these self-proclaimed industry experts?
The biggest, ill-informed tripe i have read in weeks.
Mike, don’t give up your day job. Whatever that is
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I think what this article fails to acknowledge is that Nine, like other broadcast media outlets, have known about digital media for a while now….
… and have seen through many technology updates in their time.
Let’s not belittle readers with speculation, that for those of us old enough, have seen many times before.
These kind of articles amount to fake news….
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I’m not sure this proves that the deal is obsolete.
Twiiter, Amazon etc are irrelevant since the deal prohibits them accessing the content. The fact that young idiots currently think its clever to watch sport on a tiny phone screen for $10 an hour rather than a 2m wide TV screen for free doesn’t mean that trend will last.
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Are not.
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This article raises some good points and some serious questions.
Foremost, relating to the NBA.
Why the flying fuck would you want courtside VR when you are at the game? Take the goggles off and just watch the fucking game you techo-klutzes!
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It’s a court side VR experience from your couch at home, not a VR experience while court side.
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Most of us stream from our device to our 2m wide television. Or with the app installed on that television.
Get with the times gramps.
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Right? Plus $10/hour? What do you not have WiFi and a really bad data plan?
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Shocking commentary tonight during DeMinaur and Seppi. The commentators spent most of the first set praising Seppi and not giving DeMinaur enough credit.
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Coverage of ALL ATP CUP matches is rubbish. Have yet to watch Novak or Raffa match. Bloody disgraceful!! I want to be able to choose which match I watch over the three different venues. Channel 9 has no idea about how to televise the greatest game.
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Tennis commentators spoiling game by talking during play. Can’t watch any more
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