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Fox Sports 501 wins ASTRA channel of the year

Hot on the heels of its largest audience ever when almost half-a-million people tuned into Saturday night’s NRL blockbuster between Melbourne and Cronulla, Fox Sports has won ASTRA’s channel of the year.

Fox-Sports-logo-1The broadcaster’s channel 501, which anchors the Fox Sports line-up, was awarded ahead of six other nominees.

Fox sports saw a 9% rise in audience this year, with NRL games accounting for 50 of the top 100 subscription TV programs.

Andrew Maiden Astra

Maiden: “All regular live match time slots have seen year-on-year growth”

ASTRA CEO, Andrew Maiden, said Fox Sports had set new benchmarks for the industry.

“All regular live match time slots have seen year-on-year growth and on Saturday a new ratings record for NRL was set, with an average audience of 486,000 people turning in to watch the Storm versus the Sharks, making it the most-watched event on subscription TV in 2016 and the ninth most-watched Fox Sports broadcast ever,” Maiden said.

Patrick Delany

Delany: “Our five exclusive games are 15% up, year-on-year”

“In selecting Fox Sports 501 as channel of the year, our independent judging panel said the team set the benchmark for Australian sports coverage with the best pre- and post-game shows, and some of the strongest commentators and talent in the business.”

Fox Sports CEO, Patrick Delany, said the win was a good sign ahead of Fox Sports launching a dedicated NRL channel next year.

“Ratings this year have exceeded projections, with our five exclusive games being 15% up, year-on-year coupled with some amazing weekends of NRL action,” Delany said.

“I would like to pay tribute to the team that produces the channel, including all our contractors – they live and breathe sports and have put in a huge effort this year.”

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