Ten labels Seven’s Tennis Australia deal ‘amazing and puzzling’
The Ten Network has hit back at sporting body Tennis Australia calling the decision to hand the tennis rights to Seven without an auction as both “amazing” and “puzzling” and accusing them of reneging on a promise.
Network Ten spokesman Neil Shoebridge told Mumbrella: “While we congratulate Tennis Australia on its new deal with Seven, we find it amazing and puzzling that Tennis Australia did not put its media rights out to tender – particularly as it had told other media companies it would do just that.”
The comments comes after the Seven Network and Tennis Australia confirmed this morning that a five year deal had been struck for the TV network to retain the rights for a rumoured $30m a year, well up on the $105m paid for the previous five year deal.
Shoebridge also argued that there would have been no cost for the sport to test the market. Media reports in recent days have suggested the rival network was willing to pay upward of $40m a year for the rights.
