Fox and Ten clinch $200m TV Deal to air Rugby Union

Fox Sports Australia and Ten Network Holdings have secured the rights to screen rugby union for another five years in a deal worth $175 million to $200 million, representing a significant uplift for the struggling code. 

However, the big rise will not come from Australian TV rights but instead from the ARU's share of a large increase in international rights.

ARU chief executive Bill Pulver also failed  in his efforts to spark a bidding war between the free-to-air networks for the Super Rugby competition, which has been broadcast by Fox Sports since its inception in 1996. No networks have expressed interest in Pulver's proposal for one match per round to be simulcast on free-to-air.

But the new deal, which will begin in 2016, will represent a substantial increase on the current contract in which the ARU receives about $25 million cash and contra annually.

It also shows the value of live sports to broadcasters and will come just before the AFL goes to market seeking a massive 10-year that could net it up to $3 billion. A deal for rugby union is likely to be finalised by about the end of October, with Fox Sports maintaining its Australian rights and on-selling Wallabies national team matches to Ten for about $4 million annually.

Rivals Seven West Media and Nine Entertainment, which have both ­previously held telecast rights to Wallabies' matches, have shown little interest in doing so again.

It is understood Fox Sports will pay about the same annual price it is ­currently paying in Australia, about $15 million in cash plus several million dollars in contra, or at best a small increase. It will maintain its agreement with Ten for Wallabies matches.