Respected broadcast rights analyst Colin Smith says television networks will increasingly prioritise exclusivity in deals with sporting bodies, and the 'halo' effect of major events still works.
The Australian Open, which concluded on Sunday night, averaged 531,660 metropolitan viewers and 726,935 when including regional areas. In 2018, the Open averaged 453,381 in the capital cities - a figure that media buying agencies rely on - and 622,307 nationally. "The view was that up until more recently that halo is gone - it’s no longer as relevant as it was. I would suggest that has now changed ... the way that Channel Nine has been promoting their shows, promoting across platforms, has reinvented and has grown the halo back again," he said.
Seven said its entire cricket offering - women's international, Women's BBL, tests and BBL - has so far reached 15.213 million based on viewers who watched at least a minute of coverage. By comparison, Nine's tennis reached 14.5 million.
zoesam93 When's the tennis start?