Sky Network Television will fight to hold on to the broadcast rights for Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship for five more years at a cost of more than $235 million.
Sky requires shareholder approval to bid for the SANZAAR rights under the Companies Act, because the size of the deal is more than half of the company’s value.
Sky’s market value has shrunk 39 percent in the past 12 months $468.2m, after posting an annual net loss of $607.8m in the year to June.
It notified shareholders of its negotiations with the rugby body in a market announcement on Monday morning, but would not give further detail on the talks citing commercial sensitivity.
“Content acquisition is a fundamental and essential aspect of the company’s business, which Sky has nearly 30 years’ experience of,” the market announcement said.
Sky has held the SANZAAR rights since 1996, and said it had a long-standing commercial relationship with the body made up of rugby unions in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina.
The rights could include two British and Irish Lion’s tours and access to archive footage.
The company described how it could use the rights, such as airing the matches on its pay television service or through online streaming on its apps either live or on-demand.
It expected to pay for any deal through instalments, from its working capital.
However, it was facing increased competition for sport broadcast rights after Spark outbid it for this year’s Rugby World Cup.
Sky shareholders would vote on the proposed deal at the company’s annual meeting in October.
This story was originally published on Radio New Zealand.
