Network Ten loses V8 broadcast rights.

By Matthew Agius

Network Ten, Australia's so called 'home of motorsport' has lost the rights to broadcast the V8 Supercar Championship Series to Australian viewers, after it was revealed that the station had lost out to rival Seven in a bidding war.

Once upon a time, Seven televised the Australian Touring Car Championship to Australian viewers, however Ten acquired the rights to the renamed V8 Supercar Series in 1997 and has since elevated the sport's profile to a high degree - exemplified by the double-sliver Logie winning coverage of the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

However it seems as though, despite praise being heaped on Ten for their work at Mount Panorama by series chairman Tony Cochrane - the VESA head-honcho has been lured by the greater offer from Seven to hand series rights to the channel for the next five years.

Speaking after the TV Week Logie awards, Cochrane congratulated Ten for their sports coverage award, however these credentials appear not to have been enough for the man in-charge of V8 Supercars.

"In the Network Ten product we have coverage to rival the best in the world which offers our global broadcast partners and hundreds of millions of viewers an incredible television experience," said Cochrane.

The popular Network Ten Motorsport team will be without the V8 Supercar Series rights, whilst retaining rights to cover Formula One, Champ Cars, MotoGP, the Australian Rally Championship and its weekly magazine show RPM.

What could cause problems for television fans and fans in general is the imminent threat of clashes between V8 Supercars and Australian Football League games on Sundays, with Seven brokering a deal with Ten to showcase AFL on Sundays and Fridays.

As teams and drivers are likely to be disappointed the working relationship with commentators Leigh Diffey, Bill Woods, expert Neil Crompton and pit reporters Darryl Beattie and Greg Rust will probably end at the conclusion of the Grand Finale at Phillip Island, there is a chance that Fujitsu Series driver Grant Denyer could be offered an opportunity to call Seven's 2007 coverage, perhaps alongside former Ten and V8 commentator Matthew White - who defected to Seven for the Olympics in 2004.

Ten will conclude its coverage of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at the final round of the thirteen-event championship at Phillip Island, off the mainland of Victoria.