SHOWS like The Voice as well as NRL and cricket coverage will soon be seen on Southern Cross after Channel Nine switched regional allegiances, potentially leaving WIN Television out in the cold.
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The news deals another blow to WIN Corp’s owner, billionaire Bruce Gordon, after his company lost a court case on Thursday to stop Nine from streaming its channels into regional Australia over the internet.
Fairfax Media understands that Channel Nine and Southern Cross have been locked in intense negotiations in the past fortnight working to strike a deal that will end their long-standing relationships with WIN and Ten respectively.
The five-year deal will come into force from July 1, 2016, and Southern Cross will pay Nine 50 per cent of its advertising revenue.
In late December 2015, WIN had extended its affiliation with Nine for six months, which ends on June 30.
In a statement from Southern Cross posted on the Australian Stock Exchange website, the deal would see its channels “carry Nine’s branding and broadcast its premium Australian and international content including The Voice and the Block, as well as all NRL and cricket broadcasts, providing a seamless Nine brand across metropolitan and major regional markets.”
The five-year deal will come into force from July 1, 2016.
The deal will see Southern Cross broadcast Nine content in the Illawarra and South Coast as well as regional Queensland and Victoria.
Nine CEO High Marks was pleased with the deal.
"This is a great outcome for Nine and Southern Cross,” Mr Marks said.
“We are confident that, together, we will offer a premium viewing experience for audiences and a best in class platform for advertisers."
Southern Cross CEO Grant Blackley said the deal “brings the attraction of picking up a larger audience and therefore a commensurate larger revenue opportunity.”
Fairfax Media understands WIN has been in talks with Ten about switching to the lower-rating network, whose audience and revenue performance has improved significantly in the past year.
Bermuda-based owner of WIN Corp, Bruce Gordon owns 14.99 per cent of Nine and 14.99 per cent of Ten.
WIN Television was contacted for comment.