V8 broadcaster set to change

The network told the series' governing body V8 Supercars Australia of their decision earlier this week.

Network Ten's chief executive officer Grant Blackley said: "Having reviewed the offer extensively and taken into account the market value of V8 Supercars in the Australian and international sporting landscape, this deal makes no commercial sense."

"There has been a passion for this truly Australian brand of motor racing that still runs through every level of the Network, and Ten did have the last right to match any rival offers for the contract. But, we simply could not justify the asking price even given the most optimistic projections."

The V8 Supercar series has been broadcast on Network Ten for the last ten years. During that time, it has made the series a fixture of their weekend programming, as the channel has progressively become the home of most major motorsport categories on Australian television, including Formula One, World Rally Championship, Champ Car and MotoGP.

The news of Ten's withdrawal means that the Seven Network, the long-time broadcaster of touring cars in Australia before Ten's ten year reign, has almost certainly won the right to broadcast the series for the next six seasons.

However, it comes on the back of a recent joint deal between the Seven and Ten networks to broadcast Australian Rules football for the years 2007-2011.

How Seven is planning to cope with two major sporting deals is not yet clear, as it will need to negotiate with Ten to avoid clashes between V8 Supercar events and football. Whether Ten will be receptive to such negotiations for the series it has just 'lost' to them is not yet known.