Seven eyes Nine’s Warner Bros deal

Australian Network Seven is reportedly attempting to wrest an output deal with Warner Bros. International Television from rival free-to-air broadcaster Nine. Nine has an exclusive negotiating period that runs until end-March, at which point rival broadcasters can pitch in. Nine’s deal with Warners runs until 2010.

The Australian market is a complex matrix of deals between broadcasters and studios.

Nine’s current batch of Warner Bros-produced series includes hit drama The Mentalist and comedy The Big Bang Theory. The commercial broadcaster also sold the rights to a number of Warner Bros series including Pushing Daisies and The Sarah Connor Chronicles to pay TV broadcaster Foxtel.

Seven already has an exclusive deal with NBC Universal, having previously shared that content with Network Ten. It also has a deal with Disney ABC ESPN Television.

Nine has an agreement with Sony Pictures Television International for series including Damages.

Ten has agreements with CBS Paramount International Television and Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution although Seven still gets some Fox shows under the terms of its previous Fox deal.