End of an Era as TEN uses legal contract to lock Bruce McAvaney out of Melbourne Cup Broadcast

The TEN Network has taken the extraordinary move to single out high profile SEVEN Network presenters Bruce McAvaney and Hamish McLachlan as it looks to protect its new investment in the Melbourne Cup carnival

From 2019, TEN will become the new host broadcaster for the Melbourne Cup carnival, however it will not have exclusive rights after agreeing to allow the dedicated industry multi-channel Racing.com to produce its own coverage of the event.

Racing.com is a joint partnership between SEVEN and Racing Victoria, its product is broadcast nationally via Free-to Air, Digital Streaming and Foxtel.

The arrangement between TEN and Racing.com includes a specific legal clause that prevents SEVEN’s two highest profile presenters Bruce McAvaney and Hamish McLachlan from hosting the Racing.com coverage of the Melbourne Cup Carnival over the next five years

The unusual clause which was first revealed by the 3AW Breakfast program and confirmed by this website, is seen as a sign TEN is clearly nervous SEVEN could use its stake in Racing.com to produce a rival coverage and steal viewers away from TEN.

Under the new deal, TEN is paying $100million over five-years for Digital/Broadcast rights to the four-day race meeting. A dramatic increase on what Seven has been paying in the past.

The contract restriction effectively brings to an end Bruce McAvaney’s association with the Melbourne Cup, an event he has hosted on SEVEN since 2002. The beloved broadcaster also called the event for TEN between 1985 to 1988.

Reflecting on his association with the event he recently told the Adelaide Advertiser; “I’ve been pretty fortunate, I’ve called a few, I’ve hosted a lot and seen so many.”

“I’ll continue to have a huge interest in the race, it will just be privately and not publicly.”

SEVEN’s coverage of racing will continue next year with the network still holding rights for events including the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, Caulfield Cup, Caulfield Guineas, Cox Plate, The Everest, and the Magic Millions.