Australian sports rights figurehead Ian Frykberg has passed away at the age of 68.
Frykberg died in a Sydney hospital on Sunday morning following a long career in the Australian and international sports media business.
He served as head of current affairs and sport at Australian commercial broadcaster Nine before moving to London in the early 1990s to help establish UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB. Frykberg became head of news and sport at Sky and assisted in the negotiations that saw the broadcaster secure the prized rights to English Premier League football.
The Australian newspaper said Frykberg also negotiated deals for Australian rules football league the AFL, rugby league’s NRL, Football Federation Australia, the Australian Rugby Union and Sanzar, the umbrella body for the Australian, New Zealand and South African rugby unions.
The Australian said he also aided the International Olympic Committee and pay-television broadcasters Sky Italia and Sky New Zealand in sports rights negotiations.
Bruce McWilliam, commercial director of Australian commercial broadcaster Seven, said Frykberg was “the ultimate sports insider, trusted by so many organisations and broadcasters to represent them or acquire rights for them”.
McWilliam added: “He was admired and respected by everyone and his gruff negotiating style and ultimate card-playing talents for deals left few disappointed.’’