SANZAR MOURNS THE PASSING OF IAN FRYKBERG
SANZAR is mourning the loss of Ian Frykberg who passed away peacefully in Sydney on Sunday following a long battle with ill-health.
Frykberg, a former journalist, Head of News and Sport at BSkyB and founder of International Sports Television in 1996, was an integral part of rugby’s growth over the past two decades, playing a key role in securing broadcast contracts on behalf of SANZAR.
A rugby player himself, Frykberg was a shrewd deal-maker who also played an instrumental role in negotiating on behalf of the International Olympic Committee, Premier League, Serie A, Football Federation of Australia, AFL and media networks including Fox Sports and SKY.
SANZAR CEO Greg Peters paid tribute to Frykberg’s legacy.
“Ian is a legend in the broadcasting space who was instrumental in securing deals that underpinned the game in the three SANZAR countries since the inception of professional rugby.
“His strong business acumen and knowledge of the broadcasting space is unparalleled and he has been one of the most highly respected figures in the global sports media rights industry for many years.
“Ian will be dearly missed by his wife Caroline, his four children and the SANZAR rugby community as a whole.”
SKY Television CEO John Fellet said, “Ian was a close personal friend and a mentor. There was nobody in the world that understood the economics of content more than he did.”
Fox Sports Australia CEO Patrick Delany added, “Ian was an incredible friend of rugby. With three national governing bodies and three separate broadcasters involved, the SANZAR arrangements were always complex and we were very lucky to have had Ian as the deal maker in the middle.
“Ian had a knack of talking opposing interests into sensible compromises and creating great TV. He will be missed for his matter of a fact assessments and brilliant solutions, but most of all his loyalty and friendship.”
MultiChoice CEO Imtiaz Patel said, “Ian had a tremendous ability to create trust, to be fair, patient and to put rugby’s interests before his own commercial interests. He is certainly a legend in broadcasting circles and he also became a friend of sorts.
“We spoke about rugby as recently as 10 days ago from his hospital bed and I’ll miss him dearly. He was a great friend, a wise counsel and a dedicated family man. His passing is a great loss.”
