s ▁ratings ▁l angu ishing , ▁Pack er ▁sought ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁network ▁around ▁via ▁an ▁ag gress ive ▁strategy ▁that ▁included ▁more ▁sports ▁programming . ▁First ly , ▁he ▁secured ▁the ▁rights ▁to ▁the ▁Australian ▁Open ▁golf ▁tournament . ▁He ▁spent ▁millions ▁of ▁dollars ▁rev amp ing ▁The ▁Australian ▁G olf ▁Club ▁in ▁Sydney ▁as ▁a ▁permanent ▁home ▁for ▁the ▁tournament . ▁ ▁Jack ▁Nick laus ▁was ▁h ired ▁to ▁red es ign ▁the ▁course ▁and ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁tournament . ▁Pack er ▁was ▁a ▁fan ▁of ▁cr icket , ▁which ▁was ▁under going ▁a ▁res urg ence ▁in ▁popular ity ▁during ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁Pack er ▁sought ▁the ▁rights ▁to ▁te lev ise ▁Australia ' s ▁home ▁Test ▁matches , ▁the ▁contract ▁for ▁which ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁exp ire . ▁He ▁approached ▁the ▁AC B ▁with ▁an ▁offer ▁of ▁A $ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁( e ight ▁times ▁the ▁previous ▁contract ), ▁yet ▁he ▁was ▁re buff ed . ▁The ▁AC B ▁felt ▁loyal ▁to ▁the ▁ABC , ▁which ▁had ▁broadcast ▁the ▁game ▁for ▁twenty ▁years ▁when ▁the ▁commercial ▁networks ▁showed ▁little ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁game . ▁Pack er ▁believed ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁" old - boy ▁network " ▁element ▁to ▁the ▁decision , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁fur ious ▁at ▁the ▁dismiss ive ▁way ▁that ▁his ▁bid ▁was ▁handled . ▁The ▁government - fund ed ▁ABC ▁could ▁not ▁hope ▁to ▁match ▁a