Maori TV and Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples have scored a dramatic last-minute win in the battle for the free-to-air Rugby World Cup rights.
Prime Minister John Key today sidelined the rival bid by TV3 and TVNZ by withdrawing Government backing for it. He is now backing the Maori bid instead.
Yesterday several National Party ministers - including Mr Key - were backing a joint bid by TVNZ and TV3. Today that was off the table.
The backdown by Mr Key has avoided a bizarre bidding war between Maori TV and TVNZ - both backed by public money.
"The process has been far from perfect and National ministers need to take their fair share of responsibility for that," says Mr Key.
The opposition says it's an embarrassment, and someone should pay.
"The Prime Minister has come in, essentially sacked [Broadcasting Minister Jonathan] Coleman this afternoon, and he's done some extraordinary thing - he has closed down Murray McCully," says Labour's Shane Jones.
The three networks and a representative from Te Mangai Paho met this afternoon at Government House to begin working on the detail.
The agreed framework is likely to be Maori TV gaining rights for 16 free-to-air games and TVNZ and TV3 each airing six games apiece.
"I think the public will win out of it," says [TV3 owner] Mediaworks CEO Brent Impey, "I think the broadcasters will get what they need and I'm very confident that in the next couple of days something will be resolved which will put this to bed."
And with three broadcasters now in bed together, the real winner out of all of this will be the IRB with what is understood to be a very handsome fee.
3 News