The company were revealed to have been one of a number of major media outlets in Australia that have refused to accept proposed restrictions on access and conditions relating to the use of video at next year's Commonwealth Games.

Under the terms of the Host City Contract for the Commonwealth Games, only rights holding broadcasters will be able to broadcast video and audio content of Gold Coast 2018.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) sold the rights to the Games in Australia to Channel Seven back in 2014, with any changes to the news access rules needing to be negotiated between the broadcaster and other media organisations.

It was revealed in October that Fairfax Media, one of the largest media companies in Australia and New Zealand, were among those yet to commit to covering the Games, along with News Corporation and Australian Associated Press.

News Corporation, who own national paper The Australian, have now announced they will not seek accreditation for their journalists and photographers at the Games after failing to reach a deal with Channel Seven.

They have reportedly informed the Australian Olympic Committee that they will also not cover Pyeongchang 2018. 

The company have expressed their concerns that restrictions would require them to observe a 30 minute delay for broadcasting content collected at news conferences.

They also claim they would have to agree to limit digital news bulletins to a maximum of 60 seconds a day across no more than three bulletins a day.

"Under these restrictions, our journalists would be able to tell our readers less than spectators at the events would be able to tell their friends," The Australian's editor-in-chief, Paul Whittaker, said.

Gold Coast 2018 chief executive Mark Peters has claimed the news access rules are consistent will recent major sporting events, where only the broadcast rights holder can broadcast video and audio content.

"Gold Coast 2018 has noted that the current advice from News Corporation suggests that they will not be seeking media accreditation for Gold Coast 2018 because of the news access rules," he said.

"The news access rules provide little restriction on media interviewing athletes, and no restrictions on writing stories and capturing still imagery.

"Full access to video and audio content is however limited to the broadcast rights holder, which in Australia is Channel Seven.

"This is in accordance with the obligations of the Host City Contract with the CGF where only those organisations that have purchased the commercial rights have the right to broadcast video and audio content of Gold Coast 2018.

"This is consistent with all recent Commonwealth Games as well as other major international sporting events.

"Gold Coast 2018 is bound by this contract that the CGF entered into with the Seven Network in 2014.

"The CGF and Gold Coast 2018 are continuing to identify opportunities for accredited media organisations to maximise their coverage by identifying a range of content opportunities, including the provision of enhanced event coverage and access to athletes and officials."

Gold Coast 2018 claim the news access rules for the Games, due to take place between April 4 and 15, apply to video and audio content generated within venues, but believe they provide little restriction on written and photographic coverage.

Organisers insist there is no restriction on video or audio content generated outside of venues.

In-venue rules do permit media organisations to use agreed amounts of video and audio content on their platforms.

The Gold Coast Bulletin, another publication owned by News Corporation, have revealed they are committed to providing coverage of the Games.

Their editor Ben English, however, claimed they would do so without the accreditation agreement.

"The contract that was laid out for News Corp would only serve to deny our readers the comprehensive coverage they've become accustomed to as we've evolved into a 24/7 multi-platform newspaper," he said on their website.

"The Gold Coast Bulletin is no longer simply a print product - we tell stories the way readers want to consume them; producing thousands of videos a year and delivering our stories as they happen.

"The Commonwealth Games accreditation contract sought to impose restrictions that would prevent us from doing our job the way our readers expect.

"We will cover the Games as comprehensively as ever without the straight jacket the Games authority sought to apply.

"We'll do it without the accreditation agreement."

CGF chief executive David Grevemberg has insisted they will continue to work with all media organisations to boost coverage for teh Games.

“As the media landscape continues to evolve, we remain committed to working with rights holding and non-rights holding broadcasters to maximise coverage of the Commonwealth Games and the wider Sport Movement,” Grevemberg said.

“It is crucial to recognise the importance of commercial arrangements that underwrite a significant amount of the Commonwealth Games budget which would otherwise have to be subsidised through the public purse.

“It is the CGF’s prerogative to balance the need to run the Games in a sustainable and responsible manner, along with the need to give fair consideration to the rights of all global news media worldwide.

“We fully believe that now is the time for all news media to seize the opportunity Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games provides to promote the power of our sport movement to people in the Gold Coast, Australia and worldwide.”

The news comes as the CGF prepare to hold their final Coordination Commission in Gold Coast before the Games, with the visit due to begin on Wednesday (December 6).