How Rebecca Maddern's hot mic rant may have been leaked to the media

Basil Zempilas has revealed how the footage of Channel Seven's Rebecca Maddern calling Novak Djokovic 'a lying, sneaky, a***hole' was leaked.

The media personality spoke with his co-host Xavier Ellis about the incident on his Triple M radio show on Wednesday and shared his theory that the footage had to have been intentionally leaked.

In the shocking footage, Maddern discussed Djokovic with her co-presenter Mike Amor following the tennis pro's controversial entry into Australia to play in this month's Australian Open and the subsequent debacle that followed.

'What I can tell you is that whatever happens at the news desk, that feed is available, whether it should be or not,' Basil told Xavier upon analysing the leak.   

'That feed is available to whichever relays might be taking it,' he continued. 

The commentator then gave different example of how different stations can receive feeds during a transference of news bulletins and footage. 

'Those little stations, they might be able to record it, or the central hub, which feeds all those things out - somebody there might've recorded it.' 

Basil proceeds to dismiss theories circulating that the footage was a publicity stunt after reading out separate statements from Seven News Director Craig McPherson and Seven's Head of Sport Lewis Martin. 

In their statements, both McPherson and Martin have treated the incident with complete seriousness and stressed that the recording of the footage was 'illegal'. 

McPherson added that the leak was an 'underhanded, cowardly act' that was 'in breach of the Victorian Listening Devices legislation'.