Foxtel Coverage: Finals Week 1

[NZ Storm]

Just got the Sept Foxtel Magazine in the mail.

The earliest the games are going to be on is:
QF1 - 11.00pm Friday (3 1/2 hr delay)
QF2 - 6.00am Sunday (11 1/2 hr delay)
QF3 - 7.30am Sunday (12 hr delay)
QF4 - 7.30pm Sunday (4 1/2 hr delay)

I can live with Friday & Sunday's games, just, but the Saturday games not being to on until Sunday is bullsh*t!

No doubt Channel Nein's times will be even worse than these.

[Surandy]

NZ Storm, if previous years are any indication Nein will show the Saturday games around about 2:30am and 4:30am early Sunday morning.

[simo]

That's a friggin joke.
What dickheads!

[Stormwarning[c]]

Remember, Nine have the rights to all the finals and went to the NRL to show them live, the only problem was that it was only to show them live in Sydney.

Another stuff up due to Ken Arthursons signing of the worst broadcast rights in the history of sport.

Thank god we are only two seasons away for a new contract

[clock off]

Exactly Stormwarning, whoever in the NRL was responsible for TV rights ought to be shot. The NRL give lip service to growing the game in Victoria, yet when it comes to finals we've got no free to air coverage, no pay TV coverage , and no radio. Showing a game 11 hours after it is played is no coverage at all for mine.

Channel 9 will do whatever they like under the terms of the contract.

Who in the NRL is responsible for this stupidity?

More importantly, what is being done to fix it up?

[Stormwarning[c]]

Clock off, the person responsible was (not is) Ken Arthurson (back in the early 90's) when he was chairman of the ARL sign Rugby Leagues sole in a 15 year agreement with Nine.

Unfortunetly the NRL copped the agreement with merging from the 'War'.

A campaign is in the process of being organised to get all supporters and club around Australia to show their voice about this issue as the NRL get closer to the new agreements (Pay Tv rights 06 and Free to Air 07).

A number of people aren't happy in the NRL over the current agreement but until they run out there is not a lot they can do.

[clock off]

Let's hope that the NRL remember that they are administering a NATIONAL game when they are thinking television rights.

The more immediate problem is that Storm look like contesting the finals this year & no decent coverage has been arranged. Last year, Channel 9 ended up broadcasting the Bulldogs-Storm final (fiasco) live in Melbourne. If Channel 9 can't put Storm finals on at a decent time in Victoria, the NRL should at least ask them to allow pay TV to put them on for the benefit of Melbourne supporters.

While nothing may be done about the current agreement, I'm sure that someone in the NRL can use a bit of tactful persuasion to make the Ch 9 programmers see sense. After all, 2006 isnt that far away. Channel 9 might need reminding.

[simo]

Who else is really going to challenge for the rights though?
I doubt seven will, they want the Afl back, Ten no chance, abc they wont.
Maybe Fox sports will get the lot and 9 wont show any, Gould, Fatty and Sterlo will all be out of work then.

[Buzz]

The AFL broadcast rights will be renegotiated and completed by the beginning of 2006. Here's my hopes:

* Channel Nein / Ten / Foxtel keep the AFL rights. Channel Seven focusses all their effort on NRL

* Channel Seven wins the AFL rights back (entirely likely considering AFL is annoyed with Nein's delayed broadcasts into northern states - sound familiar?). Nein decides they should stick with what they have and can sell into Victoria - NRL. Eddie to move to Seven

* Channel Seven wins AFL, Nein lose NRL, and Ten becomes national broadcaster for the NRL.

I'd prefer option 3 over 2.

[Surandy]

From what I've seen of sports coverage by Ch 7 I really hope they get the AFL rights. Just look at what they did with the soccer and rugby union. Not to mention the Olympics. Personally I've spent more time watching the Olympics on SBS.

Buzz, I really agree with you, 3rd option is by far the best one.

[Hells Bells]

I've heard that 7 have the last right of refusal for the next 99 years and that they sent not even a 10% of their more crew to cover the Olympics as they are saving every cent to get the AFL rights back.

Also, it seems that the lease of broacast equipment at the Dome (owned by Channel 7) will sky rocket IF 7 don't get the rights to the AFL making it very expensive for anyone that does get the rights.

I would love to see a deal where Nine have the NRL rights, but Foxsports and the ABC able to show the games if Nine wont show it in the other states at the some time in NSW and Qld.

[Thunderstruck]

I read somewhere that the calls on many olympics events were done from channel 7's melbourne sudios.

[OzHEDude]

Will games be shown live at ALL STAR CAFE???

[Buzz]

Probably. I'm trying to find out if places that have Imparja (or whatever that satellite network is out of Darwin) will be showing it. Places like the Mt Erica Hotel who normally show the State of Origin live.

Unfortunately, CNein decided at the very last moment to rain on our parades for SoOIII and turned off the feed from Darwin. Bah Humbug!

As for Seven's Olympic coverage - it seems most of the studio work was done from here, with crosses to live broadcasting for the major events (e.g swimming and athletics). Hence we heard from Maceveny but didn't see him. And also why there was such a delay between "Studio" and "Media Centre" - the media centre was actually in Greece!

[OzHEDude]

Buzz.....there is a place in Newport (Seagulls) that has that channel.....they play the AFL live from it........not much chance of the NRL, but i'll go up there tomorrow......around the time the major tab races are on.