Sports free-for-all? Not any more!
Roar Guru By Ben Carter, 11 Apr 2011 Ben Carter is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Channel Ten, MLB, NBA, NBL, OneHD, sports broadcasting
OneHD – Channel Ten’s 24-hour digital sporting station – will bite the dust on May 7. It will be “relaunched” the following day as a “general entertainment” network between Monday and Friday, with sporting events confined to the weekend.
Or so said the Sydney Morning Herald on April 7. Lachie Murdoch, Ten Network boss, described OneHD as a ratings “dead end”, as if only three Australians were ever watching it at any one time.
It is a sad period for free-to-air sports fans in Australia. Just when we’re starting to reap the reward of extra digital arms from the main commercial networks and Ten is lauded for being innovative enough to stick their necks out for OneHD in the first place, it gets pulled. For a lack of ratings. Pah!
I’m a sports fan who loves the option of OneHD. I don’t have the time or inclination (due to lifestyle factors, work and parenting duties!) to sit there 24/7, but there have definitely been some great aspects of the network.
The National Basketball League’s revamped season has been a huge success with Steve Carfino and Andrew Gaze calling the shots at the microphone around the country, while those keen for an American sporting fix can get the Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association matches every week.
There are two guaranteed English Premier League games a week, along with the German and Italian leagues. Plus the international two-wheel and four-wheel motor racing calendars. And the netball. Brilliant! Why get rid of the stuff?
It’s a short-sighted decision based on dollar signs rather than devotion – as is often the case these days in the sporting world.
Murdoch’s exact words at the announcement were: “One was underperforming from a ratings point of view – rating below a single share point was simply unsustainable and unable to contribute to our earnings.” Says it all, really.
However, regardless of what the Ten executives might think, there are loads of people out there that do not have Foxtel and loved the fact that OneHD existed. I know I’m one of them.
RIP OneHD as we know it, sports fans. Gone too soon after just two years. You will be greatly missed, and fondly remembered.
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- Explore:
- Channel Ten, MLB, NBA, NBL, OneHD, sports broadcasting
April 11th 2011 @ 7:40am
Rabbitz said | April 11th 2011 @ 7:40am | Report comment
Well Ben, the people have spoken. They have shown almost zero interest so why would the network continue to tip more money into a failed project?
Devotion, you are taking the pi$$ right? Mate, it is a business and if there aren’t any couch potatoes sitting in front of the crystal bucket, then it doesn’t make money. If it doesn’t make money then it is bound to be axed.
Now one aspect that nobody has mentioned is “convenience”. Now I have Foxtel and the majority of FTA channels are rebroadcast as Foxtel channels, which means I watch FTA through the Foxtel STB. Because of the clash between Fox’s many sports channels and OneHD as a sport only channel it was not rebroadcast. Which meant that as I channel surfed I almost never gave it a thought, so I almost never watched it. I suspect a lot of Foxtel subscribers may have done the same.
April 11th 2011 @ 7:56am
mds1970 said | April 11th 2011 @ 7:56am | Report comment
I know what you mean. When i want to watch something on OneHD I have to unplug the Foxtel box and then plug the digital FTA box in; and afterwards change it back again. So unless it’s something I’m really keen to watch, I won’t bother.
April 11th 2011 @ 12:41pm
simonjzw said | April 11th 2011 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
What century are you living in mate?
Every new TV has a digital tuner and you can pick up One HD on that without unplugging your Foxtel Box. If you want to watch it via your set top box (which is handy if it has pvr functionality because you can pause and rewind just like Foxtel IQ) most modern TVs have 2 HDMI inputs. Or you can run both Foxtel and your set top box into an AV receiver to send either picture to your television at your choice (and you get the benefits of 5.1 sound when the broadcast caters to it)
Time to upgrade I’d say!
My advice
Flat screen TV with Digital Tuner (LCD if you watch mostly in a brightly lit room, Plasma if its a mostly darkened room) 106cm for a standard size room, 116cm for bigger than average room
Foxtel IQ (HD optional)
PVR Set Top Box (eg. Topfield)
AV Receiver
Quality speakers and sub woofer (5 speakers is preferable but most programs are broadcast in stereo so 2 good quality spekers will do the trick)
And start really enjoying your viewing experience
Here endeth the lesson….
April 11th 2011 @ 2:56pm
Redb said | April 11th 2011 @ 2:56pm | Report comment
Yeah it no biggie, just change the TV remote from HDMI to DTT assuming you have a digital antenna installed.
April 11th 2011 @ 7:57am
The Bush said | April 11th 2011 @ 7:57am | Report comment
Rabbitz,
Spot on, I have Fox (for sport), and so I don’t have OneHD (I’m pretty sure anyway), and consequently I have never watched it…
Furthermore, it doesn’t surprise me that the Channel has failed and is being rebranded. Correct me if I’m wrong, but did the it every attract a single major, mainstream Australian sport?
Netball and Basketball (Australian), are fine and good buys for the channel, but surely no one at OneHD thought they would be the kind of flagship sports that would carry the station?
Without any Cricket, Aussie Rules or Rugby League, surely it was always going to be an ask to bring in the average punter? I mean seriously, forgetting the sports-mad that post on this site, how many people really watch American Baseball and Basketball? How many people really watch obscure racing that isn’t ready on FTA?
Showing the Bundasliga and other European Football is great, but wouldn’t the majority of “true” football fans probably already have Foxtel for that purpose?
Besides the Channel is still showing sport all weekend long, or at least that is how I read the article… How many midweek sport can you really watch anyway! Plus if it is a major sporting event that would rate well, surely they’ll still show it midweek?
The Channel needs to secure the rights to something more mainstream to bring the punters in, or what’s the point?
April 11th 2011 @ 1:14pm
Danny_Mac said | April 11th 2011 @ 1:14pm | Report comment
There is so much about your post I agree with!
Anybody interested in this stuff should go out and read some books about super league, and the role that RL and AFL played in news limited’s decision to launch a rival. You need one of the Big Two football codes (Cricket at the time was untouchable, Packer was still alive) for market penetration, but it was the niche stuff that they could slaughter the commercials on.
I keep saying this on here, If you can get 50,000 subscribers for something you’d get a payrise, a corner office and a new benz. If it only gets 50,000 in the ratings, you’ll lose your job and never work in the industry again. It is this reason that niche sports, with generally passionate followers who are prepared to fork out to watch it, seem to do so well on STV. Football is probably the biggest of the niche sports in Aus, and the Premier League is king. OneHD has had day-old replays of Arsenal and Liverpool games, better than nothing, but along way behind what Fox offer.
I’ll let everybody in on a little secret.
FTA isn’t actually free (I wrote an article last year about this), you pay for it through advertising. If you consistantly fall below the critical mass (which everything other than the AFL, NRL and Cricket does), your game isn’t viable for FTA and they’ll stooge you. It is why you get rubbish coverage of the AFL outside of the Southern states and rubbish coverage of the NRL outside of the North-Eastern states, not enough people will watch it to pay for it. I’ve been warning A-League fans about this for a year, OneHD was viewed as the FTA saviour of the game, but the reality is that Ch10 are making a big push towards the NRL, and if they have broadcasting rights tot he AFL as well there will be no room for NBL, NBA, Netball, MLB, NASCAR… fortunately for them, F1 is on at all times of the night, but even then, those of us that remember the pre-OneHD era remember delayed F1 telecasts…
April 11th 2011 @ 8:04am
The_Wookie said | April 11th 2011 @ 8:04am | Report comment
really depends on their definition of prime sport content. some of the niche stuff is gone Im sure, but stuff like the NBL and Netball is under contract, so I wonder what happens there.
April 11th 2011 @ 12:29pm
Danny_Mac said | April 11th 2011 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
It will be under contract to the Ten Broadcasting, they can show it on whatever chanel they like i guess…
April 11th 2011 @ 9:56am
Whites said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:56am | Report comment
ONE HD is currently on channel 210 on cable FOXTEL.
Is ONE SD still on channel 531 on FOXTEL?
April 11th 2011 @ 9:58am
Redb said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:58am | Report comment
Whites,
iI cant get oneHD via Foxtel and I have the premium HD package?
April 11th 2011 @ 10:14am
Whites said | April 11th 2011 @ 10:14am | Report comment
It should be channel 210.
http://onehd.com.au/watch-one.htm
I now have AUSTAR not FOXTEL but I remember being able to watch ONE on FOXTEL in SD.
April 11th 2011 @ 12:49pm
Rabbitz said | April 11th 2011 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
I have a satellite feed and it isn’t being rebroadcast on that format.
April 11th 2011 @ 2:50pm
Redb said | April 11th 2011 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Same here, mine is satelite and no oneHD on Foxtel. Will check again tonight.
Whites, maybe Austar is different?
April 11th 2011 @ 5:52pm
angrywicket said | April 11th 2011 @ 5:52pm | Report comment
You can’t get One through satellite Foxtel. Only cable subscribers are able to get it.
There is only limited broadcast spectrum and that is why Foxtel satellite subscribers aren’t able to get all the FTA digital channels.
April 11th 2011 @ 10:23am
Ken said | April 11th 2011 @ 10:23am | Report comment
+1 to the foxtel predicament. I would hook up the set-top box on a Sunday night to watch the Formula One but OneHD otherwise didn’t come into my viewing calculations because I couldn’t browse it.
April 11th 2011 @ 5:21pm
Matt F said | April 11th 2011 @ 5:21pm | Report comment
i think OneHD is only available through foxtel to cable subscribers not satellite. something about foxtel and ch10 arguing over who pays the satelite cost.
whites, since ch10 launched ch11 a few months ago, and subsequently took One’s SD channel, One is no longer broadcast in SD so now not available on 531
April 11th 2011 @ 8:16am
Phil said | April 11th 2011 @ 8:16am | Report comment
One HD sports would be competition to pay television (FOX Sports) , that’s why the big boys moved in and killed it.
It didn’t get any ratings because it chose to ignore and deride rugby league from it’s inception( you know the representative majority of the country) , It’s not much fun for a Sydney sider being told how glorious and all encompassing AFL is….so myself and many others ignored it….
April 11th 2011 @ 8:27am
The_Wookie said | April 11th 2011 @ 8:27am | Report comment
OneHD didnt exist when the Rugby League deal was signed with nine and fox. Its not that it was ignored at all, it just couldnt get them. Further NSW and Qld may form 54% of the population, but it doesnt mean that all 54% support league, anymore than the AFL is representative of the other 46%.
April 11th 2011 @ 8:28am
Brett McKay said | April 11th 2011 @ 8:28am | Report comment
Phil, I’m not sure that not having the rights of a sport can be considered “ignoring” that sport – in fact, the addition of One Week At A Time, and The Gameplan this year suggests that OneHD is openly embracing rugby league DESPITE not having the rights…
That said, I tend to agree with your first point here. If it was anyone other that Lachlan Murdoch (and James Packer in the background) making these decisions, you’d probably accept the “business” part of the decision, but with those two involved, you have to wonder where the patch-protecting finishes and the business decision starts??
April 11th 2011 @ 8:53am
Phil said | April 11th 2011 @ 8:53am | Report comment
Guys,
Rugby League people weren’t put on this earth to hate AFL. But when programs like Sports tonight or whatever the sports news program was called, fall over themselves in lavish praise for AFL and water down any issues they have, and go out of their way to marginalize Rugby League except when there are off field incidents, then you know it ain’t much fun, So, as a result the hatred builds, not over night but it has happened, and looking at the dismal AFL TV ratings in QLD and NSW, the negative attitude towards the game by everyone I know, AFL’s attitude is reaping it’s just rewards.
April 11th 2011 @ 9:14am
Brett McKay said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:14am | Report comment
but again, Phil, it’s logical that they would promote the sports they have the rights for over those that they don’t. I know what you mean, and I get most amused that the lead sports story in Sydney is more often than not about AFL, but I understand why that is. Likewise, watch the Nine news and the AFL scores on a Sunday night are often now buried behind Super Rugby and even EPL.
All channels do it, some worse than others…
April 11th 2011 @ 4:44pm
JVGO said | April 11th 2011 @ 4:44pm | Report comment
April 11th 2011 @ 8:48am
Jay said | April 11th 2011 @ 8:48am | Report comment
The rights for sport are expensive and let’s face it, howany people want to watch NASCAR or the IPL??
Ten used to be the most profitable channel because it focused on the youth market with low cost imported (mostly from the US) shows.. They’ve moved away from that strategy and it hasn’t paid off. And it’s not just the sport – their revamped news will be downsized too with negus getting the flick.
Even though packer and Murdoch are involved, I’m happy to accept it was a business decision.
April 11th 2011 @ 8:51am
Mark Young said | April 11th 2011 @ 8:51am | Report comment
ONE HD was magnificent for Formula 1.
Although he cops some flack, I have found Greg Rust to be knowledgable, passionate and very good at his job, and with the addition of James Allen it has been looking even better.
I fear the worst now that the channel will not be Sport focused.
April 11th 2011 @ 9:36am
Redb said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Couldn’t agree more, cant beat F1 in high definition.
April 11th 2011 @ 9:21am
Crikey said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:21am | Report comment
One HD was unique in it’s free to air sport coverage, it was seen as a challenge to Murdoch’s Global PayTv channels. It’s all part of News Limited’s plan to get all sport on Pay TV and make you pay for the privilege of watching it, This is the only reason the Murdoch’s bought into ten!!!
April 11th 2011 @ 9:24am
Fivehole said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:24am | Report comment
Crappy news to start the week. I loved one HD, as i can’t afford foxtel. They made some weird decisions like showing bullriding in prime time, but i would always tape the stuff i liked like bundesliga highlights @ 4am. Don’t even mind if they have a few movies now and then. But axing altogether reeks
April 11th 2011 @ 9:33am
Meesta Cool said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Let’s face it AFL promotion is lots smarter than RL,, Yesterday I watched 2 RL games (on Foxtel) — at each break there were promos for AFL games shown .. great marketing, I have never seen Storm promoted during a Collingwood game….. Just smarter people running the game.
April 11th 2011 @ 9:43am
punter said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:43am | Report comment
This is beyond no doubt. The AFL have the best adminstrators in the land.
April 11th 2011 @ 9:45am
The_Wookie said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:45am | Report comment
its the contra side of the current deal. The AFL has been willing to lose 10s of millions in cash in return for free advertising on the networks.
April 11th 2011 @ 10:19am
Ken said | April 11th 2011 @ 10:19am | Report comment
The NRL also have had the unenviable position of attempting to negotiate with their part-owners – it’s not exactly a stable platform for getting what you want. No question that the AFL do it well though
April 11th 2011 @ 10:01am
Redb said | April 11th 2011 @ 10:01am | Report comment
The reverse happens on Foxtel, NRL games are advertised during AFL games and even talk shows.
Ch 9 advertise Storm games during the AFL footy show, not that it helps their attendances.
April 11th 2011 @ 1:43pm
M1tch said | April 11th 2011 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
Key word…Foxtel, they advertise super rugby, cricket during games too they want people watching fox sports..jebus people dont worry…NRL still dominating the pay tv ratings
April 11th 2011 @ 9:39am
Fool said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:39am | Report comment
Hah! Saw this coming. Murdoch and Packer moved on Ten to remove One HD to protect their Fox Sports which they own.
Not sure what sort of governments we have here in Australia that allows monopolies. Australia is an OLIGARCHY.
April 11th 2011 @ 9:40am
Geordie said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:40am | Report comment
Was not happy when they moved World Football News to late Tuesday night and watered it down to a half hour news highlights package instead of an hour panel discussion with highlights. Guess it was a sign of things to come.
April 11th 2011 @ 9:41am
Birkish Delight said | April 11th 2011 @ 9:41am | Report comment
I think that One was initially launched too early for their own good. They should have delayed the start by 2 -3 years to allow them to be a part of the new AFL, NRL, A-League etc TV deals that are all being done now or next year. Sure they got the NBL and Netball, but as has been said these arn’t big enough to pull in the ratings.
I think part of the down fall for One was they they broadcast the AFL on both Ten and One at the same time (this may have been due to a contractual deal with the AFL that said it had to be shown on Ten, not sure though). They should have put the AFL only on One and kept Ten free for other programming.
April 11th 2011 @ 5:04pm
jamesb said | April 11th 2011 @ 5:04pm | Report comment
I agree. I think one hd should had launched its station earlier this year at the same time as Eleven. But hey it seems to me in Australia these days, if you want to watch sport, you have to pay for it…………at a price which many families can’t afford.
Its also a move with which Murdoch and Packer want to protect fox sports as well