I’m getting to the point where I don’t understand Channel Nine’s raison d’être (that’s French for ‘reason for existence’, in case any of Nine’s execs are reading).
I certainly can’t understand why it chose to spend money on getting the rights to broadcast the Rugby Championship, as they seem to be lurching from one PR disaster to another.
This weekend saw Argentina play its first Championship match in Australia, and the Gold Coast host its first ever Rugby Test.
With the Wallabies failing to convince in previous games, and the Pumas impressing in their first three, I was looking forward to seeing two potentially evenly matched teams, albeit with differing styles of play, go head-to-head.
Now, I’m one of those types who can’t afford Foxtel, but am usually quite happy to settle down with my laptop and a live feed when there is a big game in the offing.
This night, though, I’d already promised my young son that we’d watch the evening’s episode of Doctor Who together instead; this was a given, it was called ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’.
My boy couldn’t have been more excited about this if they’d introduced Jedi Knights and Lego into the plot too.
So I resigned myself to missing a live feed, avoiding the pub, and turning a blind eye to sports bulletins and online news feeds so as to not see the final score.
It was to be Channel Nine’s delayed telecast for me.
Being in Melbourne, this meant having to wait until both Charlotte’s Web and Nicolas Cage’s 14-year-old film City of Angels had finished first.
We’re clearly an eclectic lot, us Melburnians; where else would an unnecessary remake of a Wim Wenders movie be considered a bigger ratings draw than an international match? Nowhere, that’s where.
Unperturbed I found myself settled in my favourite armchair, drink in hand, waiting for the Rugby coverage to start at midnight. And what did I get: The opening credits, ‘Nine’s Wide World of Sports!’ and straight to the whistle and kick-off.
No preamble, no build-up, no player details, and probably most offensively, no national anthems. We weren’t even told which teams were playing.
If someone with no knowledge of the sport had tuned in, maybe after enjoying Cage’s portrayal as a fallen angel so much they decided to stick with Nine, the only clue to what they were watching would have come from the bold ‘Rugby Championship’ lettering on the pitch.
The game went on. Despite my grievances, and being unable to look up team selections online for fear of seeing the score, I found myself enjoying the match as Argentina proved more than a match for the Wallabies.
Naturally, there were ad breaks at inappropriate times, this I expected. Nine have bills to pay, and it seems to be the norm for Rugby coverage on a commercial network. And so, as half-time came Nine cut to another ad break – again, this was expected.
However, after only a few ads for Tom Waterhouse and other assorted services and products Nine returned to the match, and straight to a brief chat with Robbie Deans. A really brief chat, less than 30 seconds I would have thought. Then the game re-started. Again, no analysis, no review, and no highlights of the first half.
If that crowd of Cage fans were still watching they’d be thinking that Rugby players are a hardy bunch, only needing two or three minutes downtime before they’re at it again.
The final indignation came as Nine’s own commentary was cut off after the end of the game in order to show a interview with country singer Adam Brand (no, I’ve no idea who he is either). Obviously this was a higher priority to Nine’s execs than the final wrap-up of this historic match.
All in all, I felt cheated once again by Nine, they clearly have no interest in showing any rugby into Melbourne at a reasonable hour, and the lack of respect shown to the sport, their own commentators, and the two participating nations is astounding, even more so when we consider that one of those nations is Australia.
It all seemed as though this match was an inconvenience, and they’d rather be broadcasting anything else: a Cage film and an interview with a musician. Either of these could have been bumped in order to show this match nearer to kick-off time, or to have included anthems and pre-match analysis, and not rush the coverage to get it off their network as soon as humanly possible.
With Nine alienating the rugby-loving part of their audience again, and driving away any potential new rugby fans in Melbourne, I wonder how long will the ARU will stand for it?
I was watching in Melbourne, remember, where Australia’s newest Super Rugby team reside. With the ARU turning a blind eye to Nine’s mishandling of their sport, in what should be a growing market, they could potentially undo a fair amount of the work that the Rebels have done to promote the sport.
And with Melbourne having a large, and quite visible Argentinian population, as anyone who has ever attended the Johnston St Fiesta in Fitzroy can attest to, what damage has been done to the Rebels’ chances of gaining extra fans from the South American community?
I’d be interested to hear how Nine broadcast the match elsewhere in Australia from other Roarers. Was it live in your state? On Gem? Or was the delay and heavy editing at the expense of a Cage film (one that didn’t even have him as part of a crime-fighting father and daughter duo!), and an interview with a musician the norm throughout the land?
Tony
Guest
Resurrecting this chestnut. First JON goes. Now news that Channel Nein may be headed into receivership as early as today (http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/channel-nines-debt-woes-threaten-tv-stars-and-hit-shows/story-e6frfmyi-1226496589308). Could this herald a new era for Union?
Bakkies
Guest
and your world is black and white. I don't know why I bother engaging with you. You come across as a pompous git.
Mike
Guest
Bakkies the article above is about telecasts of tests. Virtually all of the comments have also been about tests, which is logical, and so was my comment. You have tried to argue that this shouldn't happen because S15 is tied up with Pay TV, which is inherently illogical. You also appear to be under the impression that you are the only person on this blog that knows the contractual situation of S15. Perhaps think before posting next time. And yes, I have read all of the thread. "The pay tv networks not FTA subsidise professional Rugby in the SH so they get to call the shots." In the context of this thread about telecasts of test rugby, this is incorrect and based on incorrect premises. "Unlike Australia, SA and NZ don’t have live FTA coverage of test matches" Thank you for the irrelevant statement. "SBS is just a theory they have to be approached or show an interest in televising live Rugby" Thank you for a statement of the blindingly obvious; not a single person on this thread has suggested otherwise. "You can’t just force them to televise it." And in other breaking news, the sky is blue.
TC
Guest
You've seen interviews with Andrew Demetriou decrying other sports as inferior products? I call BS on that one. TC
Bakkies
Guest
''Spot on, Vic. We tie our broadcast fortunes to Pay TV, in a country with one of the lowest Pay TV penetration rates in the civilised world – not good strategy. There are people out there who will like Rugby but never see it – the best chance of exposing them to it is to have games running regularly on FTA TV.'' Mike you made this comment so I am responding to it. Super Rugby is well Rugby so I am responding to your general remark about having games regularly on pay tv and is completely relevant to the thread. Australians are demanding regular exposure to the game not just the Wallabies. There is more to Rugby than just test matches. FTA need more than just 8 test matches at a decent hour to show any real monetary interest in Rugby. That's where Super Rugby comes in and due to Foxsports contract (which is fair because they pump the money in) they can't show it live. I suggest you read the whole thread and not just your posts. I have responded to plenty of comments made by other posters. The truth of the matter is that there aren't many FTA networks in Australia that are truly interested in televising ''live'' Rugby. The pay tv networks not FTA subsidise professional Rugby in the SH so they get to call the shots. Unlike Australia, SA and NZ don't have live FTA coverage of test matches. SBS is just a theory they have to be approached or show an interest in televising live Rugby. You can't just force them to televise it.
Mike
Guest
Could you also please keep on topic? The article is about telecasting test matches, yet for some reason you keep making irrelevant comments about S15.
Mike
Guest
Bakkies, mate, stop trying to shift the goalposts. You wrote as though Nine is all of FTA, yet the whole point of this thread is about looking at FTA alternatives to Nine. Several people have already written on this thread that SBS is an option. If you think we are wasting our time, then how about you respond to some of the posts of others below? We are not wasting our time, but you are wasting your time with your blind refusal to consider any other option but Foxsports.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
Regardless of whether you want to see the anthems or not (I do, you don't, so let's agree to disagree), I think that skipping over team line-ups is pretty poor too. Did you not want to see who was playing where prior to kick-off?
Bakkies
Guest
I remember as a youngster having to watch Ch 7's Sportsworld on a Saturday morning (it was a good program by the way) to get overnight results and good sports discussion. Super 12 highlights used to come on afterwards.
Bakkies
Guest
Mike I suggest you look at the articles relating to the contracts with Foxsports. FTA can't show live Super Rugby. That means no network so you are wasting your time writing comments about looking to free to air. There aren't enough games at suitable times that would keep FTA interested to pay more money and there is no guarantee that they would show them live. If Foxsports didn't have that in their contract they wouldn't offer as much money. The FTA networks have the options of having the rights to televise it on a two hour delay but no one is interested. Ch 7 had those rights in '96 and dropped it after a few seasons. The Ch 7 commentators Poidevin, Bray and co used to do the commentary which featured on Foxsports but they were dropped for Clarke, Kearns and Martin. I and others have mentioned several times below about SBS being an option for broadcasting matches. ''No, its not “FTA” that is putting it on delay at late hours, it is Nine. Nine and FTA are not the same thing. '' Ch 7 did exactly the same thing. If they had the NRL rights at the time that had Rugby they would do exactly the same thing as Ch 9 are doing now. At least Ch 10 did the right thing by not buying the Rugby rights when they had Saturday night AFL. That would have been a disaster for Rugby fans. Last time I read Ch 9 are a FTA network. 9 and 7 are as bad as each other. ABC can't afford club Rugby let alone pro test and super rugby. The options are limited in the Australian tv market.
Mike
Guest
I should add, my comments in the preceding post are talking about moving forward - I don't deny that the original deals with Foxsports brought much needed capital into the code, and this has been at least partly well-used so that we now have five professional teams in an excellent international comp. But I am saying that I don't think that means that the ARU must stick with Pay TV as its only option moving forward, and I agree with others on this thread who think we should be looking seriously at FTA, other than Nine (in which we have been dumped by Foxsports).
Mark
Guest
Okay, I didn't want to say it, but you made me. Fuck the anthems! I know they're proud of their countries, but if the game is not kicking of until midnight, let's start the game as quick as possible. I don't want the game to be finishing at 3am, because channel 9 had to have the pre game talk, the anthems, the half time talk and the ad breaks in the middle. Channel 10 made that mistake with the NBL's coverage on ONE.
Vicki
Guest
Mate I have been campaigning for this to be fixed since 2011 world cup debacle. Firstly though, all of Australia is suffering with this coverage, there is also no such thing as a rugby state, we all have the right to watch our national team live, even in Perth, I have written two letters to misinter Conroy the first was regarding the Scotland game, nine did not apply to show it on there 2nd channel as I believe is the case with the championships, still waiting for a letter of reply, happy to forward the first letter if you like. The wallabies spring your is considered tier a, unfortunatly they are not required by law to play live, this law is in parliament to be changed, that being said the fact that they bought the rights means they should use the rights and give the game the respect it deserves. On thier Facebook page they have stopped people commenting due to all the bad coverage, WWOS have blocked me from campaigning. All I can suggest is everyone complains to Minister Conroy'
Bakkies
Guest
The Paris based FIRA is running the competitions such as the European Nations Cup and has done more for development of the game in tier European tier 2 and 3 countries then the English speaking nations. Players from NI represent the Dublin based IRFU and it's an all Ireland team. I doubt the Scots and Welsh would appreciate being lumped in as anglos.
Mike
Guest
No, its not "FTA" that is putting it on delay at late hours, it is Nine. Nine and FTA are not the same thing. "The more exclusive rights Foxsports has the more they will pay out to keep the game afloat in Australa." - Of course media will pay more for exclusive rights as a general principle. But that doesn't mean that it is overall the best deal that can be made. That is particularly so when Pay TV has a very low audience in Australia. You haven't stated a single reason why the ARU shouldn't explore a deal with e.g. SBS for some games. Anyone who sees Foxsports as some sort of altruistic benefactor for the game is naive. "FTA have the option of televising Super Rugby matches on delay but they aren’t interested." That is just too broad a statement to mean anything. Commercial negotiations require a broad approach in which every relevant factor is taken into account.
Bakkies
Guest
FTA putting it on delay at late hours for families is almost as bad as not showing it. FTA isn't offering hundreds of millions to bankroll Rugby so that's why it is on pay tv. The more exclusive rights Foxsports has the more they will pay out to keep the game afloat in Australa. FTA have the option of televising Super Rugby matches on delay but they aren't interested.
Mike
Guest
Okay Col, I can understand that. Hopefully things will improve.
clipper
Guest
Still, the majority of the big Rugby sides - NZ, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia, SA would have some Anglo heritage, but agree that it is moving away from that area and is far more diverse as time goes by. One small point - Ireland includes Northern Ireland of which the majority wouldn't despise the Anglos.
Col Quinn
Guest
MIke, I watch a fair bit of Shute Shield at the ground. I also watch some Currie cup and other RU stuff on Fox. I just cant stand Test RU. Col
Mike
Guest
There is nothing to explain Col, just your opinions, and hey, everyone's got one. You don't like rugby and think it is the worst game on the planet which nobody wants to watch (except everywhere else in the world but Australia). Okay, understood.