No winners as NRL, cricket clash catches out Channel 9

[Quidgybo]

No winners as NRL, cricket clash catches out Channel 9

Michael Chammas
February 7, 2012

CRICKET AUSTRALIA and the NRL are set to go to war over Friday night prime time on March 2.

Channel Nine is yet to decide whether to broadcast the round one NRL match between the Eels and the Broncos at Parramatta Stadium or the one-day cricket international between Australia and Sri Lanka at the MCG on its main digital channel in NSW and Queensland.

Both Cricket Australia and the NRL expect their matches to be shown live on the main channel, leaving the network with a huge decision as it prepares to upset one of its big ratings winners.

Nine's director of sport, Steve Crawley, said it was undecided which sport would be relegated to the secondary channel, GEM.

''There's a few things we're trying to work out,'' Crawley said. ''We're in no real rush.''

The scheduling clash will cause tension between Nine and one of the two sporting bodies, and it will rob thousands of NSW and Queensland viewers of their sport of choice because their analog televisions will be unable to pick up the GEM broadcast.

The NRL's decision to start its lengthened season a week earlier than usual, as well as the reintroduction of cricket's one-day tri-series, has brought about the unprecedented clash.

NRL football operations director Nathan McGuirk said he was confident the Parramatta-Brisbane match would be shown live on Nine in NSW and Queensland.

''We've had discussions with Channel Nine on this issue, and we understand they still have some scheduling issues which they still have to finalise,'' McGuirk said. ''But we're confident it won't be affecting the live broadcast of our match.

''Channel Nine haven't indicated to us that [a switch to GEM] is going to occur. At this stage, we're confident that the live broadcast of our Friday night match between Parramatta and Brisbane will be unaffected in Sydney and Brisbane.''
CA is also confident it won't cop the raw end of the deal.

''Channel Nine haven't given us any advice of any departure from their previous tradition with the Australian team and 50-over games,'' CA spokesman Peter Young said. ''There is a particular and unique chemistry between Channel Nine and Cricket Australia that goes back the best part of 30 years. I don't know what the contract says but … I'm imagining it would oblige them to provide us with a national telecast.''

The clash between Australia and Sri Lanka, the last game of the tri-series before the finals, is a day-nighter that will be aired on the main channel at least until 7.30pm.

Regardless of whether it is moved to GEM when the league kicks off, the cricket will remain on Nine's main channel in every state except NSW and Queensland.

The third final of the tri-series - if needed - is scheduled for Thursday, March 8, at Adelaide Oval, giving Channel Nine another dilemma on what channel to air The Footy Show, which could start at a pivotal moment in the last hour of the final.

The NRL has already made a number of agreements with Channel Nine to avoid any further clashes with the cricket.
It announced a stand-alone Thursday night season-opener between Wayne Bennett's Newcastle Knights and his former club St George Illawarra, scheduling the season's first episode of The Footy Show after the match.

And to avoid a clash with the first one-day final at the Gabba on Sunday, March 4, it has moved away from its regular 4pm delayed telecast and instead will broadcast the match between Manly and the Warriors at Eden Park live at noon, just in time for the cricket to start.

NRL boss David Gallop last week played down claims that the hype surrounding the start of the NRL season would be lost because of a clash with cricket's one-day series.

''Talking to people over the summer, people can't wait for the rugby league to start,'' he said. ''I think the Thursday night game between the Dragons and the Knights is going to be a great way to start the season.''

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ash-catches-out-channel-9-20120206-1r1xt.html

The NRL should be using situations like this as leverage for the next TV deal. By that I mean we should be demanding something we want in return for agreeing to go on GEM for one night. I think the NRL should actually go along with this and say fine, we'll take the hit and go on GEM for that one night. It'll probably go close to being the highest rating show ever on GEM and it'll improve overall ratings for the channel with all the new digital boxes sold to fans who want to see the game but still haven't gone digital.

In return we should demand they show all NRL matches covered by Nine in the first four rounds on GEM in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth at the same time the matches are shown in Sydney. And they must promote all those games with the same level of advertising on their main channel as they show in Sydney. Let's use this opportunity to force Nine to give the game a full court press in the minor states (even in direct opposition to some AFL rounds) and once and for all prove there's an audience there ahead of the new TV deal.

Leigh.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...budge-in-scheduling-drama-20120207-1r5i4.html

NRL won't budge in scheduling drama
Michael Chammas
February 8, 2012

CHANNEL NINE is considering showing a delayed telecast of the one-day international between Australia and Sri Lanka on March 2 due to the scheduling clash with round one of the NRL.

The Herald understands the network is discussing a plan to show both the day-night match at the MCG and the Parramatta-Brisbane league match at Parramatta Stadium on its main digital channel, keen to avoid moving one of the games to its secondary digital channel, GEM, for NSW and Queensland viewers.

The possible reshuffle in the scheduling structure has been floated as a way of ensuring analogue television viewers aren't isolated by not being able to access GEM, but also to appease those who are interested in watching both games on a mammoth night of sport.

It is believed Channel Nine would like to bring the NRL match - usually scheduled for 7.45pm with coverage commencing at 7.30pm - forward by up to an hour to prevent the delayed broadcast of the second innings of the cricket going into the early hours of Saturday morning. But the NRL is refusing to budge, adamant the Eels-Broncos game will go ahead as originally planned, leaving Channel Nine with a programming dilemma.

While little can happen to change the significance of the NRL match on the opening round of the season, it is unknown how important the Australia-Sri Lanka match will be in the context of the series.

The game on March 2 is the last match of the tri-series before the finals and the result of the match may well be insignificant to the tournament, but the prime time Friday night slot could also be the session that determines Australia's fortunes.

No formal decisions have been made since the Herald yesterday revealed the scheduling clash that has left Channel Nine torn between its allegiances, and Cricket Australia doesn't expect a compromise to be met until a week out from the match.

CA spokesman Peter Young said they were dedicated to providing fans with live coverage of the cricket to the largest possible number of viewers, backing Channel Nine to continue its delivery of live cricket.

''It's live on the internet and its live on ABC radio,'' Young said. ''I can't recall a time when it's been delayed [on TV]. Our objective is to deliver live content to the public because that's what the public tell

us they want. What I do know is that Channel Nine has always regarded cricket as blockbuster television which delivers them a mammoth audience and we're confident we will do so on March 2.''

Fans have had their say on smh.com.au with 59 per cent of online readers voting in favour of rugby league gaining precedence over the cricket.

Parramatta chairman Roy Spagnolo threw his support behind the NRL to ensure a live telecast of the opening round match, but predicted a sell-out if the match wasn't to be shown live.

''From the perspective of the club, there is a little bit of excitement around the start of the season for us,'' Spagnolo said. ''I guess [a delayed telecast] would help to make sure people come to the game because we hope the first game is a sell-out, especially with the Broncos there. But in saying that it would be a little bit disappointing for our fans who can't come to the game.''

Channel Nine isn't the only media organisation affected by the clash, with ABC radio already making changes to their schedule.

ABC Grandstand manager Craig Norenbergs told the Herald it would broadcast the rugby league live, but would cross back to the cricket during half time and immediately after full time. ABC is also considering running continuous coverage of the cricket on its digital station.

 

[carlosthedwarf]

Amazing how ABC gets it and Nine is still living in the past thinking it can delay sport in 2012.

 

[El Diablo]

don't do 9 any favours as they treat the game like shit

 

[Snappy]

Does anyone actually still have an analogue TV anyways ? or not even a set top box which you can buy for 30 bucks (or get for free from the gov if ur old)

So really, who cares ?

 

[Patorick]

Just let ABCTV show the cricket.

FFS.

 

[Charlie124]

I stopped reading once it became clear that both sports will still be shown, just a matter of changing the channel if i have to. Bloody hell, who cares?

 

[Card Shark]

Apparently 90% of households have digital.

With it on Gem, it's HD so it would be better anyway.

With the cricket, I reckon most people will have had a gutful of India & Sri Lanka's incompetence by then, so they would much rather league.

 

[skeepe]

f**k those dinosaurs with analogue sets.

 

[juro]

Considering analogue gets turned off in 2013, something like this would help in getting those last lazy buggers to switch over...

 

[Brutus]

I still think the sport that is put on the digital channel will suffer ratings-wise.

A lot of people's TV's are still rusted onto the main channels. The casual observer might tend to stick with whatever's on the main channel.

Personally, as long as they're both being shown, I'm happy.

 

[[FKN-SIK]]

If the NRL ends up being put on Gem (which doesn't bother me as it's HD), they better run a shitload of ads on Channel 9 advertising the fact that it will be on Gem (same goes for the cricket if it is on Gem).

If it does go on Gem then they should show a replay after the cricket for the few dinosaurs living in the past

 

[El Diablo]

I still think the sport that is put on the digital channel will suffer ratings-wise.

A lot of people's TV's are still rusted onto the main channels. The casual observer might tend to stick with whatever's on the main channel.

Personally, as long as they're both being shown, I'm happy.

when Ten aired AFL games on it's main channel and One HD the ratings for the main channel were always a lot higher so there must be a few who can't get all channels

 

[El Diablo]

when Ten aired AFL games on it's main channel and One HD the ratings for the main channel were always a lot higher so there must be a few who can't get all channels

eg from last year

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/06/week-25-4.html

27 Monday Afternoon AFL Ten 560,000 58,000 309,000 55,000 82,000 56,000
Monday Afternoon AFL One 169,000 17,000 87,000 28,000 26,000 12,000

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/06/week-25-4.html

14 Saturday Night AFL Ten 466,000 *** 258,000 49,000 79,000 79,000
Saturday Night AFL One 160,000 *** 78,000 25,000 31,000 26,000

 

[Armageddon.]

They'll probably end up showing Mcleouds Daughters or re-runs of A current Affair

 

[M2D2]

One is in HD so that causes problems for some tvs obviously
Im in melbourne on that day due to soundwave. So i wont be able to watch the game anyways. :lol:

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

don't do 9 any favours as they treat the game like shit

They treat both like shit but love VFL :?

 

[Canard]

OneHD is also broadcast in SD though is it not?

The most logical one for the switch to GEM is the cricket as the viewers on 9 can be made aware of the switch by the commentators just prior (like the currently do now for Perth Tests at news time etc.)

 

[M2D2]

OneHD is also broadcast in SD though is it not?

No and neither is GEM.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Surely Nein can run a scrolling banner on 9 saying whichever game it is has been broadcast on Gem :?