Nine chipping away at fans

[GAFFA]

AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union powerbrokers will hold urgent discussions with Channel Nine over their decision to not screen the Bledisloe Cup live in major rugby-playing cities last weekend - and again tomorrow night.
Nine took a worrying page from the book of their free-to-air predeccesors Seven last Saturday when they only played the Wallabies-All Blacks clash live in Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin.

Much to the disgust of rugby fans elsewhere, Nine scheduled the Karate Kid instead in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide and delayed the rugby until 10.30pm in South Australia and Western Australia.

Melburnians even had to wait for a repeat of Underbelly: Badness before they got the game at 11.30pm.

Unsurprisingly, the delayed screeings dented the free-to-air national ratings significantly, with only 56,000 of a total 396,000 people coming from the three states.

Irate fans took to social media to complain and the ARU responded on Twitter by saying it too was disappointed.

High-level talks will be held over the issue, given the Bledisloe Cup is the jewel in the ARU crown and Victoria and WA are both home to Super Rugby teams and burgeoning supporter bases. Nine have the free-to-air rights until 2015.

Under anti-siphoning laws, Nine is obliged to show the game on its main channel but it now has the ability to apply for exemptions and move to it to digital channel Gem. With many of the network's heavy hitters tied up with the Olympics, it is understood Nine did not leave enough time to apply to the government for a Bledisloe Cup exemption to be processed.

The insult was compounded by the fact it wasn't even original Karate Kid with Ralph Machio, Mr Miyage and the Cobra Kai. It was the Will Smith's kid re-make.

But brace yourself and get in the crane kick pose, because it gets worse. Tomorrow night the Bledisloe Cup will be played at 5.30pm (AEST) but in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, Nine will screen the news, Funniest Home Videos and the Alvin and the Chipmunks instead. The Bledisloe Cup will again be delayed until 10.30pm and 11.30pm.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/rug...-1226457028855

[.X.]

you just gotta love those Anti-Syphoning Laws and how they protect us from those mean and nasty PayTV operators.

[Happy]

i just don't understand their thinking when they do this - seven is just as bad!

They don't think they will get enough viewers if they show it live, so they put on a movie that even LESS people will watch, and still expect MORE viewers at 10.30pm ???

Sense, it makes none!

[.X.]

Its like when we had that email battle with the Programming Manager of 7 Perth

WA is an AFL state. (apparently)

Any Rugby or for that matter Mungo supporter with half a brain would be signed up to Foxtel anyway.

And with the new League broadcast rights deal done and dusted it would appear that Mungo expansion to Perth is dead in the water. (whats the point of going to Perth if they aren't going to get any extra dollars for it.

[Muddly]

Gem 3:30pm Live. Finally!

[shasta]

Gem 3:30pm Live. Finally!

It will be interesting to see how the ratings differ from last week. I noticed that it is at least in the epg this time. In the past there have been last minute switches without notice.
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[beige]

Gem 3:30pm Live. Finally!

Where did you read that?

[Muddly]

Rang them after be on there case all week beige.

[beige]

Rang them after be on there case all week beige.

Sweet.

[Flying 14]

It's a bloody disgrace that 9 can get away with this sort of crap! Not that long ago all Wallabies games were live and just about everyone I knew (rugby fan or not) would watch it. Are they protecting their other broadcast deals?

[Ralto]

Alvin and the Chipmunks instead.

The original and the best.

[hertryk]

It sucks thank goodness for FoxTel! PLONKERS!

[shasta]

.... Are they protecting their other broadcast deals?

I'm not sure how you came to that question. What could they protect by this? Actually I can't see any sensible reason why they would do this. Surely a Bledisloe Test would out-rate a re-run of Kelly's Heros under any cirmstances. Ratings = advertising revenue. Isn't that the point of their business.
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[blueandblack]

Gem 3:30pm Live. Finally!

Did you say you were in Perth? Currently still listed (even with IceTV) at 11:30pm.

[shasta]

Did you say you were in Perth? Currently still listed (even with IceTV) at 11:30pm.

I've just checked the epg again after reading your post, BnB. It's listed @ 15:30 live on GEM.
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