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westdog54
29-10-2008, 02:32 AM
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/10/27/1224955949631.html



Caroline Wilson
October 28, 2008

A 24-HOUR sports channel to be launched next year on free-to-air television will revolutionise the Australian broadcasting landscape.

The Ten Network is set to next month lay down the gauntlet to Fox Sports and its free-to-air rivals when it unveils that its high-definition channel will televise Australian and international sport 24 hours a day.

While Ten executives remained tight-lipped last night, it is believed their subtle but systematic campaign of buying major sporting events continued last week in Monaco at Sportel — the international trade show of sporting rights.

Not only has Ten just outbid Nine to win the television rights to Australian swimming, but among the network's new trump cards are the US NBA basketball, the US Major League baseball. Ten also holds the rights to the US Open golf and tennis championships and the US Masters golf.

Ten also recently spent a reported $10-15 million buying the rights to India's IPL Twenty20 cricket for five years..

The 2009 AFL grand final will also be simulcast on Ten's HD channel, and Ten will extend its AFL coverage to include a Monday night review program to be hosted by Stephen Quartermain.

The program will feature football expert Robert Walls, who has quit the award-winning Fox Sports program On The Couch after seven years to help spearhead the new channel's football coverage.

The network has also bought the rights to the Trans-Tasman Netball League, with former AFL star Luke Darcy to host its netball coverage. Darcy will also have an expanded football role.

Although Ten has been devising its high-definition sporting strategy for at least 12 months, it has refused to divulge the extent of its sporting assault.

In a further blow to pay television, the free-to-air body Free TV is scheduled to later this week announce "Free View", a free-to-air electronic program guide showing all schedules on all five channels, including high-definition, in the manner of the Foxtel guide, which operates from a set-top box for pay TV subscribers.

Currently, the HD channels, with the exception of Channel Two, predominantly mirror what is being shown on the main channels but with superior picture quality.

An estimated 15% of Australian televisions can show HD. Most new televisions come with HD capacity, while set-top boxes can be purchased to convert other televisions.

Ten's coup has been the brainchild of its national sport supremo David White, who first master-minded the break-up of the AFL TV broadcast rights for the 2002-2006 period, and will see his network show eight of ten AFL grand finals over the decade ending in 2011.

White, who returned from his network's buying trip in Europe over the weekend, refused to comment last night.

The new channel is expected to start early in 2009, with a launch expected in mid-November.

Ten also owns the rights to Formula One Grand Prix events, the Nascar series including the Daytona 500, and has been televising the World Golf Championship events.


Massive, massive gamble on Ten's part. One that may pay off massively as far as I'm concerned.

This is the sort of kick in the pants our uncompetitive Pay TV Market needs.

Sockeye Salmon
29-10-2008, 07:50 AM
Bring.
It.
On!

craigsahibee
29-10-2008, 08:26 AM
Hopefully all this extra programming doesn't mean Channel 10 will find a hosting job for Tim Webster. Kudos to Channel 10 for using their HD channel for something other than what is on the regular channel.

We have been without foxtel over the last month due to renovations at home and I have to admit it's the first time I have watche FTA tv for a while and it's utter $hite, apart from ABC on a Wednesday night.

The Underdog
29-10-2008, 08:58 AM
After my failed attempt to get Foxtel earlier this year (a long story featuring no access to cable, a large tree in the way of the satellite, a potential cost of $3500 and an uncooperative council), this is very exciting news. Now if they would just show all Bulldogs games my life would be complete, in a sporting sense at least.

soupman
29-10-2008, 11:00 AM
This would be absolutely insane. Massive gamble, but if it works that would be brilliant. Hopefully they replay most of the AFL games as well.

So what sports are on it?
Aussie Swimming
US Basketball
US Baseball
US Open & Championship Golf
US Tennis championships
IPL 20/20
Netball
F1
Nascar
AFL
NFL

Other sports I would like to see included:
Soccer
Ice Hockey
Gaelic
Dodgeball

The Underdog
29-10-2008, 11:02 AM
This would be absolutely insane. Massive gamble, but if it works that would be brilliant. Hopefully they replay most of the AFL games as well.

So what sports are on it?
Aussie Swimming
US Basketball
US Baseball
US Open & Championship Golf
US Tennis championships
IPL 20/20
Netball
F1
Nascar
AFL

Other sports I would like to see included:
Soccer
Ice Hockey
Gaelic
Dodgeball

They already show the NFL.

soupman
29-10-2008, 11:04 AM
They already show the NFL.

Awesome, that would have been next on my list.

soupman
29-10-2008, 11:13 AM
Here's Channel Tens press release for it.


AFL - the 2009 NAB Cup*, home and away season, and finals including the Grand Final returning to the network in 2009
* interesting that this is in the PR seeing the channel isn't mean to start until April.

Formula 1 - every round of the F1 World Championship
Moto GP - extensive coverage of every round of the World Championship
NASCAR - live coverage of the Daytona 500 and other major Sprint Cup races, live coverage of the Nationwide Series, as well as Sprint Cup qualifying
Australian Rally Championship - exclusive coverage of every round


Netball - ANZ Championship Competition and all Test matches featuring the Australian Netball Diamonds, exclusively for the next five years
Commonwealth Games - 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games
Cricket - Indian Premier League cricket, the world's premier annual Twenty20 cricket competition
NFL - three games per week live, including the flagship Sunday and Monday night games, as well as live coverage of play-offs and the Super Bowl
MLB - five games per week live, including prime time coverage of play-offs and World Series
NBA - three games per week live
Golf - US Masters, US Open, World Golf Championships including the Accenture Match Play Championships, the CA Championship, the Bridgestone Invitational and the World Cup, Australian PGA, Ladies Masters, 2010 Ryder Cup, and 15 additional international and domestic events including the Johnnie Walker Classic, and the Asian tour's flagship event the Singapore open and the tour's season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia
US College Sports - American football and basketball
Tennis - ATP and WTA tennis, details TBC, approx. 11 tournaments during 2009
Swimming - From 2009, Ten is the exclusive broadcasters for Swimming Australia. This includes coverage of the Australian Swimming Championships, Pan Pacific Championships, Australian Short Course Championships, FINA World Short Course, Swimmer of the Year - a minimum 109 hours per year for the next eight years.

According to rights and agreements and current Federal Government anti-siphoning regulations, some of these sports and events will also be shown first or simultaneously on TEN.

There will be a series of new programs dedicated to the sports Australians love. These will include a new live AFL show on Monday nights, weekly wrap shows for NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR Sprint Cup series and Nationwide Series, Formula 1, Moto GP and US PGA Tour.

Every week night, ONE will also broadcast two expanded editions of Sports Tonight, bringing viewers further in-depth news from both domestic and international sources.

From time to time, ONE will feature extreme sports, emerging sports and a range of sports-related programming including documentaries.

LostDoggy
29-10-2008, 11:13 AM
Sounds pretty exciting..

Means more replays of AFL and thats what counts most!

strebla
29-10-2008, 11:16 AM
I doubt this will make my wife happy but I know who it does make happy.

soupman
29-10-2008, 11:19 AM
Sounds pretty exciting..

Means more replays of AFL and thats what counts most!

I don't know how many AFL games will be shown per week. I have a feeling Vhannel 7 won't be keen on handing their games over to 10 to replay, and Foxtel are now in even more direct competition with 10, and I can't see that encouraging them to help 10 out.

I think it will still be the same 2 games from 10, except maybe replayed sometime during the week.

Twodogs
30-10-2008, 10:39 AM
my life would be complete, in a sporting sense at least.



Life has another sense?

Go_Dogs
30-10-2008, 10:48 AM
Awesome idea, and one that will probably see me invest in an HD tv for my bedroom.

The Underdog
30-10-2008, 12:01 PM
Life has another sense?

Yeah there's the music one. I can't see Ten HD getting me to see Tom Waits live.
Plus you know familiy's probably important too.

Twodogs
30-10-2008, 02:44 PM
Yeah there's the music one. I can't see Ten HD getting me to see Tom Waits live.
Plus you know familiy's probably important too.



Music is mostly just the noise in my head-I love it but it's kind of unavoilable.

westdog54
23-06-2011, 06:33 PM
Now that ten will no longer be showing the footy after the end of the year I wonder what the future holds for One HD? Could be in a bit of trouble now methinks. You can see them screening ahell of a lot more non sports programs to cover the bills

aker39
23-06-2011, 06:39 PM
Now that ten will no longer be showing the footy after the end of the year I wonder what the future holds for One HD? Could be in a bit of trouble now methinks. You can see them screening ahell of a lot more non sports programs to cover the bills

Seeing as one of It's owners is also the owner of foxtel, I have no doubt there will be less sport on One.

Flamethrower
23-06-2011, 07:04 PM
One HD hasn't been a 24 hour sport network for a few months now. They have a lot of shows and movies on now, such as Sons of Anarchy, Cops, and An Idiot Abroad.