Anger grows at Tennis delays
Tennis fans vent their anger over Seven cutting from the Serena Williams and Sam Stosur match to News, TT and Home & Away.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Last night, tennis fans in Melbourne and Sydney got a little reminder of what sports fans around the rest of the country have been experiencing since the Australian Open started: disrupted broadcasts.
Not long after the Serena Williams and Sam Stosur match began, Seven crossed to its 90 minute block of Seven News, Today Tonight and Home And Away.
By the time the highlights of the match resumed, Williams had beaten Stosur 6-4 6-2.
The Daily Telegraph notes that Sydney’s ATN7 took more than 300 calls complaining about the move.
Once again Seven’s messageboard was alive with opinions:
– Tennis coverage
– Rubbish Tennis coverage channel
– Tennis
– idiots!!!!(tennis)
– Worst TV coverage, Screw Home and Away
And on Yahoo:
– Channel 7 suck.
– sack jim courier
– Keep Henri Lecont on as a commentator!!!
– Enough Bagging of Courier
– Lecont commentating – is this a joke?
– why the hell did they show home & away??
– Jim Courier is annoying!
Lewis Martin, General Manager of Seven Melbourne said, “Whilst it was a very challenging and difficult decision we’ve got a commitment to our News and TT.”
The fury follows complaints about coverage last week.
Last night’s feature match between Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer was also put back by half an hour to accommodate the season return of Home And Away.
Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood tactfully said, “We understand this is a very difficult decision that is not taken lightly and reflective of their commitment to the 6pm news. But obviously we would have preferred for the entire match to be shown live.”
Seven’s daytime matches are shown live around the country but evening matches are all played at 7:30pm regardless of timezone or live broadcast.
Meanwhile, the Sydney Morning Herald says the average audience for Seven’s coverage is down by 24.8 per cent on last year, across the five major metropolitan markets and by 29.7 per cent in Melbourne. On Sunday, Nine’s cricket drew an average viewership of 1,155,000 while the tennis night session attracted just 626,766.
Update: But last night Seven thrashed the competition with 1.63m viewers for the tennis and a staggering 42.4% share.
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- Tagged with Australian Open, Home and Away, Seven News, Today Tonight
61 Responses
The aus open is doomed… get rid of that weasel in charge of the open. since he has been in charge over the years, patron safety has been comprimised, the cost of buying items at the open has gone up an assults have increased. He does not know how to run an event, bring back the previous person.
Also, get rid of jim courier, how arrogant is he? he is not “Gods gift to earth” like he thinks he is.
I’ve been happy with the tennis coverage so far but really want to watch the Federer/Davydenko match that’s on right now!
yup… urge to kill…. Rising
Channel seven just dont understand how to show sport and have no commitment to them what so ever.
With the Venus game going over time, I am guessing that the Federer match may drift into the 6-730pm slot.
I understand what C7 are trying to achieve by continuing their regular programs in order to not lose regular viewers. However, I am not a viewer of H&A or TT though am willing to make a promise to Channel 7 that if they show the Federer match live and reschedule the other shows I will watch H&A and TT for the next two weeks. Any other takers?
correction: i was suggesting having tennis on 7HD for the entire 6.00-7.30, especially since the match shown during that time wouldn’t be replayed on regular 7 until after probably after 11.
just the news and H&W wouldnt be screened both on 7 and 7HD
Actually JH its harder than you think. Regional Viewers have Local News at 6 followed by Seven News at 6:30pm so either way you still need 1 hour for News
i shudder to think of the backlash for Davydenko VS Federer being cut off in the middle…
I think the major reason for the 24.8% drop in the ratings is because of the Jelena Dokic factor. All her matches last year rated their butts off and unfortunatley she got knocked out in the first round this year.
Here’s an idea (which I don’t think 7 are doing)
Show the news on 7, and the sport on 7HD (between the 6.30-7.00) slot.
Assuming that other capital cities (ie adelaide,perth) are still being broadcast to during that east coast time,
it shouldn’t be all that hard to do.