0/5

State of Origin vs State of HD

Updated: NRL fans are unhappy that the State of Origin game will not be available in High Definition.

Tonight will be a big night of sport as the first State of Origin match for 2011 takes place.

But fans of NRL are unhappy that the game will not be available in High Definition.

A year ago, Nine was singing its own praises by offering the match in both 3D and HD, the latter on Nine HD.

When GEM was launched in September it was to include Sport as part of its programming with “mix of new content, classic comedies, cherished drama series, all-time favorite movies, and all of Nine’s sport coverage in high definition.”

Even today its own website still archives the promise, “High definition sport will be seen on GEM until the digital switchover in December 2013.” UPDATE: Now deleted following TV Tonight‘s article today: http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=7960634

But by November that promise evaporated when sports fans were incensed by the abandonment of Cricket in HD.

Fans on a Nine Facebook page have vented their fury. Maybe they should try Nine’s new whiz-bang complaints handling system.

Meanwhile viewers in WIN markets Perth and Adelaide have to wait until 10:30pm to catch the game, but Nine is airing it in their three Nine-controlled markets: Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

WIN Television and Nine did not respond to questions at the time of print.

UPDATE: Today a WIN spokesperson advises:

For Nine Perth to show the State of Origin live would mean scheduling the State of Origin at 5.30pm which would mean pre-empting Nine News and ACA. In 2009, Nine Perth trialled showing it at 7.30pm and it did not rate very well at all. The programming of the State of Origin in a 10.30pm timeslot (9.00pm on WIN) is a responsible business decision as our previous ratings figures indicate that Channel Nine’s programming will deliver Nine more viewers than the State of Origin.

57 Responses

  1. @camo – have you ever thought the Nine bashing is justified? Especially in this case. It’s less a bashing and more of accountability which Nine/WIN don’t answer up to.

  2. @Camo – What is it with the handful of Nine stooges on here? I wonder if you actually read any articles that aren’t about Nine or their programs. If you did you would have seen that the same issues have been canvassed with regard to the treatment of other major sporting events on Seven – AFL, tennis, V8 Supercars. I don’t recall you having a go at David for being negative about Seven.

    If you think that not broadcasting a major sporting event in 2011 in HD is acceptable and not worth reporting on, then you are clearly at odds with the majority. Yet again, it is one of the most biased commenters on here who is the first to jump down David’s throat about perceived bias.

    1. Camo: Story was filed after Nine’s audience criticised Nine on Nine’s own website. HD and sport is a valid viewer concern (together with broken promises) and has been previously logged in regards to Seven and tennis.

  3. You do know that the State Of Origin has absolutely nothing to do with the NRL?

    Similar to International Test matches, the Australian Rugby League (ARL) oversees the interstate competition with the NSWRL and the QRL. It’s based in the Phillip Street Rugby League Building.

    The National Rugby League (NRL) is a top tier Rugby League competition over seen by the NRL partnership – 50% ARL and 50% News Limited. It is completely separate to the State Of Origin. it’s based in the NRL offices in News Limited’s Fox Studios.

Leave a Reply