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Nine to simulcast Olympics in high-definition

Nine will simulcast more than 300 hours of Olympics coverage on both Nine, and in high-definition, on GEM.

The Nine Network will simulcast its Olympics coverage on both Nine, and in high-definition, on GEM.

Nine will broadcast more than 300 hours of action for more than 18 hours a day across 16 days of competition from Saturday, July 28th.

The network launched its coverage yesterday at Aqua Restaurant hosted by Wide World of Sports presenter, Ken Sutcliffe. In attendance were commentators, sports stars and media.

The Games of the XXX Olympiad begin with the Opening Ceremony live from 6am Saturday, July 28 (AEST) and ends on Monday, August 13 with the Closing Ceremony. Leila McKinnon and Eddie McGuire will host Nine’s live and exclusive coverage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

On competition days, Nine has 14.5 hours of continuous live coverage from 6.30pm until 9.00am the following morning on London Live. Highlights will air from 9.00am to 11.00am each morning in London Gold, replayed from 4.00pm-6.00pm every afternoon.

Hosting the coverage for Nine is Sutcliffe, plus Karl Stefanovic, Leila McKinnon, Mark Nicholas and Cameron Williams. Updates will be provided by Ben Fordham and Alicia Loxley.

Commentators include nine Olympic gold medallists, plus former Olympic athletes, and more including Grant Hackett, Giaan Rooney plus Ray Warren.

The Olympic commentary team includes James Tomkins (Rowing), Kerri Pottharst (Beach Volleyball), Scott McGrory (Cycling), Debbie Watson (Water Polo), Andrew Gaze (Basketball), Jane Flemming (Athletics), Melinda Gainsford Taylor (Athletics), Michael Slater (Diving), Andrew Voss (Weightlifting), James Brayshaw (Rowing) and Eddie McGuire (Marathon and Triathlon).

Today will also be in London for the week preceding the Games, going behind the scenes, meeting the athletes, with highlights of the Australian Olympic team reception and the announcement of the flag-bearer for the Opening Ceremony. Nine News will also cover the Games.

From May 27, Nine will will feature Road to London, showcasing Australian Olympic hopefuls and Wide World of Sports has behind the scenes as athletes prepare for London.

London Eve airs on Friday, July 27 (AEST) in anticipation of the Opening Ceremony.

Never shy of its main events, Nine claims its coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games will be “the biggest sporting telecast of an Olympic Games hosted outside Australia.”

21 Responses

  1. Looks like Hamish & Andy are also going for I’m guessing a fun look at the games like Roy & HG did? Well guess nine has to get the most out of them for the money they paid.

  2. I’ll believe them when I actually turn on GEM and see native HD olympics! Remember the whole “We’ll broadcast all Cricket in HD on GEM” saga a couple of years back? Now all we get is half an hour of it while the news is on!

  3. So basically Nine are showing exactly the same as Seven did in 2008 with the only exception being HD coverage. I will be watching foxs coverage instead. 8 dedicated channels all live and all HD.

    @viewer

    Seven will always be better at showing the Olympics you will see. I just keep remembering Nines crap Commonwealth Games coverage of Melbourne.

  4. I guess that means there won’t be any Today for two weeks (at least for the eastern and central states). Wonder if the other morning shows will pick up in the ratings.

    @Maverick In the past if an event has been simulcast on Nine and GEM, Nine have programmed it as a single event (and thus all ratings points go to Channel Nine). In any case, Olympic Game weeks are excluded from the official ratings period, as is Easter.

    @dan. TBBT has never been shown on GEM to my knowledge.

  5. Don’t get your hopes up about it being shown in Hd because the pathetic excuse for a network will change their mind and replace it with re runs of TBBT

    And I agree with others Thank god for foxtel I will definatly be getting the extra channels just a shame we have to have Eddie on there as well

  6. Andrew Gaze always calls the basketball at the Olympics he is a Five time Olympian, although i wonder is he contracted to FoxTel for this event or Nine. Also i hope John Casey does play by play commentary. The rest of the commentators are ok. Looking forward to Ray Warren calling the swimming.

  7. Thank goodness for Foxtel…After the debacle of Vancouver (when I did not have Foxtel at that time), I am very happy to pay for their coverage as you get what you pay for- excellent coverage on 8 dedicated channels in real HD…What a joke of a commentators and for the 1st time ever, I am looking forward to decent coverage on FOX.

    By the way, Foxtel have been heavily promoting the Games from the start of the year, so I will expect excellent coverage.

  8. For the first time, i won’t be watching the Olympics. Karl Stefanovic, Eddie McGuire, James Brayshaw, Cameron Williams, Michael Slater, Ken Sutcliffe. What an absolutely horrible list of commentators and hosts. Can’t stand any of them. Sadly i don’t Foxtel, so i’ll just get news updates online.

  9. Thought they might have utilised GO! and had content on 2 or 3 channels just to compete with Foxtel. Oh well…. I guess HD is a plus tho

    Have no complaints about the commentators tho…. I don’t thing Ray Warren has ever swam (professionally) but he is by far the best commentator.. You don’t have to be an athlete to be an expert or to be able to commentate.

  10. This is great for the viewers but won’t this affect Nine’s ratings? If some viewers are watching on Nine and others are watching on Gem won’t it make it easier for Seven to win those weeks?

  11. Thank god for foxtel… HD with a decient bitrate to match. if foxtel do what the did for the winter olmpics, and I’m sure they will, when ever an aussie is in an event, you are alerted to which channel to switch to….how can you beat that?

  12. The list of experts starts out well, but then…when has Michael Slater ever dived? Or Brayshaw rowed? Or McGuire done a triathlon? Oh well, I guess someone has to call them. Good to hear it will be on GEM though – well done Nine.

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