0/5

Seven to switch Olympics to HD

Exclusive: Seven's primary channel will be available in HD for the duration of the Olympics.

2016-07-29_0830

EXCLUSIVE: It’s the news Sports fans have been waiting for.

Seven will screen Olympics coverage in High Definition in all 5 metro cities, including Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

Currently screening HD content on Channel 70, Seven’s playout differs according to statelines.

In Melbourne & Adelaide Ch.70 mirrors the primary channel, but in Sydney, Brisbane & Perth it is a 7mate signal -due to Seven’s AFL commitments.

For the duration of the games, Ch 70 will mirror the primary channel in all 5 cities, meaning premium events will be in HD.

“It will be the Seven channel nationally,” Head of Sport Saul Shtein confirmed to TV Tonight.

“When we have something like the Olympics, we’ll flick it across.”

The change is expected to take effect from midnight on Friday, August 5, just ahead of  the Opening Ceremony on Saturday morning.

It is planned to continue for the duration of the Games before reverting to the current split market programming at midnight on Monday, August 22.

47 Responses

  1. Despite 7 advertising Olympics on 7HD in Regional QLD for about a week now, they haven’t made any changes here.
    Opening Ceremony is in SD on 7,70,71 and Home Shopping is in HD on 73.
    An absolute joke to not be able to watch the start of the biggest sporting event of the year in HD in 2016, while other countries are enjoying it in 4K!

  2. Interesting move but why temporary.Channel 10,and 9 have got it right why not change over properly.When we have something like this we will flick it over what sort of comment is that.Channel 7 should be looking after it’s viewers,and the Primary channel being the most important.I’m in Victoria so i’m not affected,but make the move permanent and give what the viewers want

    1. “why not change over properly?”
      Because Channel 7 doesn’t want AFL on the primary channel in NSW/Qld, so they put it on 7mate. AFL fans want the footy in HD, so 7mate is made HD. End of story.
      (Doesn’t affect me either, I watch AFL on Fox Footy (504) in HD. No ad breaks siren-to-siren.)

      1. Using AFL as the excuse is just lazy from Seven. They could still broadcast the primary channel in HD all week and switch to the Melbourne feed when the AFL is on; in other words, split programming between Seven and 7HD in Sydney/Brisbane/Perth. Friday nights, AFL coverage kicks in at 7pm, switch from NSW to VIC feed at 7pm on 7HD, then switch back again when the network schedule aligns later in the evening.

    1. +1 couldn’t agree more. I’m a “sports fan” but i’m not at all interested in the Olympics and never have been.

      It’s positive that 7 are doing over 3000 hours of olympics coverage across the 3 FTA channels + online + premium online offering. On FTA only it’s 900 hours of coverage which is the most ever.

      Hopefully other sports in future will get a lot more coverage on free TV or cheap online subscriptions.

  3. Seriously 7, on the Sunshine Coast we get HD WIN Ten, HD Southern Cross 9 and HD SBS. I do hope we get the Tennis in January in HD but it doesn’t look likely.

Leave a Reply