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Netball gets a new home on TEN

Netball Australia has a new broadcaster in TEN, with the ANZ Championship set to move from FOX Sports.

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Network TEN has been announced as the new broadcaster of Netball Australia, set to cover all domestic and international test matches for the next four years, starting with the two-match series against arch-rivals New Zealand Silver Ferns in NZ next week. Only two of Australia’s upcoming six Test matches will be live to air, with the remainder on late replay.

TEN spokesman Gus Seebeck yesterday said the Test dates were set before the network came aboard but will work with Netball Australia to have next year’s Test matches telecast live.

The ANZ championship is also set for a move from Fox Sports to Channel TEN in 2009.

The Australian netball team announced the news under its new nickname, the Diamonds (the team’s first nickname in the sport’s 80 year history in the country).

Heading the coverage for TEN are retired Western Bulldogs AFL player Luke Darcy alongside former Australian netball captain Liz Ellis.

Last year the ABC came under fire for making viewers in Victoria, NSW Tasmania and the ACT miss live coverage of the upcoming World Netball Championship.

Forthcoming games on the Netball fixture include:

NEW WORLD SUPERMARKET TEST SERIES
Wednesday, September 17: New Zealand v Australia, Westpac Arena, Christchurch
Saturday, September 20: New Zealand v Australia, Vector Arena, Auckland

HOLDEN NETBALL SERIES
Saturday, October 4: Australia vs. England, Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Wednesday, October 8: Australia vs. England, Distinctive Homes Dome, Adelaide
Sunday, October 26: Australia vs. New Zealand, Hisense Arena, Melbourne
Sunday, November 2: Australia vs. New Zealand, Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Press Release:
In a history making development for women’s sport, elite netball will be available in millions of homes across the country with Network TEN announced as the official television broadcaster of netball in Australia.

Netball Australia is delighted to partner a commercial free-to-air television broadcaster in a venture that will guarantee coverage of all Australian Netball Diamonds Test matches played on both home soil and internationally for the next four years.

Netball Australia Chief Executive, Kate Palmer believes the potential of the partnership is extraordinary.

“This partnership provides netball with an opportunity to build the profile of our brand but more importantly showcase the wonderful athletes who play the game,” Palmer said.

“Network TEN has a proven record in sports broadcasting. We are delighted that they have recognised netball as a product that can add value to their current programming.”

General Manager Sport, David White said Network TEN was excited about broadcasting Australian elite netball for the next four years.

“We warmly welcome the sport of netball onto TEN, bringing the game to a larger and more diverse audience that ever before,” he said.

“TEN looks forward to helping to translate the huge grassroots participation of netball into increasingly larger viewer numbers and to showcasing a new generation of great Aussie netballers to their committed fans.”

TEN’s coverage, headed by former Australian captain Liz Ellis and Network Ten personality Luke Darcy begins on September 17 with the New World International Netball Series in New Zealand followed by the Holden Netball Test Series featuring Australia, New Zealand and England from October 4-November 2 in four Australian cities.

Sources: Netball Australia , Daily Telegraph

19 Responses

  1. I have just watched a replay of the test between Aust and England, and as much as I appreciate your coverage I find the constant inteviews whilst the match is in play extremely annoying. I don’t want to hear from the coaches (and I suspect they do not want to talk whilst a match is in progress,), ex players, injured players etc,In this particular game you held interviews for over a quarter! Can you imagine doing this through a whole quarter of an AFL game.

  2. I have just watched the 1st game of the 2011 Season, which was extremely entertaining and exciting. My only complaint is that the commentators never shut up!
    Could somebody tell them TV is a Visual medium and much as we like them to explain the finer points of what is happening, why must they chatter, chatter, chatter the whole way throught the game! Please, let us watch some of the game without the two of them chattering away!

  4. I find it very disappointing that Channel Ten has taken over the netball only for the fact that they will be showing it on their new channel ‘One’ and we don’t get that channel in SA Country. From a huge supporter of the sport this is very upsetting.

  6. Once again the non-professional administrators of a female sport have stuffed up a fantastic arrangement. They couldn’t have asked for a better coverage from Fox with every game of the 2008 season live regardless if it was in AUS or NZ.

    I am sooooo disappointed that all netball coverage is going to channel 10. If the no advertising, 11pm start, terrible camera work and commentary is anything to go by from Thursday nights first test then, we as netball viewers are going backwards from what we have experienced during 2008.

    My only one complaint of Fox is that they dug up Anne Sargent from the dead to come back and comment on the games. I’m hoping that with Luke Darcy and Liz Ellis channel 10 will have not include her as well. Having finally got rid of Anne and Steve Robilliard it was pleasure to have the likes of Eloise Southby, Kath Harby and Natalie Avalino commenting on the games.

    If channel 10’s camera for the AF is anything to go by they will need to greatly improve if they are to keep up the flow of the games. Fox did a great job of this so there will be high expectations.

    Not HAPPY JAN!!!!!

  7. I missed the game. You just have to schedule a replay for all the games, especially if they’re on so late.
    Please will you replay the Wed. 17th match? Even if it is after 1am? I’ll be sure to look out for it.

  11. This is a great move by ten, lets hope we see more sport on free to air tv. AND lets hope that the rumour ten will kick off an all sport digital channel in 09 is accurate as well!

  13. They’ll surely pass games onto Fox Sports because if the ANZ Championship keeps Monday Night Netball there is now way Ten would show those games. They will more than likely broadcast a Saturday game (Befor the AFL) and a Sunday game. Maybe even Friday night because it couldn’t do any worse than what current shows on Friday are doing.

  15. Darcy won’t be commentating- simply hosting- may as well, most sports hosts haven’t played their chosen sport.

    Anne Sargeant (who’s been doing it for yonks) is likely to be lead commentator, with Ellis on special comments.

  17. Thanks for posting the info David. In response to Jase72, Fox Sports covered this year’s ANZ Championship, but there has been a rumour that it will lose the rights for 2009 as it only signed a one-year deal.

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