Sport to roar on TEN multi-channel
24 hour sports will feature on TEN when new multi-channelling starts in 2009.
- Published by David Knox
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TEN looks set to launch a dedicated 24 hour sports channel as part of its multi-channelling next year, with programming tipped to include NBA basketball, US Open golf, US Masters golf, IPL Twenty20 cricket, Trans-Tasman Netball League, Formula One Grand Prix, the Nascar series, World Golf Championship events and tennis.
With sport the biggest drawcard on subscription TV, the new channel will create headaches for Fox Sports.
The Age reports that TEN execs remained tight-lipped, but enjoyed a big buy last week in Monaco at Sportel — the international trade show of sporting rights.
Not only has TEN just outbid Nine to win the television rights to Australian swimming.
The 2009 AFL grand final will also be simulcast on TEN’s HD channel, and TEN will extend its AFL coverage to include a Monday night review program to be hosted by Stephen Quartermain. The program will feature football expert Robert Walls, who has quit the award-winning Fox Sports program On The Couch after seven years.
TEN’s coup is reported to be the brainchild of its national sport supremo David White, who first master-minded the break-up of the AFL TV broadcast rights for the 2002-2006 period.
The new channel is expected to start early in 2009, with a launch expected in mid-November.
Source: The Age
44 Responses
Matt: I think there has been some confusion as the print media has identified the new channel as being “HD” as they continue to fail to distinguish between HD and SD multi-channelling. Because, you know, it’s only been about eight years….
TEN’s Sports Channel…named “ONE” is on HD and simulcast on Channel 12 (Ten’s Second SD channel)
Regional Operators will have to get their bums into gear to comply with the analogue shut-off dates that have been set…ie. Mildura June 2010…just in time for the Commonwealth Games which is on TEN…or should I say ONE.
From what I have read, Southern Cross 10 will start the broadcasting 10HD channel soon. Prime is already braodcasting 7HD, and NBN as well (although 9 don’t do much unique programming on their HD channel).
As for 10 having completely separate HD sports channel, anyone with digital TV would notice there are 2 10HD channels – channel 1 and channel 12. One of them could be sports, the other can still show the HD versions of main stream channel 10 shows.
Can’t wait for 2009 when free to air will have extra digital channels. May make TIVO’s worth buying then!
I think you’ll find no one is ‘assuming’ it will be the HD channel that is used as this sports channel – the original article from The Age states that Ten has been devising its high-definition sporting strategy for over a year. Given they only have one HD channel, this would seem the likely conclusion to draw.
If this is the case, I too think it is a stupid move. When the networks are able to use their other digital channels, the HD channel should be reserved to simulcast certain programs from all channels. If the sports channel is to comprise one of the additional SD channels (in addition to the channel with ‘feel good’ programming, as reported on this site previously), then that would seem a more logical move.
well is it going to be a digital channel or will it only be i hd
We need ten to start grilling Southern Cross Ten for proper HD service and if they don’t comply.
Limit the broadcast time or prevent Southern Cross Ten from airing some TEN only shows
The good thing about multi channel is that the FTA networks don’t have an excuse anymore not to show full sports coverage. I will be waiting to see if we get full Ashes and Wimbledon coverage in 2009!
You could expect;
Netball, NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL including Superbowl, NASCAR including Daytona, AFL including Grand Final, Swimming, IPL 20/20, additional sports panel shows, MotoGP, Formula One, Australian Rally.
How long before A-League, Snooker, Premier League, plus additional motorsport categories get snapped up?
Damo…even if Foxsports has some of these, why would people pay for them when they can see them on free to air?
Why on earth do people think this will be completely on HD, they wouldn’t do that, they need to simulcast their primetime shows in HD, don’t be silly. It’s their extra SD channel.
A great idea that hopefully will work, Well Done Ten on taking on such a task.
To Neon Kitten: The Trans-Tasman Netball League is also called the ANZ Championship and consists of 5 teams each from Australia and NZ.
To Chris: Setanta has the Australian rights to French and German football.
A 24-hour sports channel for Ten is certainly a good idea. There are plenty of sports in the world that are not shown in Australian TV (not even Fox Sports), and these are the ones that Ten should bid for:
Asian Champions League football matches not involving Australian teams
French Open tennis
PGA Tour golf in Asia, Southern Africa and Japan
Thomas Cup and Uber Cup (international teams badminton tournament for men and women)
European club rugby (Heineken Cup)
Triathlon World Cup
foxsports will be covering those sports for a long time to come. fox in the us has the rights to nearly every sport over there. espn and abc have the rights to the nba regular season, the playoffs and the finals. cricket will stay on foxsports as well
Golf and Tennis and netball oohhh can’t wait
Viewers will be angry if Southern Cross Ten doesn’t air this new channel or if TenHD takes too long to be broadcast.
Regional areas deserve to get the new channels as they can always go to the ABC which will have 3 sd channels if ABC3 starts up and ABCHD. SBS will have their channels too including their SD and HD channels as well as SBS World. The is also pay tv, the internet and dvds to make up for any channels the regional commercials do not broadcast. I do believe the regionals can multi-channel too and should offer any digital channels the metro networks air. If Southern Cross, Win, Prime, NBN and once remote areas go digital, Imparja and GWN are allowed to multi-channel, they should do it. It will increase digital uptake (What Mildura, Tasmania and Darwin has seen) and the switch-over will be a piece of cake.
If regional areas miss out, there are other choices isn’t there?
Its meant to be a new SD channel as part of the new multi-channeling agreement – TEN HD will most likely remain from what I can gather – so everyone getting their knickers in a twist can relax…..HD will exist as a simulcast channel – and there will be new SD multi-channels accessible to anyone with Digital TV.
No matter what The Age says, I’m sure that this will be their SD channel, not HD.
I smell demographic change… But seriously…, I would not be surprised if Ten decided to launch “TenSportsNet” on January 1, leaving Seven and Nine in the dust…
hope it don’t come wrapped in an American flag, y’all
Although a sports channel is good drawcard, its only beneficial for top rated sports.
So what does Ten have rights to?… Swimming is only good for one off events like the Olympics or Commonwealth Games and the trials beforehand. The only other Ten sport that the public will watch on mass is the AFL. All the other sports are really just fillers and will not draw huge advertising revenue.
I am a big fan for free sport on TV but for revenue, they may as well fill the gaps with more repeats of Friends or the Simpsons. They will get more out of that than showing NASCAR and Golf.
I don’t think Fox Sports should be worried just yet!
Does Ten hold the rights to the World T20 finals series or does this revert back to Nine or Fox Sports because of the Australian teams in it?
Woohoo! I hope that will shut up Seven about Ten buying all those sports that nobody watches. People will watch if there’s a dedicated sports channel.
Hopefully Ten can buy some more Australian sports to show on the channel. Perhaps the NBL, A League, maybe even the NRL will be on the channel in years to come.
Great news for all, hopefully Ten Sports (or whatever it will be called) will finally give Fox Sports a real competitor, something it hasn’t had since Optus Vision merged with Foxtel.
The Age is saying this will be their HD channel, I thought it was going to be the extra SD channel that is allowed now? While I’d love to have a 24/7 HD sports channel, I also wouldn’t want it to replace the normal Ten HD.
Shame they didn’t get French or German football though, something a bit different to constant Premier League and occasional Spanish and Italian games on Fox Sports and EPSN.
Does this mean sports like F1 will air live on the sport ch and then late Sunday on the main channel?
Will the next channel be SD or HD ?
This idiotic idea will not only create headaches for Fox Sports, it’ll create headaches for everyone who wanted to see their favourite Ten shows in HD. Because this announcement means no more HD on Ten of ANYTHING in the schedule. Nada. Not even locally produced shows that are made in HD, like Rush, Rove, Australian Idol etc. No more HD Supernatural. No more HD Idol. No more HD anything except for gripping sports contests that appeal to a marginal audience.
It’s idiocy.
Expect a lot of people to be pissed off about this announcement.
But hey, I guess the “Trans-Tasman Netball League” (whatever the hell that is) is going to rate its arse off…
Is thisnew 24 hour sports channel going to be on HD ? or normal free to air.
Get the feeling, we all have to get HD Tv’s or buy paytv if you want sports nowadays.