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NRL match waits on Appeal

GTV9 has agreed to hold off airing a live broadcast of an NRL match to avoid a clash with Seven's Royal Children's Hospital Appeal.

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GTV9 has agreed to hold off airing a live broadcast between Melbourne Storm and St George Illawarra set down for 4pm on Good Friday after a request not to compete with the Royal Children’s Hospital appeal -which airs on Seven.

The annual event is an institution in Victoria, sponsored by The Herald Sun. News Ltd, which is a 50 per cent stakeholder in the NRL, owns the Storm as well as The Herald Sun.

Now the game will air at 11pm in Melbourne.

The kick-off was brought forward to 2pm because of concerns it would conflict with the appeal, but will still air in NSW at 4pm as planned.

NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley told the Sydney Morning Herald, ”To be fair to Channel Nine, they had been more than willing to show the match live in Melbourne but have complied with a request from the Melbourne Storm and News Ltd not to because of the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal, which is sponsored by The Herald Sun.

Channel Nine Director of Sport Steve Crawley said, ”The Good Friday Appeal is a big event in Melbourne and raises funds for the children’s hospital, which I think everyone would support.”

Nine will now air an old movie starring Peter Fonda, The Maldonado Miracle, at 2pm Friday in Melbourne.

Source: smh.com.au

26 Responses

  1. I hate that Channel 9 don’t show Storm games until ridiculous hours at night but my gripe is more the away games. I can understand Storm not wanting the telecast live into Melbourne. The game was in Melbourne, people should be going to the game rather than sitting at home and watching it on TV. It always annoys me how the games they show live into Melbourne always seem to be the games that are played in Melbourne.
    A lot of Melbourne Storm fans issue is that we don’t get to see the Storm’s away games thanks to Channel 9, unless subscribe to Foxtel like we do but even then you don’t get Friday night games.
    I hope the new TV rights give Foxtel the right to show Friday night games to Victorian viewers if Melbourne Channel 9 are going to continue putting on repeat movies and not air a great game of rugby league until midnight.

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