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State of Origin vs State of HD

Updated: NRL fans are unhappy that the State of Origin game will not be available in High Definition.

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Tonight will be a big night of sport as the first State of Origin match for 2011 takes place.

But fans of NRL are unhappy that the game will not be available in High Definition.

A year ago, Nine was singing its own praises by offering the match in both 3D and HD, the latter on Nine HD.

When GEM was launched in September it was to include Sport as part of its programming with “mix of new content, classic comedies, cherished drama series, all-time favorite movies, and all of Nine’s sport coverage in high definition.”

Even today its own website still archives the promise, “High definition sport will be seen on GEM until the digital switchover in December 2013.” UPDATE: Now deleted following TV Tonight‘s article today: http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=7960634

But by November that promise evaporated when sports fans were incensed by the abandonment of Cricket in HD.

Fans on a Nine Facebook page have vented their fury. Maybe they should try Nine’s new whiz-bang complaints handling system.

Meanwhile viewers in WIN markets Perth and Adelaide have to wait until 10:30pm to catch the game, but Nine is airing it in their three Nine-controlled markets: Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

WIN Television and Nine did not respond to questions at the time of print.

UPDATE: Today a WIN spokesperson advises:

For Nine Perth to show the State of Origin live would mean scheduling the State of Origin at 5.30pm which would mean pre-empting Nine News and ACA. In 2009, Nine Perth trialled showing it at 7.30pm and it did not rate very well at all. The programming of the State of Origin in a 10.30pm timeslot (9.00pm on WIN) is a responsible business decision as our previous ratings figures indicate that Channel Nine’s programming will deliver Nine more viewers than the State of Origin.

57 Responses

  2. Well it’s 7.43 in Adelaide, and i’m watching the State of Origin live. Screw you Nine. Even the Brits are getting the game live, but Adelaide can’t??? If they think repeats of Big Bang Theory, Two And A Half Men on GO! or Antiques Roadshow and The Worlds Smallest Man & Me (whatever the hell that crap is) is more important than SoO or will get more viewers, then they deserve the state their network is in.

  3. Can’t believe Nine is running repeats of crappy crime shows at 8.30pm instead of putting on one of Australia’s and the worlds most popular sporting events. Nine haven’t got a clue in Perth – Poor News, Poor Sport, Poor everything – time they pulled the rug on the current management.

  4. Those viewers with 50+ inch TVs are going to be sorely disappointed. Better drink up big tonight so as to forget the SD quality of it.

    I mean, The World’s Smallest Man and Me at 8:30pm – 9:30pm and Jailhouse Girls at 9:30pm – 10:30pm really need to be in HD on GEM…

  5. Where to watch it online without subscribing to the NRL uk streaming site? Adelaide is once again proving a backwater when nine adelaide thinks two repeats of CSI will be so much more of a ratings winner than origin. This is why I will support Pay TV getting the rights to anything that FTA refuse to show live

  6. @ SACS – no need to ensure HD broadcast for AFL/NRL deals going in place now. The deals won’t be in place until after 2013, by which stage networks will be showing all premium content such as first-run sport in HD.

  7. @Adam

    Nine may have removed it from their site but they forgot to tell Winn to do the same /www.wintv.com.au/national/gem

    They also gave the press release to dozens of other sites too.

  8. Very disappointed that Channel 9 is not telecasting this game live to SA until 10.30 pm. I will not sit up until after midnight to watch the game. Its all about the money not the fans.

  9. @Bags…my foxtel epg shows Origin starting at 8:30pm on Foxsports 2….Makes sense since it is on at 10:30pm EST
    Foxtel should be allowed to put it live on Main Event for WA and SA.

  10. GEM launch advertising is still on youtube for those interested seeing as they have cleansed their website of past promises of HD sport.

    youtube.com/watch?v=1TK5qYZGQOI

  11. If Pay TV had the rights, you can be sure that Origin games would be broadcast live, Australia-wide and in HD. Why can’t Gem do the same? Seriously, why not?Fans in Perth & Adelaide should be entitled to watch Origin live on a secondary digital channel. The ARL/NRL must ensure HD broadcasting is essential when the rights are renewed shortly. As the major sponsor of Origin, Gerry Harvey should also demand these games be shown in HD. He is a successful businessman and knows how to negotiate. It is very clear fans want to watch the games in HD. I can’t believe Gem is instead screening shows like Friends (in glorious 4:3 aspect) & Antiques Roadshow. This proves that Nein does not care less about it’s viewers. They still have a chance to make amends for the remaining 2 games. C’mon Nein, surprise me and all other footy fans with HD TVs. You know it makes sense.

  12. hey quokka sorry to disapoint you have you seen the foxtel TV guide state of origin is not on until 10.30pm?? I’m in perth as well been here 20years from sydney originally – i havent seen a live game yet. Too much AFL propaganda for league even to get a look in here in Perth

  14. I haven’t seen a live Origin match since moving to Perth 11 years ago…at least it is on Foxtel at 8:30 (perth time) so I don’t have to watch it on 9 at 10:30.
    Hopefully the Perth Reds will enter teh NRL in 2013 and the new NRL tv deal will see all games live on Foxtel.

  15. I can’t get it in HD, and Adelaide can only get the game at 10.30pm, but Rusty Crowe can get vision access to 40 Million Americans live!

    Makes the article on David Gyngell and his “love” of TV very lame.

    foxsports.com.au/league/state-of-origin/russell-crowe-helps-broker-television-deal-to-beam-state-of-origin-series-live-to-40-million-americans/story-fn31yxah-1226062547053

  17. TBH I don’t think too many people in Perth would mind a State of Origin match being delayed… and I can understand WINs reluctance to eat into prime viewing hours.

    But given that GEM was launched with the promise of HD sport, and hasn’t delivered, it is poor form from Nine.

    I know it may be a sweeping generalisation, but I do think, in general, men appreciate HD more than women; I mean, there’s a reason 7mate and ONE are HD channels and are male-oriented. GEM, being female oriented, always seemed like an odd choice for an HD channel; GO! should be HD, IMO, and GEM SD.

  18. Once again GEM is really working out well. I’m sure they’ll have lots of fast tracking shots to make us all sick in SD. Pull your finger out nine and screen events in HD!!

  19. Nine don’t care about their audience when it comes to HD.

    As long as it rates well ( and they know it will) why would ch 9 spend the extra money converting to HD, because Nine is a network which operates on a shoe string budget in every department at Willoughby.

  20. THis is no surprise. The FTA networks treat people like crap why because they can. All i can say i hope Network Ten get the State of Origin rights at least they will broadcast it in HD and will not have to simulacast it because by then the analogue signal will be switched off.

  21. I don’t follow NRL, but I do think that State of Origin should be on GEM and live. I love AFL and here in Perth we constantly have to watch many delayed home games. I just think its poor use of the HD channels, they regularly play repeats when live sports can take its place. Its just for one night.

  22. i will have to watch it tonight live on 9 because i want to see the game but i hate the thought of watching it on the most pathtic channel in australia it is such a shame that nine have the rights to it i would love it if foxtel had the rights to it as well i bet if it was shown on foxtel and nine at the same time then everybody who are intrested in it and who have foxtel would watch it on foxtel while nines ratings would still be huge it would atleast drop off a bit

  23. Seems likely that the major networks don’t want to invest in Gem & 7mate as HD channel brands. It somewhat makes sense – why go to the effort of branding Gem as a women’s channel, that also has sport.

    In two years, Nine and Seven can just make their main channels HD, and leave the multichannels in SD. I think they’re just biding their time.

  24. Does it cost them any more to show it in HD on gem as well as 9, does it take much extra effort. Are the networks just simply slow in responding to a rapidly changing market? So many questions with such a limited response.

  25. Well i just rang Nine Adelaide to complain, was forwarded to some guy, and he hung up on me. Nice way to treat viewers.
    Rang back put on hold and this time spoke to a women who actually listened but all she did was apologise and say she couldn’t do anything without giving a reason. And she actually encouraged me to watch it online. So that’s Nine’s strategy. Don’t watch on Nine, but instead go online and watch it. No wonder they are losing the ratings. Hope you lose the rights Nine

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