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Perth gets primetime State of Origin

Nine Perth brings State of Origin forward to 9:30pm, but warns if the numbers don't perform then neither will further rugby league.

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Channel Nine Perth will broadcast the State of Origin II clash between the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues at 9:30pm on Wednesday, June 15th.

While it isn’t live, it improves on the first State of Origin last month airing in Perth at 10:30pm, described by a WIN spokesperson at the time as “a responsible business decision” based on previous low ratings.

But this week Program Director, Danny Mitrovic encouraged viewers to get behind the renewed push.

“We have investigated playing State of Origin in an earlier timeslot on one of our multi-channels, however current anti-siphoning laws dictate this event must be simulcast on analogue / digital until analogue is switched off in Perth in December 2013,” he said.

“We are willing to review our current scheduling of weekly NRL, but the people of Perth need to demonstrate they want NRL in an earlier timeslot by tuning in and watching it. We will be monitoring audience levels on June 15, however significant viewer support of NRL is required to secure an earlier timeslot on an on-going basis.”

40 Responses

  1. Perhaps channel 9 Perth would also like to explain why Prime show AFL every Friday on 7 Mate.

    The answer is because they had to have asked the Minister. So why didn’t 9 ask seeing both are tier b on the anti siphoning list?

  3. @TheHarp, you’re absolutely right – if 9 had a little patience and promoted it well I’m sure there’d be a reasonable viewing audience for NRL, particularly State of Origin matches. I find it amusing that the 9 school marm has warned us that if we don’t watch, we won’t get to see it again and it’ll be all our own fault! It’s bizarre they’re bitching over potentially low figures when what they’re doing now is working … not!

  4. Money over entertainment, what a joke channel nine is

    Fingers crossed nine misses out on NRL and ARL games when the new deals are struck in 2012/13

  5. The problem with rugby league in Perth is the sport barely exists here.
    How can people expect 9 Perth to air a game the local media barely report on, that the vast majority don’t even know about, or a sport where there is very little grass roots activity of?
    I have lived in Perth all my life and I dont know a single rugby league club, there is plenty of Union clubs here, but RL literally is a very minor sport. There is much more grass roots activity in soccer, union, basketball, cricket, hockey and netball and probably ten other sports before RL.

  7. Nine in Perth & Adelaide are WIN O&O stations, controlled from Wollongong NSW, not “Channel 9” Sydney. Nine has no say, as such, re STW & NWS programming.

  8. Not allowed to show it on the digital channel at an earlier time.

    What a load of bollocks.

    I am sure a quick and polite phone called to the Communications Minister and he will say yes you can shift it to the other channel.

    7 did it with the AFL, why can’t 9 do it with NRL!?!

    Tell the F*&^% truth channel 9

  11. “Nine Perth brings State of Origin forward to 9:30pm, but warns if the numbers don’t perform then neither will further rugby league”
    Haha was a joke, what else are they going to show? Another repeat of Big Bang or 2 and a half men?

  12. Hardly a move that will attract viewers.

    9:30pm….10:30pm….both are massive delays and both would be screened After Fox show the game as someone below said.

    Not enough fans in WA anyway to get NRL on at a decent time on anything other than a digital channel.

    And using the anti-siphoning laws as an excuse is pathetic. Northern states have been getting AFL on 7mate even though the AFL is on the list, so I am sure if Nine asked Mr Conroy, he would let them show the NRL live on GEM in southern states.

  13. Why don’t they just admit that they don’t want to show it and by having it on a 3.5hr delay they hope people won’t watch it so they can justify not showing anything any earlier in the future.

  14. While a significant improvement…it’s not live, and it’s not in HD.
    …Still Foxtel for me…(and foxtel will probably show it at 8:30 WST like last time)
    Every league fan in WA has foxtel anyway and gave up on 9/WIN years ago…

  15. It’s also worth noting that the last time it was shown live in Perth it rated higher than the AFL shown on Friday night. How do they explain that?

  18. Whoopti do Channel 9 Perth, that still means going to bed late on a week night. What were the numbers for the 2 repeats of CSI that you had the gall to put on before the 1st game. The NRL is trying to get the game back into Perth, how about you do your bit.

  21. fair call…cant argue with any network wanting a show to rate…but if all you are going to put up is somehting that doesnt rate…then i think the footy would be a good option…as long as they (WIN TV) dont have to pay heaps for it…i mean it is 9 and they think it is a premimum product no matter where it is shown

  22. So Perth will get the State of Origin at 9:30pm local time, which is 11:30pm AEST, so that’s still a 3.5 hour delay assuming they don’t air the pre-match analysis. Fox Sports 2 air it at 10:30pm AEST which is 8:30pm Perth time. How typical of Nine, so if figures are low, they’ll again blame the viewers?! No it’s not their fault, considering the match airs on Foxtel an hour earlier and Nine’s coverage is still on a significiant delay, most will just find out the result when the game finishes.

  24. Well, *I* won’t be watching, but I guess it’s a positive step – live sport. And they aren’t losing a viewer as I don’t like either 2.5 Men or TBBT.

    Just a small note however; Perth switches off analogue on June 30th 2013, not December 31. I realise that’s a quote from Mitrovic however, David, not an error in your story.

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