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Nine pulls plans for Rugby World Cup Final in HD

Nine has dumped plans to simulcast the Rugby World Cup Final in HD on GEM this weekend. Instead it will screen Antiques Roadshow.

Nine has dumped plans to simulcast the Rugby World Cup Final in HD on GEM this weekend.

Instead it will screen Antiques Roadshow and British sitcom As Time Goes By on GEM.

Friday night’s Bronze final between Australia and Wales will also just screen in SD on Nine while Friends, The Zoo and Drop Dead Diva screen on GEM.

When previously asked why the NRL Grand Final wasn’t available in HD, Nine advised it wanted to offer viewers viewing alternatives. But last weekend Nine simulcast all its live Rugby World Cup matches simulcast on GEM.

That strategy appears to have been short-lived.

The match plays Live at 6:30pm AEDT.

On Nine….

43 Responses

  1. No surprise there then.

    I can’t believe though what sloppy scheduling Australian broadcasters get away with – not a week goes by without last minute changes on virtually all networks for very little reason. Here in the UK it usually takes the death of a Royal for such schedule changes – and even then people still complain.

    And above anything, it’s just bad PR too – announcing plans to their customers one day to change them the next. You could see this one coming from space!

  2. Hey David, any merit in the idea of doing one of your feature length stories and interviews with each of the networks about their plans to get the main networks back in HD? Seems to be a lot of reader / viewer interest.

    It’s been a few years now I think since we get News 24, Gem, 7mate and One in HD, but not the main networks.

    Wasn’t there a 3 year plan to switch. Surely we can’t move into 2012 and 2013 with our networks not in HD?

  3. what a relief, I would without seeing my daily dose of antiques roadshow, much better than watching a ‘once every four years’ major sporting event in hd.

    Can someone please give back the rugby union world cup licence to channel 7, Nine have really been asleep at the wheel and can’t be trusted.

  4. I hope now that the game rates poorly for ch9 and fox gets more viewers. Yet another backflip and more instability at this crap hole network. I have austar thankfully but I don’t hold much faith for NRL if 9 gets the rights.

  5. I’ll be happy if Channel Nine gives up all their sports and actually give it to someone like Fox Sports, who will show it live, with no ads during play and in HD! Bring on 2013 when they will shut down analogue, and we will get our primary channel HD channels back! And Gem, One and 7Mate can finally go back to the world of SD where they belong!

  6. If Nine wants to give viewers more options they go have GO!, if they really wanted more options then what about the option of HD for those who want to watch it in HD?

    They sooner the anti-siphoning rules are dropped the better!

    Have to wonder if this would be different if Australia was in the final?

  7. I’m wondering if they would have stuck with an HD telecast if Australia had made it to the finals? Nine need to be careful about treating their viewers with contempt. All they’re doing is sending them into Foxtel’s arms.

  8. Its must be management by rolling the dice up there or the chocolate wheel perhaps.

    Or do they have a Tarot Card reader on hand.

    Or perhaps the World Greatest Treasurer?

  9. Thought it was too good to be true when Nine showed the last match in HD, it turned out it was since they aren’t using HD for the next match. It makes you wonder what on earth are they thinking.

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