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SBS at risk of losing Tour Down Under

SBS may lose the rights to the Tour Down Under to the Nine Network this summer.

SBS may lose the rights to the Tour Down Under to a commercial network this summer.

SBS cycling presenter Mike Tomalaris has tweeted:
“SBS can reveal TV rights for @tourdownder not looking good. It seems 1 network has agreed to share cricket with cycling for next 3 summers.”

SBS TV senior sports producer Stuart Randall also tweeted:
“To echo Tomo, highly likely that #tourdownunder will not be on SBS in January, but on a commercial network instead. Shame but we move on.

“We’ll be on site and do what we’re allowed too. News access videos and some bits and pieces. Not comprehensive though.

“On the plus side, we’ll have live coverage of the National Roads on Jan 8th and the national tracks Jan 28/29.”

Cycling is a big drawcard for SBS with Cadel Evans’ win in the Tour de France as its top rating event for 2012.

Given Nine’s cricketing commitments it would appear to be the network that has swooped on the rights to TDU, but this is unconfirmed. Nine previously snatched Top Gear from SBS.

TV Tonight understands rights holders SA Events are dragging their feet on a deal, possibly still in negotiation with Nine.

The Santos Tour Down Under takes place from January 15th.

35 Responses

  1. @Danny Wu – The Tour Down under is Not in the wrong state. It started in Adelaide and its staying in Adelaide.

    Also ch9 will stuff up the coverage putting it on at midnight.

  2. I hope ch9 do their usual destruction of something good. With a bit of luck they will bring their usual “blokes” to totally stuff up the commentary…dermie eddie et al

  3. One did a great job of the World Road Cycling Champs last year from Geelong showing all events live. Lachie does not want any sport on One coz it will ruin Fox Sports. Protecting daddies assets. So if any commercial network needed sports content its Ten/One. But alas they dont bid for sports any more. They waste money on shows no one is currently watching on Ten.

    Nine will absolutely ruin the TDU. They should not be trusted with sport. See what they did to the RWC. They are a terrible sports broadcaster.

  4. Overall i agree with most, SBS do a good job, they should keep it. However, in regard to a few coments about the commentators; mostly with the international cycling (TDU, TDF and other major events), the commantry that we get with Phil Liggit and Paul Shewin is not actually SBS’s commantry anyway, it is an international thing. I THINK firstly for the UK, then it is picked up by various broadcasters. They just get them to give a quick pre-recorded comment in SBS logoed shirt at the start of the coverage.

    All that is to say, channel nine will most probably get the same commantry. It will just be the pre and post race comments that will be channel nine commentators – just like Mike Tomalaris does now for SBS (which despite his passion for cycling he is not very good at anyway IMO).

  5. Apart from 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games where cycling was a sport, Nine had never shown a genuine interest in cycling. Perhaps it bid for Tour Down Under as part of the build-up to next year’s London Olympics, or because Nine could lose the cricket rights at the end of 2012/13 season it will need another sport as a back up? Anyway, I think TDU will get massive promotions and be shown live on Channel Nine Adelaide, but on GO! outside South Australia.

  6. Channel 9 should never be allowed near cycling coverage. SBS are the ones who have the knowledge, the experts, the committed people who actually ride a bicycle, unlike Nine who have anti-cycling mungo ball commentators who have been openly hostile to cyclists. SBS supports local cycling by broadcasting regional and Aus title races. Nine will kill cycling. They bought the rights to the rugby world cup in order to bury it, to stop it competing with Australia’s most boring sport – Rugby League (mungo ball). I for one will boycott nines coverage and go to the web. Come on Events SA, get a grip and keep cycling where it has been nurtured and encouraged, not take it to where it will be buried & hated.

  7. Nine need to go jump off a cliff and leave the other networks sports alone. First the Rugby World Cup which was covered very poorly and now this? I hope it isn’t true because SBS cover these things well.

  8. Please Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! SBS does a wonderful job in promoting and covering the Tour Down Under and cycling in general. Their commentators are experts. Channel 9 will kill it off – slowly! Rise up, all cycling fans, Australians, sports lovers, anyone who is fed up with commercial channels buying up many sports only to fill in gaps in their coverage.

  9. Just think of all the wonderful cycling memorabilia that we shall have flogged at us, throw in the virtual advertising, constant commercial breaks and as a bonus we might even get Eddie… The powers that be in cycling better think long and hard about what is good for the long term of the sport, not just the 5 minute budget bottom line…

  10. Just like the Rugby World Cup. Nine are actively looking to buy-up sports that might compete with either NRL or Cricket telecasts. TDU will be given the minimum air-time and then buried… they won’t even mention it in their nightly news sports reports (just like the Rugby World Cup)… NRL off-season rubbish will get more air-time.

  11. I don’t think SBS should loose this, especially not to Nine after they screwed up Top Gear. And I can bet it won’t air on GEM in HD, at least on SBS its in 720. If any other channel should get this it’s ONE.

  12. @AmazingRaceAlex – larger network? More exposure?

    SBS is available to (almost) everyone in Australia, Channel 9 is a metro channel with regional affiliates in most areas, but not all. Im sure there are parts of WA that pick up SBS but not Ch 9

    Perhaps if people look past the “7” and “9” buttons on their TV they will discover other things worth watching

  13. Hope what I have read isn’t true. SBS have done an awesome job and SA Events have to consider this because they have the commitment. Nine is focused on cricket only.

  14. Eh. Well, I guess we won’t be seeing it all then.

    Nine might be gracious enough to show fives minutes of it though – if they can fit it in between their ads and commentators.

    I guess we should be thankful that that much will be shown? 😉

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