Waterhouse to have reduced role on NRL broadcasts

The NRL has told a federal parliamentary inquiry that bookmaker Tom Waterhouse will have a reduced role for the remainder of the season, conceding that he had blurred the lines between commentary and advertising.

The NRL‘s general manager for strategic relations, Shane Mattiske, said, “What you’ll see in the most recent round, and moving forward, is a clear separation when someone is talking about sports odds and when the commentary team is talking about the match itself,” he told the hearing in Sydney. “It’s plain that in the first round the lines were a little blurred.”

The Australian reports Nine’s director of commercial and regulatory affairs, Scott Briggs, also told the hearing that it was not the network’s intention to use Waterhouse as a commentator.

Waterhouse will now appeared by himself, with a graphic to make it clear he was not a Nine Network personality and ensuring he talked purely about betting odds rather than the game. H

The NRL has also said talk of a $50M with Waterhouse were “exaggerated.” A Fairfax article today says he is believed to have a $15M deal with the NRL and a $5M deal with Nine. This contradicts unverified earlier reports.

Waterhouse had been invited to appear at the hearing but was not available.

TV Tonight readers have reacted badly to Waterhouse’s current involvement in Nine broadcasts, many citing their concerns over gambling endorsements during family sports broadcasts -the very same concerns expressed by the parliament inquiry.