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No HD coverage for NRL Grand Final

Nine will not broadcast the NRL Grand Final in HD due to "technical difficulties."

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2014-10-04_0136Nine has confirmed it will not broadcast tomorrow’s NRL Grand Final in high definition.

Nine told Mumbrella it would not screen in HD due to “technical difficulties” -but did not elaborate on the detail.

This follows Seven screening the AFL Grand Final last week in standard definition, despite fans pleading for HD coverage.

Nine already produces its NRL in high definition, which screens on GEM in cities like Perth and Adelaide and via FOX Sports.

In 2012 it managed to screen Olympics in HD all the way from London while its upcoming Matador One Day Cup will also screen on GEM.

Under the current anti-siphoning rules, Nine could simulcast the match on both Nine and GEM.

Last week Victor Corones from MagnaGlobal told TV Tonight ad rates for Primary channels are around 7 – 10 times higher than those on multichannels.

“There is generally more available audiences sitting on the primary channels which also happen to be the more expensive channels from a rates and Cost Per Thousand perspective,” he said.

In 2012 Nine CEO David Gyngell announced Nine would screen NRL in high definition in 2014 but the network has still not clarified when this will occur across the board despite the season ending tomorrow.

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  4. Nine has screened NRL on GEM in Full HD neally every game this year so far (both friday and sunday airings), and double checked aswell, its a bitrate starved blockfest with mpeg2, but it is indeed HD.

    The grand final should be no different? Another week, another game, same assumed setup?

  5. What a load of rubbish. The 2010 game was simulcast on nine and GEM.

    The reasons it isn’t being shown on GEM:
    1. So nine can get a higher rating number on nine rather than having the audience split between nine and GEM
    2. It believes it can make more money by showing the all time favourite Valentines Day on GEM instead.

    Good news for me though, this will be the last time I will need to watch nine until March. Thank you Blu-Ray, internet and Foxtel. Showing things they way they should be, in HD.

  6. Australian TV – when it comes to high definition – is beyond shameful. Any sports fan visiting the US or UK will see glorious hi-def broadcasts available widely. The difference it makes is enormous. Australia is relatively in the dark ages as free-to-air viewers are treated with absolute and utter contempt. I’m not at all a sports fan, but I still see the lack of HD here as symptomatic of a much wider problem. Most drama and comedy series are recorded in HD, though Australian television fans would never know it. Is it any wonder so many Aussies download HD version of their favourite show?

  7. It has previously aired in Adelaide but I was only there before the final series and it definitely was not on. I assumed it would be shot in HD for overseas purposes

  9. I need to correct you here David. Nine does not broadcast NRL to SA (Adelaide) for some strange reason. As for Melbourne it might be on GEM but it certainly is not in HD. It’s upscaled

    1. Daran, NRL is shot in HD. I have checked this in the past. Whether GEM has the full spectrum to deliver this or not is another question, but it is shot in HD. It has previously aired on GEM in Adelaide, as it has in Melbourne, and does in Perth -but I accept may not be doing so lately.

  10. Along with the decisions of Tour of England, NRL in southern states, Cricket when the news is on the main channel etc all on gem. Just so inconsistent to say technical difficulties. They have 2 shopping channels Extra and Extra 2 and cannot decide to either bring back 9HD or on Gem. Similar inconsistency with 7 and 10.

  11. I always keep thinking what if Ten got the NRL rights. We would of have four live matches had it been on Ten. But instead we got a broadcaster who gave most of the games to Foxtel and has finally come to the realisation that the Sunday afternoon match must be Live. I have no faith in channel nine after the long line up of sports they have stuffed up in televising.

  13. Channel 9 is such a joke for not having the NRL GF in HD. And why would people from the eastern states criticise the Nine Network of not having the State of Origin in HD?

  17. Technical Difficulties probably means that they don’t have all there player table equipment due to yhe freeview plus rollout and is still being trialed as for example in Adelaide on the One HD channel where it has been switch to SD for certain programming blocks. I also took a hint out of your article on governnent wanting to shift to more HD broadcasts of freeview channel so the freeview operators don’t know what to think.

  19. Just come out and say that it’s because the cameras are in position for Monday’s coverage of the Matador Cup cricket. Some honesty is better than hiding behind “technical difficulties” and no further detail.

  23. Nine and Gyngell have treated the fans of the NRL with utter contempt. If a commission were ever needed , it would be how a inferior bid won the the last NRL tv rights. The tv numbers are speaking for themselves

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