Victorian Open golf relegates Sydney derby to ABC children's channel

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Victorian Open golf relegates Sydney derby to ABC children's channel

Post by Beaussie »

Gee whiz, golf (mens and womens) relegating soccer... a derby match no less, to a children’s channel nationwide. :oops:

And the TV rating for the A-League continue to decline. Eek.

Victorian Open golf relegates Sydney derby to ABC children's channel
By Vince Rugari
February 5, 2020

Saturday's Sydney A-League derby has been demoted to one of the ABC's secondary channels due to the public broadcaster's contractual obligations to show a Victorian golf tournament.

Sydney FC's clash with the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday at 5pm will be shown in standard definition on ABC ME, a children's channel, leading to a likely ratings hit for one of the competition's premium fixtures.

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Relegated: The Sydney derby will be shown on a secondary channel on ABC on Saturday night.CREDIT:WOLTER PEETERS

The Victorian Open golf will instead take precedence on the ABC's main TV station, forcing A-League fans without access to Fox Sports to rifle through their electronic guides to catch a glimpse of Milos Ninkovic or Simon Cox doing battle at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

A spokesperson for the ABC said the organisation had a pre-existing commitment to the golf which meant it could not be moved from the main channel, and A-League chiefs were made aware of it several months ago when their broadcast deal was hastily arranged on the eve of the season.

A-League head Greg O'Rourke had unsuccessfully petitioned the ABC to relegate the golf but accepted the compromise solution on ABC ME - which, although just as easy to access as the main channel, does not rate anywhere near as highly, like all secondary free-to-air stations.

As a result, the league is bracing for below-par free-to-air ratings for the match, which is traditionally one of the A-League's biggest broadcast drawcards.

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Scotland's David Law won last year's Victorian Open, with this year's tournament to be broadcast on the ABC's main channel instead of the Sydney A-League derby.CREDIT:AA

Overall, the competition's performance on the ABC has been disappointing. O'Rourke told the Herald at the start of the season that the A-League was aiming for an average of more than 100,000 viewers for games shown on the ABC, but the average after 17 rounds is just 49,000, based on available metro figures.

Next weekend's clash between Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne City at 5pm on Saturday will also be shown on ABC ME because of a similar contract with the Women's Australian Open golf - but the ABC's spokesperson said they were the only two exceptions to the A-League deal this season.

The ABC deal was inked long after the A-League's draw had been locked in, which meant administrators could not shift the Sydney derby to another week to enable it to be broadcast on the main channel.

A-League sources suggest some clubs have been underwhelmed by the ABC's coverage of the competition and a lack of cross-promotion with its radio, digital and podcast assets, which had been part of the partnership's appeal.

The Newcastle Jets, meanwhile, fielded complaints from fans last weekend after the ABC failed to show the final minutes of their clash with Western United and abruptly cut away to the 7pm news bulletin.

The contest finished 0-0 but the Jets were on the attack in pursuit of a winning goal when the ABC dropped the Fox Sports feed and went to the news.

The spokesperson for the broadcaster said that only happened because multiple drinks breaks had to be taken during the match as a result of oppressive heat in Newcastle, pushing it beyond its allotted time, while the ABC prioritised the news because of developments relating to bushfires.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/vic ... 53y2m.html
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