Thoughts on Live TV against the gate

[Beaussie]

The AFL has rejected Channel 10 request to broadcast the Pies v Bombers semi-final live. What are your thoughts on live broadcasts? Do you think it affects the gate enough to keep delayed telecasts?

AFL rejects Channel Ten bid to show game live
Article from: Bruce Matthews
March 05, 2009 12:00am

A REQUEST by Channel 10 to televise tomorrow night's NAB Cup semi-final live was rejected by the AFL.

The Collingwood-Essendon game will be on delay by 30 minutes after a compromise.

Concern that live telecasts affect attendances is the main reason the AFL generally refuses permission to its broadcasting partners.

Originally, the AFL wanted the game (first bounce 7.40pm) to be delayed on TV by 60 minutes, but Ten persuaded the league to halve the delay.

Ten's AFL executive producer David Barham said he would love the opportunity to televise live AFL games.

"The only reason we don't go live is because the AFL won't let us," Barham said.

AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said last night the league treated requests game by game and that often a broadcaster's motive was to suit its programming schedule.

"While broadcasting is obviously very important, we want our start time to maximise our attendance," he said.

"That's why the start is a little later on Friday nights because people need time to go home, pick up the kids and get through traffic on a Friday night, as opposed to Saturday night when we normally go half an hour earlier."

In a rare swap, Ten is covering the Friday night semi-final while Seven screens the Geelong-Carlton game on delay the following night.

"This is just a special arrangement in the NAB Cup. During the home-and-away (season), we do the Saturday night," Barham said.

Fox Sport will televise live the Geelong-Carlton semi-final, starting at 7.10pm, with Seven's coverage 90 minutes later.

When the AFL season starts, Seven will revert to the Friday night game, with a Saturday night match on Ten.

It's Seven's turn to televise this year's NAB Cup final, which has been moved forward by 24 hours on Friday week to avoid the bushfire benefit concert at the MCG.

Ten's near-live telecast, a bonus for Magpie and Bomber fans, is a contrast to the 90-minute delay on last week's NAB Cup opening round blockbuster when Ben Cousins made his long-awaited debut for Richmond.

Barham defended the long wait for viewers, saying Ten was locked into scheduled programs long before the AFL shifted the game to Thursday night to allow the A-League to play its Grand Final at Docklands on the Saturday night.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 40,00.html

[kaskill]

I think it's rubbish they don't show the games live! I dunno peoples thoughts in the cities close to matches but for people like myself who live in the country and are nearly 6 hours from melbourne it's not real fair on us! They delay telecast till bloody 8:30 here!!!

[Beaussie]

Yeah agreed on your point about those not living in the match cities kaskill. Count yourself lucky though that you only have a one hour delay. Up here once the season starts we get 11:30 - midnight replays for now Swans games.