Matt White Joins TEN's team for Glasgow Commentary Team / XX Commonwealth Games Commentary Announced

TEN is pleased to announce that one of Australia’s most respected news and sport presenters, Matt White, is joining the commentary team for its live, exclusive and free coverage of the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, this month. Alongside Olympic champions Steve Hooker and Leisel Jones, Matt will host TEN’s morning edition of Glasgow Live to bring viewers extensive coverage of the Games, backed by a stellar team of hosts and expert commentators.

Matt White said: “I am extremely excited to be starting work at TEN this week and to be heading over to Glasgow for the XX Commonwealth Games later this month is the icing on the cake. “To be hosting alongside two of Australia’s greatest Olympians in Steve Hooker and Leisel Jones is an honour in itself, not to mention working with Ian Thorpe and the entire team of hosts and expert commentators.

 “Australia has countless gold medal chances in Glasgow including household names such as Sally Pearson, Anna Meares and James Magnussen up against some of the world’s best athletes,” he said.

TEN's Head of Sport, David Barham, said: “TEN Sport is delighted to have Matt back as part of our team. He is one of the best sports broadcasters in this country and will be a great addition to all of our sporting properties.

 “The Glasgow Games are on track to be one of the most memorable Commonwealth Games ever and we are thrilled to have Mel McLaughlin and Matt White led the presenting team with Ian Thorpe, Leisel Jones and Steve Hooker.

 “Their combined wealth of knowledge and experience will no doubt prove an invincible team in the Glasgow studio,” he said.

With just less than two weeks to go until the Opening Ceremony on July 24 (Australian time),TEN is planning to bring viewers extensive coverage of every day of the competition in Scotland, 24 hours a day on TEN, ONE and tenplay. Glasgow Live will kick off the evening’s prime time coverage from 6.00pm AEST each evening on ONE, hosted by TEN Sport’s Greg Rust live from the Commentator’s Lounge.

Joined by a team of experts including Nicole Livingstone, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Liz Ellis, Sharelle McMahon and Rob de Castella, Greg will bring viewers an abundance of live sporting action including swimming, athletics, hockey, triathlon, netball and more. From 9.30pm AEST, Mel McLaughlin and Ian Thorpe take over the reins of Glasgow Live on TEN from TEN’s studio in the heart of the Glasgow competition precinct. Mel McLaughlin and Ian Thorpe will preview upcoming events and competitors, as well as feature live sport, expert analysis, celebrity guests and all the news from Scotland.

With the live action and gold medal moments continuing right through the night and into the  morning, Matt White, Steve Hooker and Leisel Jones will host the broadcast from 3.00am AEST through to 8.30am AEST on TEN. The morning edition of Glasgow Live will include swimming and athletics finals, live medal ceremonies, studio guests and more. Throughout each day, ONE will encore all highlights, action and medal ceremonies from overnight in Glasgow. 

2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow.

Live, Exclusive and Free on TEN, ONE and tenplay.

July 24 to August 4, 2014 (AWST).

Glasgow Live with Greg Rust

4pm AWST – 7.30pm AWST on ONE

Glasgow Live with Mel McLaughlin and Ian Thorpe

7.30pm AWST – 1am AWST on TEN

Glasgow Live with Matt White, Steve Hooker and Leisel Jones 

1am AWST – 6.30am AWST on TEN

Hamish McLennan says the network is in the mix for AFL and otherpremium sports rights

TEN is plotting a daring return to AFL broadcasting after chief Hamish McLennan vowed the network would fight hard to secure more premium sports rights.

Mr McLennan said that Ten would push for a carve-up of AFL rights with rival Seven when new footy boss Gillon McLachlan opens negotiations shortly. The AFL is understood to be asking for $1.5 billion for its next five-year deal from 2017-21, after the latest deal with Seven garnered a record $1.258 billion price tag.

Mr McLennan pointed to the success of last year’s Cricket Australia deal — in which Ten broadcast the domestic Twenty20 tournament while Nine retained the longer forms of the game — as a model that showed sports codes could increase audience and revenue.

“With the success of Big Bash and the Sochi Olympics it has shown that live sport drives premium advertising dollars and strong ratings,’’ he said. “We are very interested in getting more. We find the idea of getting some games from the AFL highly appealing.”

It is believed a carve-up with another free-to-air network is more likely than a deal with pay-TV broadcaster Foxtel.

“I think Cricket Australia were the absolute winners out of the competitive tension between Nine and Ten — it would be the same thing with the AFL,” Mr McLennan said. “With cricket, two broadcasters competing against each other brought new ideas, new marketing and a broader audience base. And each brought new viewers to cricket.’’

A return to the nation’s highest rating winter sport would bring an end to a five year hiatus after Ten dropped its AFL rights in 2011, after starting coverage in 2002. Mr McLennan said shared deals were beneficial to the AFL.

“We shared the AFL with Seven in the past. I think it would be fair to assume the AFL would reach a broader audience, and therefore make more dollars.”

Ten surprised the market last June when it agreed to pay $100 million for rights to the Big Bash competition over five years, while Nine paid $450 million for the Test and one-day series. Despite being the largest deal signed for cricket broadcast rights, it proved a ratings winner for Ten, under siege after falls in advertising revenue and viewership. The package delivered Ten its best start to a year since 2009, averaging 935,000 viewers for the network and its regional partners.

Mr McLennan played down talk he would be chasing rugby union’s Super Rugby, suggesting it was still too much of a niche offering. Matches featuring the Wallabies — Australia’s rugby union representatives — were a different prospect.

“It comes down to the price — we might try to carve the Wallabies off (from the high-rating Australian National Rugby Union rights package), it just depends.”

Ten would also like to broadcast some National Rugby League games as well.

“The NRL and AFL are more mainstream which appeals to us,” Mr McLennan said. "Whilst I live union as a game it doesn't have the broad-based appel that AFL and NRL have. Nine Network and Foxtel last year paid more than $1 billion in the latest five-year NRL broadcasting agreement.

Some analysts argue that deal, teamed with its outlay on cricket, effectively ruled Nine out of AFL rights discussions, leaving Ten in a prime position to slug it out with Seven.

Mr McLennan made criticisms of Tennis Australia last year when it failed to put Australian Open rights out to an open market for a bidding war. “I think they did themselves out of money,’’ he adds but despite the boost to ratings from the Big Bash and Sochi Olympics over summer, Ten ratings plummeted in March and April as a result of TBL and SYTYCDA failing to perform for most of its season.

Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 - ONE and TEN

2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES - COUNTDOWN (ONE)

Ep 1 and 2                                                                                                                 Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 2pm-3pm (06 July)

Adelaide:                                2pm-3pm (06 July)

Perth:                                     2pm-3pm (06 July)
Ep 3 and 4
Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 2pm-3pm (13 July)
Adelaide:                                2pm-3pm (13 July)
Perth:                                     2pm-3pm (13 July)
Ep 5 and 6
Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 2pm-3pm (20 July)
Adelaide:                                2pm-3pm (20 July)
Perth:                                     2pm-3pm (20 July)

Opening Ceremony LIVE (TEN)

Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 5.30am-8.45am 

Adelaide:                                 5.30am-8.45am

Perth:                                      5.30am-8.45am

Day 1 LIVE (ONE/TEN)

Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 6pm-9.30pm (ONE) 9.30pm-8.30am (TEN)

Adelaide:                               5.30pm-9.30pm (ONE) 9.30pm-8am (TEN)

Perth:                                      4pm-9.30pm (ONE) 9.30pm-6.30am (TEN)

Day 2 LIVE (ONE/TEN)

Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 6pm-8.30pm/8.30pm-8.30am

Adelaide:                               5.30pm-8.30pm/8.30pm-8am

Perth:                                      4pm-8.30pm/8.30pm-6.30am

Day 3 LIVE (ONE/TEN)

Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 6pm-8.30pm/8.30pm-8.30am

Adelaide:                                  5.30pm-8.30pm/8.30pm-8am

Perth:                                        4pm-7.30pm/7.30pm-6.30am

Day 4 LIVE (ONE/TEN)

Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 6pm-9.55pm/10pm-8.30am

Adelaide:                                5.30pm-9.25pm/10pm-8am

Perth:                                     4pm-7.55pm/10pm-6.30am

Day 5 LIVE (ONE/TEN)

Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 6pm-10pm/10pm-8.30am

Adelaide:                               5.30pm-10pm/10pm-8am

Perth:                                    4pm-10pm/10pm-6.30am

Day 6 LIVE (ONE/TEN)

Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 6pm-9.30pm/9.30pm-8.30am

Adelaide:                               5.30pm-9.30pm/9.30pm-8am

Perth:                                   4pm-9.30pm/9.30pm-6.30am

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTY: IS IT THE FUTURE OF TV?

Thursday night football could spark a massive fight for TV rights. 

In particular the AFL bosses will be keen to see some big figures as the Thursday night slot is set to be its jewel in the crown for the next TV rights deals which starts in 2017.

The grand plan is to have a second free-to-air network — Channel 9 or 10 — get involved with the Thursday night slot the perfect carrot and the vehicle to split up the rights.

With Monday night football sent to its death bed, Thursday will get plenty more opportunities next year — this is the fifth Thursday night game this season with one more to come on July 31 Fremantle v Carlton.

The bonus for Channel 9 is that Thursday night AFL doesn’t interfere with its rugby league commitments while Channel 10 is the wildcard given they’ve shown they want to get hold of more sport on the back of the success of the Big Bash.

They just missed on snaring the NRL and the worry for the AFL is they may turn their attention to the A-League whose rights are up from 2016.

Imagine if Channel 10 took over soccer and had it on free-to-air, prime time on Friday night’s up against the AFL.

That’s a scenario that the AFL doesn’t want to encounter which is why the negotiations, which will likely start at the end of the year, will be intriguing.

Australian Gymnastics Championships to be broadcast on ONE

Gymnastics Australia and Network Ten have reached agreement for several of the premium sessions at the 2014 Australian Gymnastics Championships to be broadcast on ONE.

The free-to-air channel will screen two one-hour specials showcasing highlights from the all-around and individual apparatus finals in men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics. The 2014 Australian Gymnastics Championships are being staged at Hisense Arena in Melbourne from 21 May to 1 June.

ONE will screen the programs on the weekend before Network Ten commences its 2014 Commonwealth Games coverage. They will go to air on Saturday 19 July and Sunday 20 July at 3pm. The coverage is likely to feature a number of Victorian Men's and Women's gymnasts who are all in contention for Commonwealth Games selection. Men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics are two of the three gymnastics disciplines featured at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Network Ten is Australia's official broadcaster of the Commonwealth Games and will provide extensive coverage of every day of competition across TEN and ONE from 24 July.

“We are thrilled that Network Ten has agreed to broadcast the all-around and apparatus finals of the 2014 Australian Gymnastics Championships on ONE,” said Gymnastics Australia chief executive officer Mark Rendell.

“We are particularly pleased to be able to showcase the country’s elite gymnasts immediately prior to the Commonwealth Games where we hope they will again feature prominently in the medal count.”

While national titles will be the focus for most, athletes will also by vying for selection to the 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games Team. The event serves as the selection trial for artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. Competition will be particularly fierce in women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics with athletes competing for just five places on the Commonwealth Games team. In rhythmic gymnastics, competitors will be vying for only three Commonwealth Games places. The event will also be used to select Oceania representatives in men’s artistic, women’s artistic and trampoline gymnastics for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games being held in Nanjing, China.

Roz Kelly signs to TEN

First Ten stole Mel McLaughlin from Fox Sports, now TEN has stole yet another best Aussie female sports presenter in the business from (former) 9.

Former Channel 9 presenter Roz Kelly has moved to South Africa with partner Morne Morkel who is a former cricketer for South Africa

She begins on TEN in July joining the Glasgow Commonwealth Games commentary team

Network TEN and Foxtel extend MotoGP TV deal

It has been announced that TEN and Fox Sports will continue broadcasting MotoGP till the end of 2016 on a two year deal with promoters Dorna Sports.

The agreement will see the premier class still remain on FTA in Australia on TEN.

Network TEN will televise all races live on One / Ten and tenplay.

Ten and Fox will produce additional feature coverage at the Australian Grand Prix over the next two years.

“We’re delighted that Australian audiences will be able to enjoy more extensive coverage of MotoGP over the next three years with Ten and Fox, via pay and free-to-air TV and online said Manel Arroyo, Dorna Managing Director

“Australia has a thriving motorcycle community with very loyal MotoGP fans and we always enjoy our visit to Phillip Island, one of the most beautiful tracks on the calendar.“There will be more coverage of the action on track for our fans as we have two broadcast partners now who are supporting MotoGP and they will work with us to continue to grow our sport in Australia.”

Network Ten Head of Sport, David Barham, commented: “We are delighted to extend our broadcast deal with Dorna Sports to ensure that Australian motorsport fans can watch all MotoGP races live, free and in High Definition. This deal further demonstrates Network Ten’s commitment to premium motorsport.”

FOX SPORTS CEO, Patrick Delany, said: “Fans have already had a taste of our MotoGP coverage with the first two rounds complete for the 2014 season, but this is just the beginning of what will be a transformational three-year period for the sport on FOX SPORTS. Not only will fans see every race from every Grands Prix including all championship races, support categories, practice, and qualifying events LIVE with no interruptions during the action, we will fire up the red button and second-screen features to deliver an experience like no other.”