No HD Simulcast for AFL and NRL Grand Finals and Bathurst 1000.

Seriously what year is this?

Its ridiculous that in 2012 we can’t even see the free to air broadcasts of some of the biggest sporting events of the year in HD. A situation not likely to change until anologue is off in 2014.

During the AFL Grand Final on Saturday, Seven’s HD channel 7mate will be broadcasting regular programming while the same is also the case with Nine’s HD channel GEM who are playing a movie from 1957 and Antiques Roadshow during the NRL Grand Final on Sunday (Sept 30).

Then, on the following weekend, 7mate is carrying regular programming during the Bathurst 1000 – which was actually simulcast in HD last year.

Its one thing to offer alternative content on digital channels, but we are talking about three very huge sporting events which should be delivered to fans simulcast in HD.

This would be unheard of in any other country. Can you imagine, if in the US, the Superbowl was not broadcast in HD? There’d be riots.

 UPDATE: The official word from Seven:

“Seven’s primary channel is in SD. We’re producing our coverage for our primary channel.”

There you have it. No HD in 2012 from Seven.

The replay on 7mate at 6.30pm Saturday night will obviously also be in standard definition.

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  • Matthew

    Was shocked to see that the 50th running of the Bathurst 1000 will not be in HD Surely that would give it a more bigger reason to telecast it in HD! I enjoyed the Bathurst 1000 in HD Last year I don’t get why they are not doing it again! Then I say what’s the point of HD Channels?

  • http://www.facebook.com/markvknowles Mark Knowles

    The government has really bolloxed up the whole implementation of digital TV in this country. Due to the anti-siphoning agreement that keeps these shows on free-to-air TV, there is no way these sports will ever get the respect they deserve.

    When the government introduced digital TV licenses, they should have stipulated in the anti-siphoning agreement that these events be broadcast in HD. This would effectively force the stations to simulcast things to reach the people who can’t be bothered to upgrade their set top box. There’s just no incentive to even switch to digital TV at the moment, let alone HD.

    Formula 1 is where it hurts me the most. Ten’s coverage is woeful and in SD. We get qualifying in tantalizing HD, because it’s deemed not to be popular enough for their “main” channel and then we get the race in SD, because that’s apparently what the punters want. Ridiculous.

  • Brian Dewy

    Watched the AFL yesterday which I love and have enjoyed this years coverage on FOX in full blown HD to find that on the most important day of the year its filmed in poxy standard format, what century is Channel Seven in my god. Then I have just realised those morons are screening Bathurst next week in standard format as well. Stuff that I wont watch and I will watch it later in proper format, how pathetic are 7
    I have watched the highlights in HD this morning of the Grand final , Channel seven you are a disgrace, hey Kerry Strokes I thought you were a sportsmen you are disgrace showing the most important sporting even in standard definition

  • Jeff k

    Channel 9 tricked all the NRL fans 3 years ago when they did a deal with Harvey Norman to televise the state of origin in 3D HD, told everyone to go out and buy big 3D HD tv’s as this is the future. What a great big lie, the NRL should be embarrassed to see its great product presented in such a poor way.

  • Muckyleduck

    It is going backwards. Last year there was a huge hoop-t-do made about Bathurst in HD. 33 HD cameras, this and that. How wonderful it will be to see such clear fantastic images. And it was. I was great, I enjoyed the replay on Speed HD the other day of the 2011 highlights. So one would expect it to be at least equal this year for the 50th anniv. But no. Going backwards. I left a few posts on the V8 supercar site about how channel 7 cares zero about it’s viewers only to be abused and had some posts removed (at no time was I abusive) and told I didn’t know what I was talking about. Seems to be lots of channel 7 stooges posting on that site so I will not go back there. Such a shame about the way the lounge room fans are treated by the free to air mob. And they (FTA boffins) wonder why they are going belly up.

    • William

      This is why TEN should get the rights. SEVEN don’t you dare get the rights for 2013-2017 otherwise I’ll never watch your AFL ever again and V8s

  • Get with the times

    Hopeless !!!. Why is we can NASCAR , NFL, & baseball in crystal clear HD on One but our biggest honegrown sporting events are served up in fuzzy format ?? It’s 2012 !!. Lift your game 7 & 9 !!

  • pissed-off-punter

    fuck you channel 7

    back to channel 10 for the V8s god damnit

  • ablivi

    What about in Bathurst not bloody showing Lowndes overtake to 4th! Mongrels!

  • Adam

    Since the great race has been run and won, alot of my questions are being answered. We all know the live telecast was broadcasted on 7 in SD. Interesting this morning, i’m watching the replay on SPEED HD and it’s been broadcasted in HD therefore it was captured in the HD format. If you similcast on a secondary HD channel this does not break the anti-siphoning laws. 7 obviously spent the extra coin on capturing the event in HD, so why didn’t the broadcast live in HD? My guess is advertiser commitments/revenue on 7mate.
    Another interesting point is that the broadcast deal is up that the end of this V8 season. Is it just me or has anyone noticed the lack of clashes with the AFL programming this year? And also to meantion, atleast 1 race of every round has been “LIVE’? Me thinks 7 are doing as much as they can to keep the V8′s. Hopefully with the new deal for 2013-2017 all the HD and ‘LIVE’ broadcasting issues are sorted for everyone to enjoy the sport.
    Much is the same for the NRL. Noticed channel 10 had ‘The Game Plan’, now that the rights stay with 9, i doubt you’ll see it on the screens next year as it formed part of 10′s bid for the TV rights. For those who don’t know, the new NRL TV deal will not change anything for the fans. Programming stays exactly the same, however from 2014 all games on 9 will be in HD. Not sure how that will work. Interesting too, the deal 10 put on the table was cheaper then 9 and 10 was going to have 4 LIVE games every round. once again the fans miss out. Hope whoever gets the V8SC TV rights does the right thing by it’s supporters, THE FANS.