Commonwealth Games

1.00pm Wednesday, October 13 on Ten

Hosted by Stephen Quartermain (1pm – 5.30pm), Bill Woods (5.30pm – 11.30pm) and Corey Wingard (11.30 – 4.00am)

The coverage will also include regular sports updates presented by Sandra Sully and Helen Kapalos throughout the day, as well as Around the Ground reports presented by Lachlan Reid.

COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS:

*ROAD CYCLINGMen’s time trialWomen’s time trial

*DIVINGMen’s 10m platformWomen’s 3m springboard

*HOCKEY – WOMEN’SGold medal final

*BOXINGFinals (in all 10 events)

11.30am Wednesday, October 13 on Ten

Hosted by Stephen Quartermain (1pm – 5.30pm), Bill Woods (5.30pm – 11.30pm) and Corey Wingard (11.30 – 4.00am)

The coverage will also include regular sports updates presented by Sandra Sully and Helen Kapalos throughout the day, as well as Around the Ground reports presented by Lachlan Reid.

COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS:

*ATHLETICSMen’s marathonWomen’s marathon

*NETBALLGold medal final

*HOCKEY – MEN’SGold medal final

*RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICSApparatus finals

*CLOSING CEREMONY(12.30am)

Whether you believe the Commonwealth Games are still relevant or not, there is still something about seeing the Aussies whip every other country in the competition, especially in the pool.

The Commonwealth Games gives our athletes the chance to perform at an international level, at an event with large media coverage, right in between the previous and the next Olympic Games.

With only and handful of nations (just over 70) compared to the Olympics (over 200), the Commonwealth Games will never be like the Olympics, and audiences both at the venues in New Delhi and on TV show that.

Ten has the free to air rights to the Commonwealth Games, while Foxtel have the Pay TV rights in a shared agreement between the two. Ten has provided coverage that is simulcast for most of the time on Ten, ONE HD, and ONE’s standard definition channel.

As the Commonwealth Games are on the anti-siphoning list for sporting events, it means that it cannot be exclusively shown on Pay TV or even exclusively on ONE HD which would mean Ten could continue with normal programming or at least cherry pick events for the main channel.

Ratings for the Games are way down on what they have been in the past. Overall viewers between Ten and One fall well short of free to air viewers in previous years. In 2006, the free to air coverage rated much higher than it has in 2010 – but in 2006, it was a home event held in Melbourne and there were not 12 other free to air channels competing for viewers.

On Foxtel, ratings for the Delhi channels are not measured directly. The six channels that Foxtel offer as well as the six additional HD simulcast channels appear collectively in the “all other channels” group as far as Pay TV ratings go. During the Games, this group has surged in ratings shares from about 2% of all Pay TV channels to 8%.

The overall share of viewers for Subscription TV has seen shares for the first week of the Games higher than the shares of the winning free to air network for that week (Seven). Usually total Pay TV shares rank 2^nd or 3^rd behind the top FTA networks. However, that could also be attributed to viewers that would normally watch Ten watching other shows on Pay TV. GO! as well has benefited from not having any Ten programming on during the Games. It’s shares have been much higher tahn usual.

The TV channel to benefit the most out of the Commonwealth Games is ONE – reaching record shares since April 2009 when they were first measured, in both daytime and prime time shares. On Friday night, one of the big swimming nights, ONE hit an 8.1% of the FTA share. Very close to the record of 8.2% held by 7TWO. ONE want on to win the week as most watched digital channel for the first time ever, ahead of GO who usually wins – and has won all but two weeks since it was measured from August 2009, and even above SBS ONE.

Unfortunately, current and somewhat antiquated anti-siphoning laws does not allow the Commonwealth Games to be broadcast on a digital channel only or even for the digital channel to show events not shown on the main or analogue channel. Ten even had to apply for a special exception just so that ONE could continue coverage while Ten aired the news at 5pm. Meanwhile, Foxtel is able to put it over 6 channels while Ten cannot use its three channels to show more events concurrently.

The problem with single channel coverage is that it will always favour what the producers believe we want to see – which is Aussies competing and winning – but it does so at the expense of continuity and can chop and change between events. At least over a number of channels you can show one event completely while another channel can show another event and so on.

Certainly – If you were passionate about the Games and making sure you are able to see everything, you can’t go past the Foxtel coverage. While Ten and ONE have done the best they can to bring you as much as they can within the limitations imposed on them.

The next Commonwealth Games are held in Scotland in July, 2014. Based on overall performance and ratings, the channel who has the free to air rights for 2014 (which I believe is Ten) is probably unlikely to show the event over the number of hours that it has for 2010, although the time difference between us and Scotland should see much of the live broadcast land between Midnight and Midday in any case.

Perhaps by then, anti-siphoning will allow better use of digital channels and give the networks the flexibility to provide coverage that is in the best interest of the viewers as well as their advertisers in terms of ratings.

As it stands now, having the free to air rights for the Commonwealth Games is not a guarantee of ratings gold, unlike the Olympics which are watched by so many people, the free to air network broadcasting them attains shares above 40%.

Anti-siphoning permitting, it will be very interesting to see how Nine handles the London 2012 Olympics over its three channels. The 2010 Olympics will also be seen on Foxtel, and will no doubt be a substantial multi channel package, like the Commonwealth Games have been for 2010.

Ratings shares OzTam.

1.00pm Tuesday, October 12 on Ten

Hosted by Stephen Quartermain (1pm – 5.30pm), Bill Woods (5.30pm – 11.30pm) and Corey Wingard (11.30 – 4.00am).

The coverage will also include regular sports updates presented by Sandra Sully and Helen Kapalos throughout the day, as well as Around the Ground reports presented by Lachlan Reid.

COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS:

*ATHLETICSMen’s and women’s 4x100mrelaysMen’s and women’s 4x400mrelaysMen’s 1500m

*RUGBY 7sDay 2 – medal finals

*HOCKEY – MEN’SSemi-finals

*NETBALLSemi-finals

*DIVINGMen’s synchronised 10m platform

1.00pm Monday , October 11 on Ten

Hosted by Stephen Quartermain (1pm – 5.30pm), Bill Woods (5.30pm – 11.30pm) and Corey Wingard (11.30 – 4.00am).

The coverage will also include regular sports updates presented by Sandra Sully and Helen Kapalos throughout the day, as well as Around the Ground reports presented by Lachlan Reid.

COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS:

*ATHLETICSMen’s pole vaultWomen’s discusWomen’s 100m hurdles

*RUGBY 7sDay 1 – Australia plays England, Namibia andSri Lanka in preliminary pool matches.

*HOCKEY – WOMEN’SSemi-finals

*DIVINGMen’s 3m springboard

FOX8’s share of viewing has had a massive increase in the face of competition from the 2010 Commonwealth Games, with total people up 55%, according to the latest results released by OzTAM.

The ratings surge comes as viewers have tuned in en masse to FOX8’s ANIMATION REINCARNATION – a 24/7, 12-day marathon of the world’s most popular animated television shows including The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, American Dad and King of the Hill.

The ANIMATION REINCARNATION stunt was launched on October 4 for FOXTEL and AUSTAR customers as a viewing alternative to the Commonwealth Games.

Duane Hatherly, Group Channel Manager – FOX8, Bio & Arena, said: “Only FOX8 can give animation fans this much of what they want and the results show that the combination of our hero franchises is a big hit!

“Our share for total people is up 55 per cent since the stunt began, and has increased by a massive 72 per cent in the all important 16-39 demographic.

“With over 500 episodes across 12 days, FOX8 has created an event that truly gives FOXTEL and AUSTAR customers an alternative during the Games. And our viewers are telling us that they love what we’ve got on offer.  Mmmmm- animation!”

ANIMATION REINCARNATION will continue on FOX8 until Saturday, October 16.

1.00pm Sunday, October 10 on Ten

Hosted by Stephen Quartermain(1pm – 5.30pm), Bill Woods (5.30pm

- 11.30pm) and Corey Wingard (11.30

- 4.00am), the XIX Commonwealth Games.

The coverage will also include regular sports updates presented by Sandra Sully and Helen Kapalos throughout the day, as well as Around the Ground reports presented by Lachlan Reid.

COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS:

*ATHLETICSWomen’s high jumpMen’s para-sports (wheelchair) 1500mMen’s 200mWomen’s 200m

*ROAD CYCLINGMen’s road raceWomen’s road race

*NETBALLAustralia v Trinidad & Tobago (qualifying pool match)

*WEIGHTLIFTINGMen’s 105kg-plusWomen’s 75kg-plus

*DIVINGWomen’s synchronised 10m platform

*Please note that from 3.55pm – 8.00pm ONE HD will be broadcasting Formula 1 and MotoGP liveand exclusive

Those watching the Commonwealth Games, would notice the sometime excessive amount of advertising for Ten shows that return to air after the Games.

Rush, Offspring and Undercover Boss Australia all seem to have more than their fair share of ads during ad breaks, while other shows like Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, Junior Masterchef and Glee seem to be advertised very little.

The Commonwealth Games is, of course, an opportunity for Ten to promote their line up after the games, but overdoing it with ads can sometimes have more of a negative effect that positive. I cannot help thinking, that if you are not already watching a show like Offspring, are you likely to start mid-season? And if you are watching it, you would already be aware it will return at 8.30 on the first Sunday after the Games (Oct 17).

At least something like Rush one can generally watch individual episodes without too much of a worry about what has happened in previous episodes while a new show like Undercover Boss Australia needs some advertising to generate awareness – but not to the point of overkill.

Meanwhile, the lack of advertising for Glee could be because the core audience of the show is not really watching the Commonwealth Games, or could simply be that Ten know it will do well regardless – suggesting that the excessive ads are for shows not doing so well, as well as new ones.

Read here for more about Ten’s programming after the Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Games are being aired at the same time on Ten and ONE. The only difference, is that, when Ten breaks for the 5pm news, coverage continues on ONE – thanks to a small exception in anti-siphoning laws.

But – while Seven and Nine now have three each channels carrying different content, Ten effectively has there channels carrying the same content. Usually the SD version of ONE has nothing at all on it – just a message – when Ten and ONE are showing the same event (like AFL for example) but, for the Commonwealth Games, it is on Ten, ONE HD and ONE SD, with the exception of 5pm local time which breaks for Ten News.

Now would have been the perfect time to have relaxed anti-siphoning laws just enough so that Ten could at least show secondary coverage on a secondary channel. If Foxtel can fill 6 channels with Commonwealth Games coverage, I see no reason why Ten could not easily fill two or even three channels if need be.

Timing for a number of events – especially when it comes to finals – that are important to show to Australia do overlap, and having coverage on a secondary channel would have allowed more than one event to be shown at once.

While I agree with ONE HD showing the HD version of coverage seen on Ten, the second SD channel could be showing more of the Games, other sports such as the Ryder Cup that airs on ONE or even alternative programming to the Games for those not interested.

This – is one of the biggest problems with anti-siphoning laws, which simply have not kept pace with the development of additional digital channels on free to air TV, to the detriment of better sporting coverage for major sporting meets like the Games.

Changes to anti-siphoning laws are to go through parliament in coming weeks, which should allow free to air broadcasters to provide some sport on their digital channels without having to show it also on their main channel, and hopefully, provisions will be built in so that Commonwealth and Olympic Games will be able to have multi-channel free to air coverage.

London 2012 – which the Nine network have the rights to (in conjunction with Foxtel) – could well be the first Games event to have free to air multi channel coverage over Nine’s three channels. Yes – viewers of GO and GEM would have to forfeit programming for two weeks, but having the Olympics over three free to air channels would guarantee the best free to air coverage ever, and put channel Seven’s single channel broadcast of 2008 to shame.

All will be revealed in less than two years.

In the meantime, Ten have praised the ratings for the first night of Commonwealth Games coverage, with audiences peaking well over a million watching Australia win four gold medals on the night.

Those watching the games on ONE account for an additional 25% to those watching on Ten. When looking at overnight ratings, keep in mind, that the figures for Ten and ONE are separated (and so they should be) so – while 754,000 for prime time late on Ten is not bad for 9-11pm (AEDT), there is another 188,000 to add to that on ONE – making an average total of 942,000.

Here’s what the Ten network had to say about its performance:

Aussie sports fans were treated to a raft of gold medal performances during the first full day of Commonwealth Games competition.

Monday kicked off with Good Morning Delhi drawing a combined audience of 62,000 viewers on TEN and ONE (peaking at 174,000 viewers).

XIX Commonwealth Games: Day 1 Primetime Early was watched by a combined audience of 714,000 viewers on TEN and ONE (peaking at 1.20 million viewers).

XIX Commonwealth Games: Day 1 Primetime Late was watched by a combined audience of 942,000 viewers on TEN and ONE (peaking at 1.32 million viewers).

On TEN and ONE, a combined audience of 1.05 million viewers tuned in to watch Kylie Palmer’s Gold Medal swim in the Women’s 200m Freestyle Final. The Gold Medal Ceremony which followed was watched by a combined audience of 1.07 million viewers.

On TEN and ONE, a combined audience of 1.12 million viewers tuned in to watch Alicia Coutts take the Gold Medal in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley Final. The Gold Medal Ceremony which followed was watched by a combined audience of 962,000 viewers.

On TEN and ONE, a combined audience of 1.03 million viewers tuned in to watch Australia’s Gold Medal performance in the 4 x 100m Men’s Relay. The Gold Medal Ceremony which followed was watched by a combined audience of 670,000 viewers.

FOXTEL’s Matt Shirvington and Sarah Jones had front row seats to last night’s extravagant Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Delhi.  The pair co-hosted the evening with studio anchors Steve Liebmann, Tracey Homes and Pawan Luthra, editor of Australia’s leading Indian newspaper, Indian Link.

According to Shirvington and Jones, the stand-out moments of the night were the cultural segments including the “tree of knowledge” performed by renowned Indian dance gurus, the “mind, body, soul yoga” and the “tribute to Mahandas Gandhi”.

Topping off the night’s celebrations was India’s biggest Bollywood popstar, A.R Rahman, who, along with 60 dancers, performed the Commonwealth Games theme song followed by his worldwide hit from Slumdog Millionaire, “Jai ho!”

Catch all the amazing colour and magic of the XIX Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony across all 6 FOXTEL channels today including DELHI 1 GOLD Channel at 8:20am and 11:30am, or on DELHI 5 Channel at 8:30pm.

The security company hired to protect FOXTEL & Network TEN staff on the ground in Delhi had their work cut out for them yesterday.  Each morning they have been offering staff a security monitored run or walk around the streets of Delhi. What they weren’t prepared for yesterday was that they’d have to keep up the pace with Commonwealth Games athletes like Robert De Castella, Susie O’Neill and Melinda Gainsford-Taylor.

FOXTEL reporter Gus Worland had a double dose of bad luck yesterday – suffering a bad case of Delhi belly and then enduring the debilitating loss of beloved Roosters as they went  down to the Dragons in the NRL Grand Final, 32-8.

Track superstars and long time mates Daley Thompson and Raelene Boyle were reunited yesterday as they arrived in Delhi to begin preparations for FOXTEL’s history-making broadcast of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.  The pair, who will commentate live from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for the track events, first became friends back in 1970s when Boyle was based in London competing on the European track circuit and Thompson was an emerging decathlon star.