Tennis fans turn against Seven over news interruptions
Seven has been fielding angry calls from tennis fans disappointed by the network’s decision to cut away from the Australian Open for the news and Today Tonight.
Last night the dramatic quarter final match between Andy Roddick and Marin Cilic was interrupted by the evening news as it was heading into the fifth set.
And on Monday fans were angered by a similar decision to ditch the Serena Williams and Sam Stosur game. Fans have been using Twitter to encourage others to call Seven to complain.
Saying there had been more than 100 complaints, programming boss Tim Worner defended the decision, telling AAP:
what the people at channel 7 were too busy interrupting other tv shows to comment 😉
Anyone know the ratings for this years Oz Open? I’ve heard they’re down significantly
Nine always does the same with the cricket, useless the pair of them.
The anti-siphoning laws are rediculous and make no sense at all. Live sport should not be anywhere near any station that cannot prove their commitment to showing uninterrupted and FULL coverage, start to finish.
The opportunity to engage with a passionate audience who feel a massive association with what they’re watching is there, but so often idiots like Seven feck it up.
How about we show a the soccer world cup qualifier playoff and cut to ads in the middle of the first half?!?
It does amaze that with 3 or 4 digital channels, they can’t get their act together and show the tennis on at least one of them.
I was one of those angry fans on Monday night when Channel 7 decided to not only go to news then Today Tonight but also showed Home & Away! The only reason why they only had 100 people call to complain was because they had noone answering the phones. I rang the Sydney switchboard and was on hold for 40mins.
Frustrated, I turned to my Optus mobile – who as a sponsor were streaming the coverage live… pity Optus were taking their feed direct from Channel 7. I have to admit that amid my anger it was amusing when the Optus Australian Open mobile channel started airing Home & Away – obviously they hadn’t got the memo from Channel 7 that the coverage wouldn’t start up again until 7:30pm.
Question I have is if it was Lleyton Hewitt playing and not Sam Stosur, would Channel 7 make the same decision? I think not – they would be licking their lips at the ratings on the eve of Australia Day!
You stayed on hold for 40 minutes?
Nine is the worst for this with the cricket coverage…..Sydney viewers always get screwed
Hey, at least the southern states get to see the tennis LIVE. Channel 7s coverage of the Oz Open is delayed in Qld by an hour. At least when Nine shows live events over summer you know that they are actually live.
@El Dominus
I completely agree! I’m not completely sure how they would keep it all live at present but if the laws change with regards to switching channels it would be a problem solver and people may actually respect our FTA networks.
Channel 7 – when will you learn, you don’t deserve the right to have the tennis.
What a joke, for those of you that wish to complain, after you have spent 32 mins on hold the recpetionist at Channel 7 tells you to write a letter to Sport @7, GPO Box 4477 Melbourne 3001 – PLEASE do so, for every letter they receive, Channel 7 have to response to you. PLEASE everyone right & complain
Channel 7 we can do with TT & home & Away for 2 wks – it’s not even rating season!
You have really *%$#ed off alot of views
Was in Adelaide for the long weekend and all night tennis was half hour delayed! Was watching AusOpen iphone app for live updates but this spoiled the tennis. Get home to Sydney today and even here the Federer/Davadenko match was on delay……?? Disappointing Ch7.
Could someone tell Jim Courier to shut? He is so overpowering! And why does he walk off the court before the player after an interview? Does he think it’s cool? I think it is rude! This is the Australian Open, could we sticks to Australian commentators in the future please?
watching tonight i feel maybe for 7 the open is more about network promotion in the lead up to ratings season, than about tennis. i don’t notice this approach with any other sports 7 telecast – thankfully!
all the cougar town/deal or no deal/sunrise/my kitchen rules promos are overpowering! not to mention the tens of presenting sponsors all battling for attention with some pretty lacklustre ‘integration’ (some of whom are pretty pissed from what i hear about both the ratings and the clutter)
What were you thinking Channel 7? Henri Leconte! He was an idiot on court, especially when he was losing and now he’s acting like a spectator, barracking for a French player. His input in non existent. How about employing a professional commentator – it’s an insult to John Fitzgerald and Jim Courier. Leconte is the same off court as on. Give us a break! I’m turning off after the first set.
Kaye
Triple M have been making fun of Courier…his on-air guffs and double entendres are amusing at times but are a bit annoying also….
I understand 7 sticking to news committments but when they return to the tennis why air a replay of a completed game – ie Fed / Cilic and then delay the Tsonga / Dava match which started at 8:50pm! If 7 want more viewers and to grow the viewing public ie our children – wouldn’t an earlier start be warranted. And really is Leconte the answer to an improved program – whilst he may make the occassional amusing comment it is all a bit staged and affects the flow of the “straight” guys Jim C et al who seem to be waiting for him to be funny (like us)!
OK I know I got a couple of the games wrong – it was the Fed / Dava match that was replayed that held out the “live” Tsonga Djoka game – my bad! Go Jo-W!
What is it with channel 7 and woman’s tennis? It was one thing to replace Stouser/ Williams game with another enthralling episode of Today Tonight, but then not even to play an entire match on monday night?? And while I’m at it, being a complete Tsonga supporter, we had to wait another hour for the game to begin so channel 7 could replay the Fed game which had already finished. And it was repeated yet again this morning! “Come On” channel 7, for those of us without Fox we are relying on you for our yearly tennis fix.
Your tennis coverage is an absolute disgrace. Firstly, get an anchor woman who can speak and pronounce names correctly – Johanna Griggs is shocking. Why do you persist in having her there?
We live in Perth and our “LIVE” coverage is supposed to start at 7.30pm. What a joke! Apart from the fact that the match is already well under way, we then have to wait another hour because these idiots persist in showing a replay of a day match.
Last night the Tsonga/Djokovich match started at 8.45pm and didn’t finish until 12.40am. OK, you have to show your pathetic news at 6pm but why can’t the tennis start at 6.30pm?
Don’t particularly like Courier, JA is a piss weak biased dribbler, Sandy Roberts just spouts off stats, knows NIL about tennis and should just stick to AFL. Fitzy is OK and Roger Rasheed is FANTASTIC – put him in the main commentary box, not just courtside. He knows what he is talking about, not like the other half wits who just like the sound of their own voices. Henri Leconte is funny but rather annoying when you are trying to concentrate on a match. He’s biased to the French but I don’t mind that because I like them all! No worse than JA who is too scared to be objective.
Camera work is top quality!
How about giving us a fair deal and putting the tennis on at a reasonable hour and showing the NIGHT MATCH, not some stupid day time replay.
Such a shame that you have a monopoly on the coverage!
Get your act together and do the right thing by your viewers