Channel 9 must have thought they’d done well by winning rights to the Australian Open after losing the rights to the cricket. The Australian Cricket Team had lost a lot of its shine, seen as arrogant and embroiled in scandals and division. Channel 7 was trying to terminate its rights deal.
But now Channel 7 has renewed its association with the ACB and love is everywhere. Meanwhile, the Australian Open was outrated by Home & Away and BBL on the opening night: the 5-city metropolitan average dropped from 635,000 in 2022 to 357,000 in 2023 for the first night session of the Australian Open, a 44% drop.
Nick Kyrgios & Ash Barty, stars of the last AO, were absent. They continued with last year’s playbook of broadcasting Australian players rather than going with the best matches available. That worked last year because Kyrgios and Barty also guaranteed quality matches, but Kubler and Hijikata aren’t equivalent standard bearers.
Then there was the 3 hour suspension of play for heat immediately followed by rain delays.
It also seems the AO has been hit hard by underdogs getting up. Maybe there’s also a changing of the guards problem. I followed tennis a bit more closely a few years ago and the big names are dropping off alarmingly. Fed has gone and Nadal seems to be cooked too. In their stead are a lot of what I regard as no-name players. I was shocked to discover that Casper Ruud is world number 2 now. Apparently he’s more of a clay court player. If someone had asked me who he is, I would have said a soccer player. The top 20 includes players who I don’t really know although I’m aware that they are top players, such as Tiafoe, Sinner, Fritz and Auger-Alliasime. Channel 9 must be hoping that Tsitsipas, Murray/Kokkinakis, Djokovic, and Medvedev stick around. Love them or hate them, they have distinctive personalities and styles that will be easier to sell to viewers.
But now Channel 7 has renewed its association with the ACB and love is everywhere. Meanwhile, the Australian Open was outrated by Home & Away and BBL on the opening night: the 5-city metropolitan average dropped from 635,000 in 2022 to 357,000 in 2023 for the first night session of the Australian Open, a 44% drop.
Nick Kyrgios & Ash Barty, stars of the last AO, were absent. They continued with last year’s playbook of broadcasting Australian players rather than going with the best matches available. That worked last year because Kyrgios and Barty also guaranteed quality matches, but Kubler and Hijikata aren’t equivalent standard bearers.
Then there was the 3 hour suspension of play for heat immediately followed by rain delays.
It also seems the AO has been hit hard by underdogs getting up. Maybe there’s also a changing of the guards problem. I followed tennis a bit more closely a few years ago and the big names are dropping off alarmingly. Fed has gone and Nadal seems to be cooked too. In their stead are a lot of what I regard as no-name players. I was shocked to discover that Casper Ruud is world number 2 now. Apparently he’s more of a clay court player. If someone had asked me who he is, I would have said a soccer player. The top 20 includes players who I don’t really know although I’m aware that they are top players, such as Tiafoe, Sinner, Fritz and Auger-Alliasime. Channel 9 must be hoping that Tsitsipas, Murray/Kokkinakis, Djokovic, and Medvedev stick around. Love them or hate them, they have distinctive personalities and styles that will be easier to sell to viewers.
