Paris Olympics 2024: Fans rip into channel 9’s farcical prime time broadcast

Sports fans everywhere have united in their condemnation of Channel 9’s Olympics prime-time broadcast after they shunned the mouthwatering tennis clash between future legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for day-two replays.

Just two and half days into the Paris Games, Australia’s host broadcaster, after they won the rights off Channel 7, looked at a loss for broadcast ideas on their free-to-air channels.

As Nadal and Djokovic took to the hallowed courts of Roland Garros, fans watching at home were being shown an abbreviated second half of the Matilda’s crazy clash with Zambia before a full replay, with interview, of Jess Fox winning her first Kayak gold medal.

Even switching to GEM didn’t help, as they showed a replay of Aussie Shane O’Neill crashing out of the Men’s Street Skateboarding Prelims hours after it had already happened.

Even in the lead-up to these two offerings, they showed delayed broadcasts of Aussie boxers Harry Garside and Tyla McDonald’s shock first-round exits.

Most events are available live and free on Channel 9’s digital platform, and they eventually turned to the Tennis towards the end of the first set, claimed by the super Serb Djokovic.

Nine paid an incredible $305 million for the rights to broadcast the next five Olympics, starting in Paris.

However, it seems fans may already be fed up.

“Why, if you were the Olympic broadcaster, would you replay an event from 21 hours ago in primetime over NADAL VS DJOKOVIC?!” Fox Sports Max Laughton said on X, formerly Twitter.

Jed Wells took to X to suggest he didn’t believe his eyes.

“I thought I was going crazy when the desk threw to (the replays), like I was watching the morning feed by accident,” he wrote.

Stuart Carraill said the broadcasters were not catering for their audience.

“Not designed for sports lovers. It’s all about “back stories“ and self-promotion of presenters and TV stations. Harry Garside’s fight was over for 40 minutes before it was shown on 9. Woeful.” he wrote.