Rugby League on Channel Nine

The Australian television channel Channel Nine currently shows NRL games each week of the NRL season. Friday Night Football consists of two games every Friday night, one live, one on delay, starting from 7.30pm in New South Wales and Queensland, and one game of Sunday Football from 4.00pm (NSW and Qld). In Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, Nine's games usually air after midnight, and depending on its other sporting commitments, sometimes not at all. Whilst recent amendments to anti-siphoning legislation now allow Nine to air NRL premiership season games on its digital multichannels, GO! and GEM, Nine elect not to do so, preferring to deny Rugby League fans in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia live coverage of the games it produces.

Although it has come under criticism for not showing certain teams (the Cowboys did not appear on Channel 9's football coverage for 9 years), Channel Nine Queensland shows some Broncos game, even if Channel Nine would not be showing it network-wide. Because of contractual arrangements with Foxtel for Saturday night games, sometimes Broncos games do not appear until 11.00pm on Saturday nights. On several occasions during the 2007 season, Channel Nine has not shown Broncos games at all, electing to telecast games featuring non-Queensland based clubs instead (round 11 saw Channel Nine telecast Penrith Panthers v. Wests Tigers instead of Brisbane Broncos v. Newcastle Knights).

In the past, regional station NBN has aired nearly all Newcastle Knights (and also Gold Coast Chargers) games, including those aired on Foxtel and even live from New Zealand television. In the past few years, they have only aired the games Nine are telecasting.

Commentators

The normal commentary line up is:

• Ray Warren (Chief Play By Play Caller)
• Andrew Voss (Play By Play Caller for the 2nd friday night game)
• Peter Sterling
• Paul Vautin
• Phil Gould
• Andrew Johns
• Brad Fittler
• Mark Geyer
• Tim Gilbert (Sideline Eye)
• Wally Lewis

At times Andrew Voss has filled in for Ray Warren for the sunday game. Other commentators that feature on Channel 9 are:

• Matthew Johns
• Ben Ikin
• Paul Harrogan

For Broncos games, when telecast, the head commentator is Chris Bombolas who is alongside Ben Ikin. Steve Walters does the sideline duties.