Sport available on TV

[zappa]

yes, i'm the typical male sa stereo type and i need to know pls as it's integral to me integrating down under.....

what's available on tv there? (well, nsw to be exact). i specifically cannot live a happy life without certain live sports on the telly, namely, test rugby, super 14 rugby, international cricket, formula 1. what's available there and what does it cost? does anything compare to sa's dstv i.t.o. sports coverage?

[Bob]

Zappa!

You can watch local Aussie Rules football in W.A. and the southern States of Australia on your TV and Rugby league in the eastern States of N.S.W. and Queensland, as well as test cricket in summer, free to air.

There is the A.B.C. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) on channel 2, Channel 7, Channel 9 and Channel 10.

ABC2 is a new ABC channel only being broadcast in digital, carrying many of the other ABC programs. You'll need one of the new digital TVs or a set top box, costing about $100, to convert digital signals into analogue for receiving on an older TV.

Soccer can be watched on S.B.S. tv which is a special ethnic broadcasting station, also free to air.

"Free to air" means you can pick it up without charge on your normal TV.

There is no broadcasting radio or TV licence in Australia. That was done away with back in 1974, so just bring your TV or buy one, plug it in and sit back to watch after tuning it in!

Fox-Tel, owned by 20th Century Fox (Rupert Murdoch) and Telecom Australia ("Telstra"), carries sports programs on its pay TV package. The basic package costing $50.95 / month will have all the sports channels you need to pick up Super 14, international test cricket, international soccer, etc.

FoxTel is broadcast up to 50 kms from capital city centres. Outside of this region you can receive AusStar, which is an American company broadcasting much the same channels as FoxTel. The cost is marginally cheaper for Austar, I beleive.

www.foxtel.com.au

www.austar.com.au

[Ajay]

Hi Zappa,

If you follow anything other than Austrlian teams, you will absolutely have to get Foxtel. The sports on the free-to-air channels are typically cricket (if Australia are playing) Rugby League and AFL, so for Union, you need the Foxtel box. Personally, I think that SuperSport on DSTV is far superior to what is available here, but that said, I've managed to see most of the games that I've wanted to see. But if SA were playing India in a test somewhere, I don't think you'd get it - even on Foxtel......maybe I'm wrong, but that seems to be what happens?

Normal TV is great here - if it weren't for the sport situation, you wouldn't even need Foxtel. All the shows that we used to get on M-Net are on free-to-air here - with plenty to choose from. There are 5 free-to-air channels and 4 of them are very good. Foxtel is similar to DSTV, with lots of movie channels, entertainment, documentary, music etc. You can buy different packages, depending on what channels you want to have access to. Go to www.foxtel.com.au for lots more information.

So, in summary, you should be fine, but don't expect SuperSport type coverage. I think that DSTV probably offers the best sports coverage in the world.

Cheers

Ajay

[NZHigh]

If you follow anything other than Austrlian teams, you will absolutely have to get Foxtel.

True.

I was in the position myself, love sport.

In Aus Union is not as popular as it is here in NZ or SA, but it is available on Foxtel. In NZ it is delayed Free to Air or otherwise live on Sky.

Loving sport as much as you do (and I do) I got to like (not love) League and basketball. I know League is not the same but if you move to NSW and you love sport it is a must. One gets used to it.

[NZHigh]

And speaking of basketball. I am now watching the Womens basketball Gold/silver playoff for the Commonwealth Games title with an increasing amount of frustration as we (New Zealand) are trailing hopelessly.

[LeonF]

Just to support some of the previous comments, one of the few drawbacks of Australia is the sport on TV (even if you have FOX!). It is not even close to DSTV. I have not been able to figure out why because as you probably now Australia does exceptionally well at sport.

That said, you will see a reasonable ammount of Rugby on FOX.

Leon

[Bob]

You'll get to see all the Super 14 games live on Fox-Tel, even if they are broadcast at 3am in the morning due to the time differences, sut are broadcast again on Tuesday one game after the other, so no matter what team you follow, you'll see the game on Fox-Tel.

Once in a while you'll get the Heineken Cup broadcast from Europe, alos on FoxTel. I watched the Leinster v Toulouse game last week . . . . always worth watching Toulouse!

The Heineken Cup quarter, semis and final is broadcast to Australia and New Zealand.

Rugby League games are broadcast live on FoxTel on the other Fox Sports channel to Union (if they clash).

They are broadcast live also, and can be watched on Mondays one game after the other during the day.

English Super League is broadcast at times to offer Rugby League fans an alternative to Aussie league all the time. . . . . worth watching if you're interested in League.

Cricket is a bit of a mish-mash.

The free to air channels have put bids in the past to be the sole broadcaster of Australian Test matches, so FoxTel have broadcast other international matches like New Zealand v India.

You may be fortunate enough to get South Africa broadcast against another international team (other than Australia, who are broadcast free to air)