Channel 9 slammed for World Cup MAFS snub
Channel 9 has been slammed as “absolutely disgraceful” after a decision to show the final on 9 Gem rather than the main channel.
Despite being billed as world record attempt for a women’s sporting event and pitting rivals Australia and India against each other, ratings juggernaut Married at First Sight has forced it off the main channel.
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While Married at First Sight has been a rating winner for Channel 9, Women’s sporting advocate and former Western Bulldogs board member Susan Alberti told The Australian it was “absolutely disgraceful”, leading the calls against the move.
“This is a World Cup, a world championship and our Australian women’s team is in the final,” she said.
“I don’t see why that other show couldn’t be postponed and people can watch it later. This is much more important.
“For Channel 9 to snub them like this, it’s not good for women. It’s just crazy.”
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Beth Mooney’s record score wasn’t on the main channel for Nine.Source:AP
The importance of the day was best shown by former Aussie cricket star turned commentator and Cricket Australia board member Mel Jones took to social media to share why it was so important to current and former players.
The @mcg, the iconic venue for what could well be one of the biggest and most important sporting events Australia has ever hosted,” she began in an Instagram post.
“It will be the playing field for a whole host of game changing moments for sport in general which have been driven mostly by faces and names you don’t know. While the players will be deservingly front and centre there are thousands of people who have played an enormous role in getting us to today. So thank you to our trailblazing past players who did the hard yards and paved the way.”
While some have defended the decision and argued that it’s still on free-to-air TV, others have taken aim at the argument, saying that being off the main channel will have an effect on ratings.
Social media saw plenty of frustration sent the way of Channel 9 after the announcement.
“I think it is disgusting it is going to be on Gem and not on the main channel,” AFLW pioneer and women in sport advocate Susan Alberti, speaking at the MCC function, on Channel Nine’s decision to demote the final.
Albert words met with rousing cheers.
Shame on Channel Nine.
Don’t be a global, embarrassing headline on a day that Australia makes history for all the right reasons.
There’s still time @Channel9
Do the RIGHT THING. I think you’ll find the ratings are quite good. #T20WorldCup #InternationalWomensDay
Would be nice to see Nine park #MAFS to put #T20WorldCup final on main channel after the news
Sure. But it’s not the main channel. So it’s a statement. And a weird one.
Nine has been accused of “snubbing women” on #IWD2020 after the network shunted the Women’s T20 World Cup final to a secondary channel 9Gem https://t.co/LN9NZfLVWW
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