Highly unlikely that seven will invest much time effort or thought into the coverage of this. This is barely the comm games people know. It’s some sort of bizarre sports carnival with a few events over in Glasgow. Not sure it will get the traction they think it will. The limitations of the sports they’re showing and the ones they chose not to include is a scar on this once good event for Australians.
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They could try someone from 7AFL, James Brayshaw or Brian Taylor for example? Maybe it’ll end up being Hamish McLachlan that calls rather than hosts?
Al Nicholson is good and moguls at Beijing 2022 suited him, but not sure he’d be the same with swimming, which I think requires a less joyful and lighter commentator and a more serious, analytical type (which yes possibly also rules out JB and BT). Also not trying to say Nicholson can’t be, but his moguls call of Jakara Anthony was more high energy and fun IMO.
Wouldn’t work given there is an overlap with the final 3 days of Swimming, and the first 3 days of Athletics, unless they have someone else cover one of those events for those 3 days.
I doubt either are in an exclusive arrangement with Nine - more likely freelancers or contractors who Nine use when needed.
I’d say there is a fair chance that Nicole Livingstone could also be involved - Grant Hackett and Jon Harker could also be other options given they were apart of Amazon Prime’s coverage of the Australian Swimming Trials when Amazon had those rights.
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Athletics and swimming will rate well. Aussies love those events and we do well with medals at the Comm Games. We love winning.
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The action is between 5.30pm and 7am and there are only two presenting shifts?
C’mon, surely there’s room for a third.
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Are they going to pull their key AFL commentators away mid-season though?
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I wouldn’t be so sure, at least some sort of ‘non-compete’ clause, as I can’t imagine Nine would allow or want them appearing on Seven for example while they’ve got Olympics and other complementary rights and until at least Brisbane 2032.
Nine have also had them appearing as guests at their other events such as the Melbourne Cup carnival and the Australian Open.
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How about Jack Heverin or potentially Jason Bennett?
He has called tennis before (during the final years that Seven had the Australian Open), so I can’t see why Seven couldn’t utilise him for the Comm Games. Swimming, potentially?
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Gina Rinehart’s continued generosity towards Australia’s golden generation of swimmers may have spared the Seven Network a major broadcasting headache ahead of this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Australia’s richest person, Rinehart is worth an estimated $38 billion, according to the AFR’s 2025 Rich List. She has told members of the Dolphins squad she will again offer cash bonuses for medals won and world records broken in the pool at the Commonwealth Games.
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I think it is a Smart sell from Seven. Lead on the “Where legends are born” given the weaker fields and status that the Comm Games now has vs the glory days. Not overselling it. Probably the way to go. Loses a little bit cos we know Gout Gout won’t be there for example.
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I don’t care at all about this event. We should be taking part in the Asian Games with tougher competition for our athletes
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