Seven Sport

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Melbourne Cup Carnival

Seven’s coverage will be hosted by Bruce McAvaney, Francesca Cumani and Richard Freedman.

Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne will also be joining the coverage throughout the Carnival to provide her expert insight and opinion.

Jason Richardson will conduct live interviews post-race with winning connections and form analysis from the mounting yard, along with analyst James Jordan.

Seven News sports presenter Mel McLaughlin will be a roving reporter on Melbourne Cup Day, interviewing all of the stars from the wider sporting world.

Seven’s flagship lifestyle show BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS has created a new garden showpiece on the grounds of Flemington Racecourse at this year’s Carnival, bringing racegoers the most inspirational garden design of the year.

Built across more than 100m2 of lawn, Better Homes’ multi-award winning landscaper Jason Hodges, has designed the grand garden to take in the colours and festivities of the carnival.

The garden features a raised lawn with seating pads, a deck with bench seating, ramped walkway and double formal columns topped with feature plants. Eye catching flowers will be changed daily, corresponding to the flowers specific to each race day.

During the coverage, Hamish McLachlan and Ross Stevenson will be giving Melbourne Cup Carnival viewers their unique That’s Racing take on everything at Flemington, as they go beyond the odds to talk about the fun and offbeat side of racing. Hamish will also be hosting from the race stalls and pre-parade ring interviewing all the connections and reporting on horse arrivals.

Edwina Bartholomew, Rachael Finch, Emily Angwin, Neil Kearney, and Emma Davenport will bring all the colour, news and personalities from around the track.

Seven News meteorologist Jane Bunn joins the coverage on Melbourne Cup Day and Oaks Day to keep race goers and punters across all the latest weather news.

Basil Zempilas will be Master of Ceremonies, while Chris Symons will be reporting with energy, fun and insight from the jockeys’ room.

Racing Victoria’s new voice of Melbourne racing, Matthew Hill will be heard throughout Seven’s Melbourne Cup Carnival coverage for the first time. Hill has an extensive resume as a race caller and sports broadcaster including five Golden Slipper’s and Australian Derbies.

BROADCAST TIMES

Saturday November 4
Victoria Derby Day
Sydney 11am LIVE on Channel 7, 5.30pm LIVE on 7TWO
Melbourne 11am LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 10am LIVE on Channel 7
Adelaide 10.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 8am LIVE on 7TWO, 10am LIVE on Channel 7

Tuesday November 7
Melbourne Cup Day
Sydney 10am LIVE on Channel 7
Melbourne 10am LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 9am LIVE on Channel 7
Adelaide 9.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 7am LIVE on 7TWO, 9am LIVE on Channel 7

Thursday November 9
Oaks Day
Sydney 11.30am LIVE on Channel 7, 5.30pm LIVE on 7TWO
Melbourne 11.30am LIVE on Channel 7, 5.30pm LIVE on 7TWO
Brisbane 10.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Adelaide 11am LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 8.30am LIVE on 7TWO, 9am LIVE on Channel 7

Saturday November 11
Stakes Day
Sydney 11.30am LIVE on Channel 7, 5.30pm LIVE on 7TWO
Melbourne 11.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 10.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Adelaide 11am LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 8.30am LIVE on 7TWO, 10am LIVE on Channel 7

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No Peter Donegn? Johanna Griggs? Michael Felgate?

Long-time Melbourne Cup personalities for Seven.

Nice to see Ross Stevenson (‘king of Melbourne radio’, A Moveable Feast co-host & Racing.com presenter part of the coverage).

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Also no Simon Marshall?
Richard Freedman is back and no Simon O’Donnell who was part of the coverage last year

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Simon Marshall is covering the Cup coverage on Racing.com

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470

…as a talking billboard spokesperson for Sportsbet

In regards to the omission of Peter Donegan, it’s a shock considering he’s been involved with Melbourne Cup coverage for many years now across both Seven and Ten (when they previously had the rights). However, I guess Seven probably wants to keep consistency in that Jason Richardson is their main mounting yard reporter across the rest of the year

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In regards to Simon Marshall and Michael Felgate, both are at Racing.com often, so yes might explain it.

Peter Donegan the biggest surprise, he might still turn-up, perhaps other meetings, maybe he was unavailable?

Simon O’Donnell has been good in recent years too.

NB/ Donegan used to call the ‘GF Sprint’ at half time during Ten’s AFL Grand Finals too.

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Interesting comments at AGM - looks like Seven will be dropping underperforming sports.

The later in Outlook:

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I think these sports events are at risk of being dropped: Davis Cup / Fed Cup tennis, NFL, golf, Bathurst 12 hour motor race, Sydney to Hobart yacht race. That will leave Seven with AFL, horse racing, Australian Open and the Olympics.

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Should have been dropped many years ago. No one cares.

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Fast4 tennis hasn’t done very well.

Do Seven get paid to show Sydney Rugby or is there a cost?

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476

None of them you could classify as being ‘major sports events’ which cost a significant amount to acquire the rights for. If Seven dropped all of those events, they probably be nowhere even close to even achieving one-tenth of the $50 million they want to save

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477

Seven signed a long-term contract (continuing an already longterm association…I think) with Australian Golf for the Open & PGA Championship a few months back. Both events seem to be mainstream enough for Seven to run main channel coverage, so I think they’ll continue with those for the duration of the current contract but after that who knows.

The NFL, Davis/Fed Cup/Fast4 tennis, Sydney Shute Shield Rugby…I’d agree that they’re in danger of being dropped.

I certainly don’t think those will be in danger of being dropped by Seven anytime soon.

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478

Think the Sydney Rugby is a time buy, so unless the terms of that deal changes that will probably stay.

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479

I also don’t think Seven will renew the broadcast contracts the state league Aussie Rules competition (VFL, SANFL, WAFL) when they expire in a few years’ time. Perhaps it may want to regain the Saturday afternoon match for the next AFL broadcast deal beginning 2023?

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The WAFL, SANFL and VFL broadcasts are produced by Eddie McGuire’s JAM TV, and JAM cover all the costs don’t they? If so it costs Seven nothing to put these to air.

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481

Really?

I thought the VFL was working well for Seven Melbourne and making a healthy return?

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I’m fairly sure that the WAFL organised the sponsorship’s required to cover the local production costs, not sure about other states

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Summary of Seven Sports contracts.

  • Seven will have the Olympics broadcasting contract until 2020, although it’s keen on securing the Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
  • Afl will stay at Seven until the end of broadcast deal in late 2022.
  • Seven will telecast Summer of tennis right through to 2019.
  • Swimming will stay on 7 until 2025.
  • Channel 7’s broadcasting contract of NFL will expire in 2019.
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I know it’s unlikely and it’s part of Seven’s DNA, but what about the Olympics?

Seriously, it did underperform for them in Rio last year and could be considered a “major one off event”.

If they’re really looking at cost cutting and getting a return.

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It only rated sh*t last year because their coverage was woeful and at the peak of primetime they inflict the boring, woeful Hamish McLachlan as primetime host with nothing but repeats airing, even during game time.

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