IIRC on one of those occasions the ABC did their own commentary, but in later years they just took the Nine production (without sponsors for obvious reasons).
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Somewhat surprising that 10’s coverage was the shortest!
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in 1985 Nine showed both with a few minutes of Wimbledon followed by a few minutes of cricket. It prompted one viewer to write to the Age Green Guide saying “seeing John McEnroe hitting Ian Botham for six into the Saba car park!”.
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This was also the first time that the Sydney to Hobart Race was broadcasted on Seven after 10 had dropped the TV Rights in which it held right throughout the 1990s and Early 2000s.
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That was 1995, Jim Maxwell introduced the first session highlights (like Nine they didn’t show the first session and left it pay tv, IIRC Optus Vision) then threw to Tony Greig. From memory it wasn’t the full Nine commentary team either, Benaud definitely wasn’t there for instance.
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There was a report this Arvo on Seven’s Victoria Afternoon News about Australia’s greatest female racehorse Makybe Diva becoming an ambassador for KIDS Foundation and there was brief footage of Seven’s Coverage of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Melbourne Cup race (Which was the network’s 2nd, 3rd and 4th respective years of coverage out of 17).
Having Seen the brief Seven footage of the horse’s three cup wins in a row, I know that Seven’s exclusive coverage of 17 years was far by the second best ever Melbourne Cup coverage behind the mid-1990s to 2001 on 10.
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I remember 7’s Melbourne Cup coverage which was the best coverage. Nine will have the Cup this year, for the first time in network’s history
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The coverage in the 90s was much much better.
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ABC and all three commercial networks covered the Melbourne Cup up until 1977, when ATV0 secured exclusive rights for the 0-10 Network from 1978 onwards.
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Maxwell also covered a ODI match in Darwin in 2003 on the ABC (pretty sur that’s when it happened) due to Nine having AFL/NRL that week. I think Tony Greig was part of the team too, but not 100 percent sure.
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Yes you’re right, Greg Chappell and a couple of other ABC cricket commentators possibly Peter Roebuck were also involved.
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With Nine saddling up for Racing’s Australian Main event in exactly three months time, this is the final ever part of 10’s first run of Melbourne Cup Carnival coverage, before a fabulous 17 years on Seven.
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That’s debatable. 10 did a better job in the 90s than seven ever did.
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How? I only ask because I only ever remember 7 then the crap job ten did recently lol.
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Go back to the 90s and watch the coverage. It was done exceptionally well. And 7’s people aside from Bruce were very unlikable.
10 also use to provide their own play by play commentators rather than simulcast sky.
They mounted a far more expansive coverage.
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Did Seven ever took the Sky feed for most or all of the 17 years of official coverage?
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No but in using Greg Mills and Matt Hill didn’t provide their own play by play. Whilst those commentators are good they never really put in the effort. Half of their pundits were shithouse. Seven are pretty cheap when it comes to providing coverage x
Pound for one and given the lack of technology in the 80s and 90s, 10 did far better given weighted averages.
Unfortunately many here just view everything seven do without any criticism and view everything seven does through rose colored glasses.
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But in 2002 only (The first ever Broadcast of the Cup Carnival), Seven used a Queensland-Based race caller in the late Wayne Wilson.
What should’ve been improved for 2019-2023 on 10, is that some of it’s former AFL Personnel such as Anthony Hudson and Michael Christian feature on the Coverage instead of Eddie.
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10’s coverage in the 90s until 2001 was world class before 7 took over. 10’s second run was a disaster
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In case you are too young to remember, go on Youtube and watch the Paul Lang and Rubicon NZ channels and you will find that the coverage on 10 up until 2001 had lots of colour in it. The crap coverage 10 did recently looks very Seven circa 2002-2018.
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