The Australian Open was a residing nightmare for Channel 9 with damned numbers highlighting simply how bleak issues actually are.
9 set out $500m to increase the Australian Open deal by means of 2030, however viewership plummeted in 2023.
Watch tennis stay with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Dwell protection of the ATP + WTA Tour tournaments together with each ultimate match. New to Kayo? Begin your free trial now>
The pictures on the Australian Open got here laborious and quick earlier than he despatched the primary serve over the online.
Australian Golden Woman Ash Barty stopped the racket shortly after her Grand Slam victory. That blow alone would have made the community executives reel.
However then got here the lack of world primary Carlos Alcaraz, the tremendous proficient 19-year-old who took the world by storm final yr.
Arguably the largest blow to the World Open got here on opening day when Nick Kyrgios introduced his withdrawal.
The 27-year-old is the largest field workplace draw card on the face of planet tennis and his departure spelled catastrophe for the community and the match.
distance Horrific opening evening that noticed characters fall behind Channel 7’s Dwelling And AwayIssues didn’t enhance on the grid all through the match.
Throughout the Saturday evening ladies’s singles ultimate and males’s doubles ultimate, scores peaked at 1.437 million viewers.
Whereas these numbers are good, they do not even come near final yr’s ladies’s singles ultimate and males’s doubles ultimate which peaked at 4.261 million viewers.
Information fell throughout the 2022 version of the Australian Open, with 9 reaching a nationwide viewers of 12.5 million viewers throughout two channels.
One yr later, the numbers are three to 4 million down from what occurred throughout final yr’s superb match.
With strikes piling up, final yr’s record-breaking match information will not be repeated, however a pointy drop could be a serious concern after a $500 million gamble.
media analyst Steve Allen informed Herald Solar The score bomb will trigger sleepless nights for 9 CEOs.
“There are loads of world-ranked gamers who’ve star energy who do not present right here, so it is at all times been decrease scores. Nevertheless, the scores are a little bit bit decrease than I might have anticipated. It has been down considerably, 30 or 40 p.c,” he mentioned.
One of many elements contributing to the dramatic decline in 9’s propulsion may relate to Novak Djokovic’s chip to mid-table.
Though Djokovic is the best participant of all time, with regards to scores he would not ship them in addition to he does on the court docket.
“We all know Djokovic is not actually a score card in my thoughts, so the truth that he is been part of it this yr, I believe would not make any distinction,” mentioned TV professional Colin Vickery. Herald Solar.
“The tennis world is missing TV scores playing cards proper now, it is in a transitional part. The dependable draw playing cards like Ash Partey, (Roger) Federer, they’re gone and there are only a few coming for the time being.”
These notes from Vickery echoed A powerful warning, Kyrgios declared throughout his participation in final yr’s Australian Open doubles match.
The 27-year-old was requested the place he want to see the game in 5 to 10 years’ time, and he painted a bleak image of what is to come back.
“I simply suppose tennis has completed a very dangerous job of accepting personalities prior to now,” he mentioned.
“I believe they’ve solely marketed three gamers during the last decade and now it is form of like that, in order that they’ve tried to push some gamers into the following technology… Tennis has actually struggled to embrace totally different personalities, like when individuals strategy it otherwise.
Like one thing about Thanasi once I watch him play singles it sticks to me on TV, whether or not he is shedding or successful, that is simply the way in which he goes.
“I believe tennis must embrace that extra.”
Channel 9 ought to have listened to the Canberra-born star’s recommendation.