The athletics world has been left stunned as Bruce McAvaney’s commentary future was thrown up in the air after Australian Athletics announced Channel 9 will broadcast athletics for the next seven years as part of a ‘landmark’ partnership.
Channel 7 has been the host broadcaster of athletics in Australia since 2021, with McAvaney’s infectious commentary style becoming renowned with the boom of athletics Down Under.
He has called track events at the Commonwealth Games, Stawell Gift and the Maurie Plant Meet but come 2027 he will no longer be in the commentary box at those events.
With Nine holding the Aussie broadcast rights for the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games, the network went all out to add athletics to its coverage.
As well as taking those major meets away from Seven, it will also show the national championships – which previously ran on SBS.
It leaves McAvaney and his athletics commentary partner Jason Richardson out in the cold.
Both appear unlikely to switch over, given they are tied down on Channel 7 contracts.
“As shattering as it is for us personally at 7Sport – Bruce and I – hopefully it’s great for the sport we all love,” Richardson wrote on X after news broke.
He then added that fellow commentators Tamsyn Manou and Dave Culbert were already on the radar to move over to Nine to continue covering athletics.
McAvaney is expected to continue on Seven’s horse racing coverage, although he will again miss out on the Melbourne Cup Carnival, after Nine won the rights to it in 2024.
It means the icon will appear less and less on our screens, much to the dismay of Aussie fans.
“So you’re going into a golden era in Aussie athletics but leaving Bruce, Tamsyn and Richardson behind? These are the ones who have a relationship with the athletes and their respect,” one fan wrote on Australian Athletics’ announcement.
“I’m sorry this has happened to you and the team, you provided amazing coverage and helped bring some rising stars into the spotlight. The team at 7 should be proud of their effort to bring athletics into the mainstream,” another said on Richardson’s X post.
“It should be illegal to have Aus Athletics without you and Bruce,” a third said.
“Bruce will be devastated,” a fourth wrote.
Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth said in a statement that the new deal with Nine will provide Aussie fans more opportunities to see local stars in action.
“This is a landmark day for athletics in Australia. Our athletes are among the best in the world, and this partnership gives more Australians the opportunity to see them compete, get to know them and follow their journeys,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
“With the Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics 2032 on the horizon, we wanted a partner that shared our ambition for the sport and was prepared to invest in building athletics over the long term. Nine is not simply broadcasting our events, they are backing our athletes, telling their stories and helping us build a bigger audience for athletics across Australia.”
Details about Nine’s athletics commentary team will be announced in the coming months.