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Seven\u2019s match broadcast which centred around Fox League commentator Andrew Voss, Kiwi legend Shaun Johnson and three-time NRL premiership winner Luke Keary was a very different look for those used to the free-to-air broadcast team featuring Andrew Johns and Phil Gould.<\/p>\n
For many fans, Thursday night was a breath of fresh air, however, others have taken to social media to criticise aspects of Seven\u2019s broadcast. <\/p>\n
Fans on X and Reddit have expressed frustration at the invasive ads that appeared at points in the game. <\/p>\n
It is increasingly common for Aussie free to air networks to run advertising frames around live action taking place on the field. <\/p>\n
Fans used to seeing the scoreboard displayed in the top left corner on Fox League also took a moment to get used to the scoreboard at the bottom, centre of the camera shot.<\/p>\n
For many fans, the most divisive subject was the style of Seven\u2019s commentary team compared to the iconic team of Gould, Johns, Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Brad Fittler, Billy Slater, Johnathan Thurston, Paul Gallen and Allana Ferguson.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s panel of Mel McLaughlin, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Johnson wasn\u2019t everyone\u2019s cup of tee. <\/p>\n
\u201cBloody hell give me some warning,\u201d one person posted on X when sharing a screenshot of the trio. <\/p>\n
The post has been viewed 17,000 times with mixed reviews from those popping up in the comments. <\/p>\n
One fan posted: \u201cPretty impressive from Channel 7 tonight. Only thing is they cut off to an ad the second a try\/goal happens like they do with the AFL. <\/p>\n
\u201cNeed to leave it another 15 seconds. Other than that, VERY enjoyable broadcast.\u201d<\/p>\n
The same fan gave Seven\u2019s production a 9\/10, but also said Roosters premiership coach Trent Robinson \u2014 one of Seven\u2019s experts \u2014 \u201chas the personality of a beetroot\u201d. <\/p>\n
Seven dropped $12 million last year to get the broadcast rights for the tournament. However, the network\u2019s widely reported interest in pursuing the NRL rights fell short when Nine secured the rights through to the end of 2034. <\/p>\n
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Many fans on X said they hope Nine will learn from some of Seven\u2019s production. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe game hasn\u2019t even started yet, but the pre-match coverage on Channel 7 is already head and shoulders above the abysmal stuff dished up by Channel 9,\u201d one person posted on X. <\/p>\n
Another posted: \u201cHope Channel 9 takes away some tips from Channel 7\u2019s coverage tonight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas great listening to a fresh group of minds that aren\u2019t bitter about life. Too many fossils on 9 lead to a boring coverage weekly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seven\u2019s coverage of Thursday\u2019s tournament opener reached 3.29 million viewers across free to air and 7plus. <\/p>\n
For the record, Nine\u2019s coverage of the 2026 NRL Grand Final drew a national Total TV average audience of 4.286 million viewers<\/p>\n
Nine holds four of the top five-rating programs in Australia this year with the NRL Grand Final and three State of Origin games \u2013 but the AFL Grand Final has had the largest audience of any TV broadcast this year. <\/p>\n
Seven\u2019s Rugby League World Cup coverage is being fronted by some big names, including Matt Shirvington, Matt White, McLaughlin, Corey Parker, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Papenhuyzen, Aaron Woods, Brett Kimmorley, Brent Tate and Emma Verran and James Graham.<\/p>\n
Originally published as NRL fans in a spin over Channel 7 Rugby League World Cup move<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Footy fans have shared mixed reviews over Channel 7\u2019s coverage of the blockbuster Rugby League World Cup opener…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":929884,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[496629,496591,376483,496614,496577,496611,496585,496594,496578,440165,496632,496635,496600,409093,440611,129446,150881,496627,496616,125575,496597,496610,496583,496605,408613,426431,496575,496621,383301,496618,393278,397436,496587,496633,496608,140332,496613,496631,57709,422136,467991,48257,496634,496617,453886,64,43336,63,11170,496588,3197,243440,496586,3193,98710,496606,41407,496628,67711,95926,27095,47920,54321,1635,3490,763,496574,257034,4837,439105,37469,496607,3208,496580,496590,11635,43473,338602,19074,496599,45755,8280,266033,383896,63348,215121,225258,242596,442013,246523,761,762,4758,35062,158,416959,496623,380151,37473,496602,251346,455202,496592,2821,496630,5948,84998,239139,2625,496609,88118,49985,237071,1314,496598,496593,496576,85,605,484680,496620,379302,458581,496601,387923,496603,496626,381215,215379,377453,496595,74713,496615,496624,11637,489817,496619,496579,387833,478960,496581,430991,295305,496612,392138,387853,440305,424065,449673,427674,496573,496582,359749,411956,489835,364611,496604,496622,9357,474999,76526,496584,496596,496589,496625],"class_list":["post-929883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-s-broadcast","tag-s-commentary-team","tag-s-coverage","tag-s-cup","tag-s-experts","tag-s-match-broadcast","tag-s-most-divisive-issue","tag-s-other-coverage-quirks","tag-s-panel","tag-s-production","tag-s-rugby-league-world-cup-coverage","tag-s-tournament-opener","tag-s-widely","tag-000-times","tag-12-million","tag-129446","tag-150881","tag-3-29-million-viewers","tag-4-286-million-viewersnine","tag-125575","tag-a-9-10","tag-a-beetroot","tag-a-better-contest","tag-a-boring-coverage-weekly","tag-a-breath","tag-a-frenzy","tag-a-fresh-group","tag-a-headlineseven","tag-a-moment","tag-a-national-total-tv-average-audience","tag-a-screenshot","tag-a-spin","tag-a-thriller","tag-a-try-goal","tag-a-very-different-look","tag-aaron-woods","tag-advertising-frames","tag-allana-ferguson-thursday","tag-allianz-stadium","tag-almost-a-decade","tag-an-ad","tag-andrew-johns","tag-another-15-seconds","tag-any-tv-broadcast","tag-aspects","tag-au","tag-aussie","tag-australia","tag-billy-slater","tag-bloody-hell","tag-brad-fittler","tag-brent-tate","tag-brett-kimmorley","tag-cameron-smith","tag-centre","tag-ch7-move","tag-channel-7","tag-channel-7-rugby-league-world-cup-move","tag-channel-9","tag-commentary-crew","tag-corey-parker","tag-darren-lockyer","tag-emma-verran","tag-fans","tag-footy-fans","tag-fox-league","tag-fox-league-commentator-andrew-voss","tag-fresh-air","tag-frustration","tag-gould","tag-head-and-shoulders","tag-hope-channel-9","tag-interest","tag-its-first-rugby-league-match","tag-its-rival-network","tag-james-graham","tag-johnathan-thurston","tag-johns","tag-johnson","tag-kiwi-legend-shaun-johnson","tag-last-year","tag-life","tag-live-action","tag-many-fans","tag-matt-shirvington","tag-matt-white","tag-mclaughlin","tag-mel-mclaughlin","tag-minds","tag-mixed-reviews","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-networks","tag-night","tag-nrl","tag-nrl-fans","tag-nrl-rights-holder","tag-one-fan","tag-one-person","tag-only-thing","tag-origin-games","tag-our-new-app","tag-papenhuyzen","tag-paul-gallen","tag-phil-gould-for","tag-place","tag-points","tag-punches","tag-roger-tuivasa-sheck","tag-roosters-premiership-coach-trent-robinson-one","tag-rugby-league-fans","tag-ryan-papenhuyzen","tag-s-star","tag-social-media","tag-some-big-names","tag-some-tips","tag-some-warning","tag-sports","tag-tee","tag-the-2026-nrl-grand-final","tag-the-abysmal-stuff","tag-the-afl","tag-the-afl-grand-final","tag-the-blockbuster-rugby-league-world-cup-opener","tag-the-bottom","tag-the-broadcast-rights","tag-the-camera-shot-for","tag-the-comments","tag-the-end","tag-the-field","tag-the-free-to-air-broadcast-team","tag-the-game","tag-the-iconic-team","tag-the-invasive-ads","tag-the-kangaroos","tag-the-kiwis","tag-the-largest-audience","tag-the-most-divisive-subject","tag-the-network","tag-the-nrl-grand-final","tag-the-nrl-rights","tag-the-personality","tag-the-post","tag-the-pre-match-coverage","tag-the-record","tag-the-rights","tag-the-same-fan","tag-the-scoreboard","tag-the-second","tag-the-style","tag-the-top-five-rating-programs","tag-the-top-left-corner","tag-the-tournament","tag-the-trio","tag-the-world-cup-opener","tag-this-year","tag-three-state","tag-three-time-nrl-premiership-winner-luke-keary","tag-thursday","tag-tongues","tag-tonight","tag-too-many-fossils","tag-unavoidable-comparisons","tag-very-enjoyable","tag-x-and-reddit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"h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