Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
A REVOLUTION is about to strike rugby league's airwaves after Triple M won the right to broadcast up to five matches a round this season.
Although the NRL is yet to announce its new radio deal, industry sources have confirmed Triple M, 2GB and ABC will retain coverage.
But the amount of games broadcast on the FM network will increase dramatically as Triple M seeks to wrest broadcast supremacy from 2GB.
Triple M's coverage has been restricted to Monday Night Football over the past two seasons.
Now it will provide live commentary on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday nights, as well as Sunday afternoons.
While the NRL has awarded the rights, no announcement will be made until Triple M and 2GB negotiate a deal to divide the full round's coverage.
Content director Jamie Angel said each caller would try, where possible, to split the two Friday night games.
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"But there will be occasions where we want to call the same match and that might end up happening," he said.
Triple M is also likely to call 3pm Sunday afternoon matches, with 2GB set to broadcast the earlier clash.
"We want to take rugby league to a more contemporary radio market, just as we have done with the AFL," Angel said.
"Our Monday night ratings have been extremely successful. We've won just about every category under 60 years of age."
Triple M has also won the right to call State of Origin and finals matches, giving fans a three-way choice to tune into the season's biggest games.
But until the deal is officially signed, the station cannot hire new callers and experts commentators.
Angel said Triple M has already started talks to re-hire last year's experts - including Peter Sterling, Andrew Johns, Ryan Girdler, Nathan Hindmarsh, Adam MacDougall and Gorden Tallis.
The network also wants to keep promising commentator Dan Ginnane.
But Andrew Voss, who no longer works at Channel 9, has not been approached as yet.
Although the NRL is yet to announce its new radio deal, industry sources have confirmed Triple M, 2GB and ABC will retain coverage.
But the amount of games broadcast on the FM network will increase dramatically as Triple M seeks to wrest broadcast supremacy from 2GB.
Triple M's coverage has been restricted to Monday Night Football over the past two seasons.
Now it will provide live commentary on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday nights, as well as Sunday afternoons.
While the NRL has awarded the rights, no announcement will be made until Triple M and 2GB negotiate a deal to divide the full round's coverage.
Content director Jamie Angel said each caller would try, where possible, to split the two Friday night games.
Advertisement
"But there will be occasions where we want to call the same match and that might end up happening," he said.
Triple M is also likely to call 3pm Sunday afternoon matches, with 2GB set to broadcast the earlier clash.
"We want to take rugby league to a more contemporary radio market, just as we have done with the AFL," Angel said.
"Our Monday night ratings have been extremely successful. We've won just about every category under 60 years of age."
Triple M has also won the right to call State of Origin and finals matches, giving fans a three-way choice to tune into the season's biggest games.
But until the deal is officially signed, the station cannot hire new callers and experts commentators.
Angel said Triple M has already started talks to re-hire last year's experts - including Peter Sterling, Andrew Johns, Ryan Girdler, Nathan Hindmarsh, Adam MacDougall and Gorden Tallis.
The network also wants to keep promising commentator Dan Ginnane.
But Andrew Voss, who no longer works at Channel 9, has not been approached as yet.
