Channel 7 choosing Nick Kyrgios over Ash Barty makes a hugely unfortunate statement for what matters

One forgettable moment of broadcasting madness has seen Channel 7 rightly lambasted for choosing petulance over Australian pride. What were they thinking?

In one forgettable moment of broadcasting madness, Channel 7 last night highlighted exactly what matters when it comes to ratings.

They were presented with the choice of showing recently crowned world number one and French Open champion Ash Barty’s entire match, or to hope for an inevitable explosion from Nick Kyrgios.

That they chose the latter is a lamentable reflection on not just the network, which admittedly has a long and proud history of tennis coverage, but on the appetite of today’s audience.

It was saying that the potential for swearing and tanking ranks above a young woman who plays sport in a fashion that does Australia proud, or the polar opposite of a boorish brat in Kyrgios.

That Kyrgios was playing another Australian in Jordan Thompson is not an excuse, or that their game began first.

Simply, cover it until Barty’s match began, and put the rest on tape for those who want to witness Kyrgios perform.

Barty was typically gracious when asked about it later, replying “how do you want me to answer that?

If people want to watch my matches great, if they can’t, they can’t. That’s up to the broadcasters.”

Her friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua wasn’t quite so diplomatic, tweeting “can’t help but wonder if the roles were reversed and you were showing a women’s match with 2 aussies & we had a world number 1 male start playing on another court that u wouldn’t stop the coverage & cross over to that match”.

More tennis:

Australia says Channel 7 got it wrong on Ash Barty match snub as Sunrise defends covering Nick Kyrgios instead

She could have and should have gone a lot harder, but that isn’t Dellacqua’s nature. As for Channel 7, spokesman Mark Beretta said “it was a very difficult decision, and people had been watching (Kyrgios) for two hours, at the prime minutes of the match you can’t go to Ash”.

Yes you can and yes you should have, but as they say, it’s the rating, it’s always the ratings. Or “let’s hope Barty gets through and we can escape with as little damage as possible”. Thankfully, viewers have voted with their voices on this one with Seven rightfully lambasted for a very poor judgment call.

Ash Barty wins round one against Saisai Zheng. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

HOW SEVEN RESPONDED:

Sunrise has defended Channel 7’s decision to air Nick Kyrgios’s match instead of world number one Ash Barty’s following widespread outrage from fans and commentators.

Barty responded to the criticism saying it was up to the broadcaster to decide what matches to air.

Barty, the first Australian woman to reach the number one ranking since 1976, was playing against China’s Zheng Saisai at the same time as the wayward Kyrgios lined against fellow Australian Jordan Thompson.

Channel 7, which was only showing the match on one channel, picked the Kyrgios game instead of Barty’s match, leading to outrage from some commentators.

Fox Sports showed the Barty match live on both Foxtel and Kayo.

Australia's Nick Kyrgios lays on the court after diving for a shot by Australia's Jordan Thompson

This morning Sunrise sports presenter Mark Beretta and Samantha Armytage said they understood the disappointment from fans.

Beretta said it was a “very difficult decision,” but Channel 7 went with Kyrgios because the match started earlier.

“We waited until Nick was done and then we went with Ash.”

Beretta said Channel 7 was only able to show one match at a time as they weren’t able to air them on multiple channels.

Kyrgios said he was surprised Channel 7 only broadcast one match.

“I don’t have much to do with that but obviously Ash is unbelievable. I actually told a lot of people that she was going to win Wimbledon,” he said.

“I thought they would probably show both, I don’t really have much to say about that.”

Originally published as Channel 7 choosing Nick Kyrgios over Ash Barty makes a hugely unfortunate statement for what matters