SEN and Macquarie Sports caught up in broadcast rights issue with Indian company Sports Flashes

If you were listening to either SEN or Macquarie Sports Radio at the start of the World Cup, you may have been wondering why the coverage sounded like ‘a couple of Indians in their garage’. Here’s why.

SEN boss Craig Hutchison. Picture: Jay Town

It was early in the coverage of the opening game of the World Cup when the alarm bells started to ring in the studios of Melbourne’s two sports radio networks.

Macquarie Sports and SEN had both purchased the broadcast rights for cricket’s one-day extravaganza in England through an Indian company Sports Flashes.

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But with each ball that was being broadcast it quickly became apparent that the commentary they were receiving was from a couple of Indians sitting in their garage.

After some frantic phone calls it was revealed that the broadcast they were receiving was “illegal” because their Indian distributor had breached its rights agreement with the ICC.

Apparently a dispute over money with a fellow Indian company had caused the problem which they failed to pass on to radio networks around the globe who were expecting their feed.

SEN is now using an international feed provided by the ICC while Macquarie Sports is covering Australian games from its Melbourne studio with a commentary team including Darren Lehmann, Brad Hodge, Darren Berry and John Hastings.

David Warner in action at the cricket World Cup. Picture: AP Photo

Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg was also caught up in the Sports Flashes debacle.

He’d been hired as the company’s anchor for the World Cup coverage and knew nothing about the rights issue when he arrived in the UK.

Luckily Hogg didn’t have to turn around and come home as he was able to find some work with another broadcaster.

BRENDON Goddard is answering the call from good mate Marcus Fraser and will carry his bags at next week’s US Open.

Fraser threw up the idea with the former St Kilda and Essendon champion last month during one of their regular rounds of golf.

But given Fraser’s recent form and the fact he’s now a part-time touring professional, the reality of a Pebble Beach trip wasn’t overly strong.

However, things changed dramatically when Fraser’s putter caught on fire during the qualifying event at Walton Heath in England and secured him a spot in the third major of the year.

Marcus Fraser and Brendon Goddard will be side by side at the US Open. Picture: Peter Ristevski

Goddard was at home following the round on his computer and soon received a text from Fraser reminding him about the caddying gig.

After some shuffling around on the home front and late passport issues, the golf nut got his affairs in order to tick off the bucket list moment of striding the fairways at Pebble Beach.

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