Ashes first Test or State of Origin Game III? That’s the dilemma facing sports fans on July 8

STATE of Origin decider for the ages, or day one of the Ashes? That’s the dilemma for sports fans on July 8 when the Nine Network airs both epic contests.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 05: Michael Clarke of Australia lifts the urn during day three of the Fifth Ashes Test match between Australia and England at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 5, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

STATE of Origin decider for the ages, or the theatre of day one of the Ashes?

Tantalising or agonising, that’s the dilemma awaiting sports fans on July 8 when the Nine Network airs two of the biggest events of the year live and exclusive at exactly the same time.

For viewers, the epic clash will put loyalties to the ultimate test.

Paul Gallen locking horns with Queensland at a rabid Suncorp Stadium on Nine’s main channel? Or Mitchell Johnson and the Aussies steaming in to try and break their 14-year drought in England in high definition on GEM?

The remote control could be in for a beating, but the Nine Network looks set to smash Australian free-to-air ratings records as a result.

The NSW Blues travel to Brisbane for Origin Game III on July 8.

Since 2010, the only television broadcast to exceed a 50 per cent share of the overall free-to-air market was Nine’s coverage of day one of the 2012 London Olympics.

But that record of 51.7 per cent is in line to be broken.

Wednesday night’s Origin was the highest-rating show of the year with a peak audience of 4.54 million, but the decider and Ashes day one combination could enter a new stratosphere.

“It’s going to be a brilliant night of sport for our country and fantastic certainly for the network,” Nine’s director of programming Andrew Backwell said.

“State of Origin rates really well in Sydney and Brisbane and has done a very solid job in the other markets (46.3 national share on Wednesday), but if you add the Ashes to that I think you’re going to see our share go through the roof.

“Either way Channel 9 will be flying because audience share is vital. If we lose one viewer off the main channel, we’ll gain two on GEM. I would predict we could get close to 50 share of the audience on a national basis.”

Ordinarily, Nine’s later and later kick-off to State of Origin has social media lighting up in frustration.

The smallest big trophy in sport will be fought over in the UK this winter.

But on July 8 it could be a blessing in disguise.

At least then cricket nuts who are also desperate to watch Origin can absorb the first 20-odd minutes of Michael Clarke’s side going at it in Cardiff from 8pm, before switching back over to the opening hit-up of mate against mate from Suncorp.

Channel 10 will likely plough on with airing MasterChef regardless of the sporting avalanche, but Seven is set to concede the slot by switching House Rules to ­another night, as it did on Wednesday.

The Origin-Ashes double isn’t the only landmark night for Nine next month.

On July 17, the network will enter new ground and create another giant headache for sports lovers when Friday night NRL, the Ashes and English football giants Liverpool tackling the Brisbane Roar (on Go!) air live across Nine’s three channels simultaneously.

It will be the first time a network has stacked all its channels with blockbuster live sport. “It’s back to the halcyon days of sports coverage in this country,” Nine’s sports boss Steve Crawley said.

For the Ashes, Nine is flying its own commentary team to England to call the Ashes series for the first time in nearly 20 years at a cost in excess of $1.5 million.

For 25 nights in winter it will seem like summer is back again when Shane Warne, Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Michael Slater, Brett Lee, Michael Vaughan and David Lloyd beam into loungerooms.

Originally published as Ashes first Test or State of Origin Game III? That’s the dilemma facing sports fans on July 8