Channel Nine in an embarrassing slip when two famous Australian swimmers are misnamed on camera…on the day the network secures the rights to the Olympics
Channel Nine made an embarrassing on-air gawk on Wednesday when it confused two famous Australian athletes during a newscast.
The glitch came the same day the network announced a nine-year, $309 million broadcasting rights deal with the International Olympic Committee.
Olympic swimmer Leisel Jones, who appeared in a story in 9News Brisbane’s evening bulletin about the IOC deal, was mistakenly identified on screen as Susie O’Neill, another former Olympian, TV Tonight reports.
Channel Nine made an embarrassing on-air gawk on Wednesday when it confused two famous Australian athletes during a newscast. (Pictured: Leisel Jones in Melbourne in 2019)
Jones, 37, rose to fame at the age of 15 at the 2000 Olympics. She later won gold in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
O’Neill, 49, won eight Olympic medals during her career as a first-class swimmer.
Nine’s deal with the IOC comes after rival network Channel Seven withdrew an official bid for broadcasting rights in December.
Details of the new deal include broadcasting rights for the next five Olympic Games, including streaming across all platforms.
Sports fans can look forward to Nine covering the Paris Games in 2024, followed by Milan 2026, Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.
Olympic swimmer Leisel Jones (pictured), who appeared in a 9News Brisbane story about the IOC deal, was mistakenly identified on screen as Susie O’Neill, another former Olympian
Australian Olympic champion Susie O’Neill is seen here. Nine’s nine-year broadcast rights deal with the International Olympic Committee is valued at $309 million
Seven had the broadcast rights to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which took place earlier this year, and the Tokyo 2020 games.
The network paid a staggering $170 million to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to secure the rights to the final three games.
It was revealed last year that Nine had sent Today show host Karl Stefanovic with a handful of top executives to a central European country to help seal the deal with the IOC, Mumbrella reported.
Nine’s deal with the IOC comes after rival network Channel Seven withdrew an official bid for broadcasting rights in December. (Pictured: O’Neill at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast)
The coverage of the Olympic Games is very appreciated by commercial networks because it guarantees millions of viewers.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will begin on July 26 this year.
One of Nine’s most recognizable stars, Stefanovic is said to make between $1.8 million and $2 million a year as a co-host of the Today show.
He has been with Nine for more than 20 years.
It was revealed last year that Nine had sent Karl Stefanovic (left) with a handful of top executives to a central European country to help seal the deal with the IOC, Mumbrella reported