Wide World of Sports (Australian TV programme)

Wide World of Sports was an Australian sports television program. It is broadcast on the Nine Network.

Wide World of Sports
GenreSports
Presented byMichael Slater
Emma Freedman
John Steffensen
Clint Stanaway
Sally Fitzgibbons
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons24
Production
Production locationsTCN-9 Willoughby, New South Wales
Running time60 minutes
(including commercials)
Release
Original networkNine Network
Picture format576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Audio formatStereo (1981–present)
Dolby Digital 5.1 (2008–2009)
Original release23 May 1981 - 1999
16 March 2008 –
2016 (2016)
Chronology
Followed bySports Sunday
External links
[wwos.nine.com.au Website]

The show originally aired from 23 May 1981, until the end of 1999. After a nine-year hiatus, it returned on 16 March 2008 and had its last episode in 2016 following Ken Sutcliffe's retirement. It was replaced by a new sport talk show Sports Sunday airing its first episode on 5 March 2017.[1]

History

1981-1999 - Weekly shows

Wide World of Sports (WWoS) is a long-used title for Nine's sport programming. All sports broadcasts on Nine air under the WWoS brand. It was also the name of a popular sports magazine program that aired most Saturdays and Sundays. This program filled many of the summer daytime hours. The program premiered at 1:00 pm on Saturday, 23 May 1981, and was initially hosted by Mike Gibson and Ian Chappell, before being hosted in the 1990s by Max Walker and Ken Sutcliffe. Ian Maurice was the regular anchor at the WWOS Update Desk. The show ended in 1999, due in large part to the rise of Fox Sports (which Nine's owner owned half of) and other subscription sport channels, but the show returned in 2008 on Sunday mornings.

It was unrelated to the series Wide World of Sports aired by ABC in the United States, which started in 1961.[2]

In the early 1980s, well-known hosts and presenters on Wide World of Sports included Mike Gibson[3][4] and Ian Chappell,[4] both the inaugural hosts of the Saturday afternoon program in 1981.[5] Billy Birmingham in 1984 released a comedy album that satirized cricket "and in particular Channel Nine’s iconic commentary team with Richie Benaud the central figure," which became popular in Australia,[6] A later album was called The Wired World of Sports. Among the hosts satirized were his friend Mike Gibson.[5] The television show won "Most Popular Sports Program" at the Logie Awards in 1986.[7]

In 1990s, the Wide World of Sports marketed sports paraphernalia such as signed and framed bats, and items from the Australian Rugby League.[8] Paul Sheahan hosted Nine's Wide World of Sports program until 1999.[9] Max Walker hosted until it ended in 1999.[10][11]

2008-2020 - Show's return to TV

After a ten-year hiatus, it was announced that the Wide World of Sports weekly television program would return to Nine on 16 March 2008,[12] using the same theme song as the old version, as well as accessing old footage for replays. This show was hosted by the previous host Ken Sutcliffe, with footy show star James Brayshaw as well as former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist. Revolving co-hosts included former swimmers Giaan Rooney, Nicole Livingstone and former cricketer Michael Slater.[13] That year, it broadcast the Australian Open with its own team of commentators.[14] The show originally aired for 90 minutes but was recently extended to two hours. It aired on Sunday mornings at 9am till 11am.

In 2009, Grant Hackett[15] and Michael Slater joined the team as co-hosts alongside Sutcliffe and Rooney.

After she was fired in 2014 as a cost-cutting measure, in 2016 Emma Freedman again signed up with Channel Nine's Wide World of Sports as an announcer.[16] The weekly show was no longer airing as of 2017. Sports Sunday replaced the show in the Sunday 10am time slot.

Macquarie Media in 2020 began airing an hour-long Wide World of Sports radio broadcast hosted by Mark Levy.[17][18]

Hosts

Current

Past

Awards

The show won the Logie Award for the Most Popular Sports Program in 1987, and was nominated for every year from 2009 to 2017.

See also

References
  1. "Airdate: Sports Sunday". TV Tonight.
  2. "Wide World of Sports - Some Hits, Some Errors", The New York Times, 19 April 1981
  3. "Mike Gibson, veteran sports presenter and commentator, dies aged 75", The Guardian, Australian Associated Press, 23 September 2015
  4. "Mike Gibson’s ability to empathise with punters made him a storyteller without peer", Perth Now, Christian Nicolussi, 23 September 2015
  5. "Legendary sports commentator and journalist Mike Gibson dies aged 75", The Daily Telegraph, 23 September 2015
  6. "Billy Birmingham to retire 'The 12th Man'", The Roar, Benjamin Conkey, 9 November 2015
  7. "TV WEEK Logie Award Winners ", Now To Love, 1 January 2010
  8. "The road to riches down memory lane", Financial Review, Charles Wright, 15 May 1999
  9. "‘Tangles’ was all heart", MCC News, November 2016
  10. "Former Australian cricketer Max Walker dies at 68", Stuff.co, Joe Pierek, 28 September 2016
  11. "Max Walker dies aged 68", Sunshine Coast Daily, 28 September 2016
  12. Wilson, Chris (1 March 2008). "A 'Wide World' opens for Gilly". The Daily Telegraph.
  13. "Returning: Wide World of Sports", TVTonight, David Knox, 11 March 2008
  14. "John McEnroe, Todd Woodbridge sign on Nine’s Australian Open team.", TV Tonight, David Knox, 9 August 2018
  15. "Profile: Grant Hackett", The Sydney Morning Herald, Lucinda Schmidt, 20 July 2011
  16. "Emma Freedman is back at Channel Nine 14 months after being sacked", News.com.au, Andrew Bucklow, 3 March 2016
  17. "Nine to bring Wide World of Sports to radio", Ad News, Mariam Cheik-Husein, 16 December 2020
  18. "Wide World of Sports coming to 2GB and 4BC in 2020", Mediaweek, 17 December 2019
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