ABC Sport

ABC Sport
Logo used since 2020
  • Australia
FrequenciesDAB+ and online
Programming
LanguageEnglish
Network
Ownership
OwnerAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
History
First air date
1990
Former names
ABC Radio Grandstand
Links
Websitewww.abc.net.au/news/sport/audio

ABC Sport is the division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that delivers sports programming to their television, radio and online networks. ABC Sport is also a digital radio station and a programming block simulcast on ABC radio stations. It broadcasts mainly commentary, news and talkback programs.

History

ABC Radio Grandstand was first lauched as a programming block in 1990,[1] though the ABC had been broadcasting cricket commentary since the 1930s. The digital station was launched on 5 October 2011 as ABC Radio Grandstand.[2] The brand was renamed to ABC Sport in November 2020, stylised in all caps.[3]

Radio coverage

Sports that have been covered by the station include football matches such as A-League Men, A-League Women, Socceroos, Matildas, friendlies and other special events. The ABC has done all forms of cricket including Twenty20, Test and One Day International. Along with the Olympic Games (both summer and winter), Commonwealth Games, Australian Open tennis, basketball, golf, rugby league and australian rules. They are the only national Australian radio station to broadcast sporting events live.

Television coverage

camera man
ABC camera man filming a WNBL game

The program Offsiders is broadcast on ABC TV on Sunday mornings, with a panel reviewing and debating the previous week's action. That Pacific Sports Show also focuses on the achievements of Pacific Island athletes around the world.[4]

Television broadcast rights

Current

List of current broadcast rights held by the ABC
Sport Event Broadcast partner(s) Date Notes
Australian rules Victorian Football League AFL.com.au 1987–2014, 2026–present [5]

Past

List of expired broadcast rights held by the ABC
Sport Event Broadcast partner(s) Date
Summer Olympics Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Mexico 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976 Seven (1956, 1972, 1976)
Ten (1968)
Nine (1956, 1972, 1976) 		1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976
American football National Football League 1980s–1990s
Super Bowl 1980s–1990s
Association football A-League[6] Fox Sports 2013–2017 (ABC Radio), 2019–2021
Matildas Internationals[6] Fox Sports, SBS (2019–2021) 2008–2016, 2019–2021
Socceroos Internationals[6] Fox Sports, SBS (2019–2021) 2014–2015, 2019–2021
W-League[6] Fox Sports 2008–2016, 2019–2021
FIFA World Cup Seven Network (1974), SBS (1982) 1974–1982
English Premier League 1970s–1990s
National Soccer League[7] C7 Sport 2001
AFC Asian Cup[8] Fox Sports 2015
FA Cup 1970s–1990s
Sydney FC v Liverpool FC Match 2017
Australian rules Australian Football League Seven Network HSV7 (1957–1986), Nine Network GTV9 Melbourne (1957–1986), Network 10 TEN10 Sydney (1987), TVQ10 Brisbane (1987) 1957–1987
North East Australian Football League 2007–2014
Northern Territory Football League 2005–2014
South Australian National Football League 1988–2014
Tasmanian State League 2009–2014
West Australian Football League TVW7 (1963–1987) 1987–2014
Baseball Australian Baseball League Network Ten (1990s–1996) 1989–1999
Claxton Shield 1970s–1988
Basketball FIBA Men's World Cup 2014
FIBA Women's World Cup 2014
FIBA Oceania Championship for Men 2013
FIBA Oceania Championship for Women 2013
National Basketball Association 1983–1991
Women's National Basketball Association 1991–1999
National Basketball League Fox Sports 1979–2001, 2017–2018
Women's National Basketball League Fox Sports 1981–2015, 2020–2022
Commonwealth Games Cardiff 1958, Perth 1962, Kingston 1966, Edinburgh 1970, Christchurch 1974, Edmonton 1978, Brisbane 1982, Edinburgh 1986 Nine (1982), Network Ten (1986) 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986
Cricket Sheffield Shield 1970s–1990s
Test cricket Nine Network 1960s–1979
Women's Twenty20 International 2012
Field hockey Hockey World Cup 2014
Golf Australian Ladies Masters 2017
British Open 1970s–1980s
PGA Tour 2019
Women's Australian Open Golf 2021
Lawn bowls Domestic and International Australian Lawn Bowls 1981–2011
Netball Commonwealth Bank Trophy C7 Sport (1997–2002) 1997–2007
INF Netball World Cup 1991, 1995, 2003, 2007
Netball Test Series 1990s–2007
Paralympic Games Paralympic Games 1970s–2013
Rugby league NSWRL/ARL Premiership now National Rugby League Seven ATN7 1971–1982 0-10 Network 1973–1979 Network 10 1980–1991 Nine Network 1961–1972, 1983, 1992–1995 1961–1995
Australia national rugby league team Nine 1957–1977, Seven ATN7 1978–1982, 0-10 Network 1979, Network 10 1980 1957–1982
1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France, 1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France French leg Network 10 British leg 1986, 1990
Queensland Cup Fox Sports 1996–2012
Rugby union Australia national rugby union team 1957–1991
Rugby World Cup 1987, 1991
British and Irish Lions in Australia 1959, 1966, 1989
Shute Shield 1996–2014
Tennis Hopman Cup 1995–2010

Commentators

  • Jim Maxwell – A highly experienced and highly regarded cricket commentator, Maxwell has covered Australian One Day, Test, and World Cup matches.[9] He also has broadcast rugby union, rugby league, golf, and hockey, and the Olympic Games.
  • Ian Chappell – Former captain of Australia. He has played over 90 Test and One Day cricket matches for Australia and has a Test batting average of 42.42.
  • Alison Mitchell – Commentator of the Seven Network's cricket coverage since 2018, first joined the ABC in 2014. She has also covered the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and four Women's Cricket World Cups.
  • Simone Thurtell – Best known for her Grandstand Active Show, which featured regular guests, including Kerry O'Keeffe, Geoff Huegill and Al Baxter, and covered the sporting issues of the day, overnight scores and live crosses to sport. She covered major events such as the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2006 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
  • Corbin Middlemas
  • Matt Clinch
  • Ben Cameron
  • Kelli Underwood
  • Andrew Mayes
  • Joel Peterson
  • Lauren Bordin
  • Brett Sprigg (NSW)
  • Daniel Garb (NSW)
  • Quentin Hull (NSW, QLD)
  • Michael Price (QLD)
  • Aaron Bryans (SA)
  • Neil Cross (SA)
  • Clint Wheeldon (WA)
  • Mitch Turner (WA)
  • Chris Rowbottam (TAS)
  • Michael Maney (TAS)
  • Rob Cross (NT)

See also

References

  1. ^ Norenbergs, Craig (18 November 2011). "Coming of age: Grandstand celebrates 21 years on air". ABC News. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  2. ^ Benton, Ali (5 October 2011). "More digital stations launch today". ABC Listen. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  3. ^ "Grandstand Summer of Cricket now on ABC SPORT". radioinfo. 5 November 2020. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  4. ^ "That Pacific Sports Show launches on ABC Australia and ABC iview". Mediaweek. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  5. ^ Jolly, Nathan (12 March 2026). "VFL inks broadcast deals with Foxtel, Seven, ABC, and SEN". Mumbrella. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d "ABC strikes deal with FFA to become free-to-air home of football in Australia". ABC News. 3 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Evidence that Channel 7 intended to damage soccer (?)". Austadiums. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Annual Report 2006–07" (PDF). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 November 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
  9. ^ "Grandstand Summer of Cricket now on ABC SPORT". radioinfo. 5 November 2020. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
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