Channel Nine's decision to break its Rugby League World Cup contract will enable the network to reap more than $2 million in advertising revenue due to a major increase in advertising content.
Every match shown by Nine up until the final on November 22 will be delayed by at least an hour, a clear breach of Nine's commitment to show key pool games and semi-finals live in prime time.
Nine is the only winner out of the decision, because they are able to run many more ads than would be possible if the game was being shown live.
Tournament director Colin Love confirmed that former Nine CEO Eddie McGuire had committed the network to broadcasting the matches live, but conceded that the network had since backflipped on the decision.
Nine claims the decision made by former chief McGuire was null and void, and that current CEO David Gyngell has the right to adjust programming as he sees fit.
"As far as we're concerned, they are our partners in the event and we both want to make it work," Love told Fairfax.
"They believe they'll get the best ratings by screening it when they are. They're the experts - we've got to be guided by them.
"We don't like to be litigating with our partners even if we have the right to do it. That's really what it's all about."
Love conceded the late start of Sunday's game, which didn't kick off till after 9pm, was far from ideal.
"The problem we had [on Sunday night] was with the opening ceremony, which caused the actual start of play to begin so late," Love said.
"But next week I've been assured the coverage will actually start at 8.32pm - just after they go to air. It's only really a half-hour delay.
"They didn't want to move 60 Minutes and I can understand the logic of that."
Media analysts estimate Nine can screen twice as many ads in a delayed broadcast, netting the network upwards of $300,000 extra across five capital cities.
"It's much easier for them to handle a delayed broadcast and they would double their 'minuteage'," Steve Allen, of Fusion Strategy told Fairfax.
"It could be (worth) up to half a million dollars," said Allen.
According to Allen, it made clear business sense to delay the broadcast.
"It's very simple: the network's got to decide how it's best able to compete in the ratings game," he said.
"Frankly, the ratings did not seem to suffer."
The average viewing audience was 1.149 million across five capital cities.
"'They've been very smart and I don't think they would have got that audience if they had shown it earlier," Allen said.
Opposition spokesman for broadband, communications and the digital economy, Senator Nick Minchin, last night labelled Nine's decision as "extraordinary''.
"Nine has an obligation to its fans to show it live,'' Senator Minchin told News Limited.
"I'm sure Fox Sports would be more than happy to show the match live. It was hugely disappointing for the thousands upon thousands of league fans, particularly the kids.
"I understand Nine's commitment to 60 Minutes but they could have forfeited 60 Minutes for this one night or moved its timeslot. It was a premier World Cup pool game in Sydney, the capital of rugby league.''
