Macquarie Media has announced the launch of a new sports radio network Macquarie Sports Radio. The station is set to launch in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday April 4. Macquarie Media is the official AM commercial radio broadcaster of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
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Although the only national live sport the new network has is Premier League football (see below for more), Macquarie Sports Radio does have AFL and NRL games for its various markets.
Sydney Swans and GWS matches will be broadcast into Sydney on Macquarie Sports Radio 954 while Brisbane team games can be heard on Macquarie Sports Radio 882 in that market.
In Melbourne, audiences listening to 1278 will hear Melbourne Storm games being covered.
Macquarie Sports Radio is also hopeful of acquiring cricket rights in the current round of media negotiations.
Newly appointed Macquarie Media CEO Adam Lang said: “We are very excited to be launching Australia’s first national commercial sports radio talk network. Australians have a long-established obsession with sport and we continue to see growth in a variety of sporting endeavours. There are more than 13 million sports fans in Australia. Sport is social, it bonds strangers together and we want to give them a voice and a platform to connect and engage.
“Macquarie Media is #1 for Australian sport with NRL and The Continuous Call Team on 2GB and 4BC, AFL on 3AW and 6PR and our national live cricket in summer amongst our participation in a range of other events. Our passion for telling the story flows into our broadcasts of Australia’s top sports. It made sense to extend our expertise into a national format that covers all sports all of the time.”
Radio schedule
• Macquarie Sports Radio Breakfast M-F in Sydney and Brisbane (05:30am-09:00am) will be hosted by John Stanley and Beau Ryan.
• Macquarie Sports Radio Breakfast M-F in Melbourne hosted by Tony Leonard, Tony Shaw and Jimmy Bartel.
• David Schwartz and Mark Allen will host a national drive program.
• Mornings will be hosted by David Morrow and Tiffany Cherry
• Afternoons will be hosted by Mieke Buchan, Shane McInnes and Sam Stove.
• Evenings with Julian King.
• Weekend mornings with Bill Woods and Brigitte Duclos.
• Weekend afternoons with Craig Willis and Clinton Maynard.
• Weekend evenings with Tim Webster.
Macquarie Sports Radio’s regular guests and contributors will include Leigh Matthews, Des Hasler, Mike Hussey, Mark Riddell, Andrew Gaze and more.
The new breakfast and drive shows will be heard on Macquarie Sports Radio straight after the Commonwealth Games from Monday April 16.
Premier League football
Macquarie Sports Radio has also secured exclusive broadcast rights to live English Premier League matches (EPL). Three EPL games will be broadcast each week across the weekend overnights program. The network has also signed a partnership with the EPL’s global audio partner talkSPORT, the world’s biggest sports radio station, and will broadcast two of their award-winning shows, Hawksbee & Jacobs and Durham & Gough, between midnight and 4am weekdays.
Macquarie Sports Radio will be heard in Sydney on 954 AM, in Melbourne on 1278 AM and in Brisbane on 882 AM and on the respective Digital Radio DAB+ stations. People right across Australia can also listen online via streaming and podcasts, and can watch live via sportsradio.com.au.