Sportswriter Tallon Smith says Channel 10’s withdrawal is a huge blow for soccer fans. But NRL supporters should not be complacent. Photo: Supplied.
The loss of Channel 10 from TV screens in Griffith could see the town miss out on NRL or AFL coverage in the future, warns sportswriter Tallon Smith.
The WIN Network will cease broadcasting Channel 10, 10 Drama, 10 Comedy and Nickelodeon to audiences in Griffith and surrounding towns from 1 July.
This means A-League soccer, the Grand Prix and many Socceroos matches will no longer be viewable on free-to-air television in this region.
“It’s disappointing for fans of those sports. It’s going to be a blow to local sporting clubs because if kids aren’t watching their heroes play, they’ll have less emotional investment in the sport and less desire to play it on weekends,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith is a rugby league journalist who runs the Battlers for Bush Footy website. He points out that NRL and AFL fans could also be affected in the future, as Channel 10 has previously held the rights to both sports and could reclaim them one day.
“Channel Nine’s contract with the NRL ends next year … Channel 10 could be interested. If they get some of the games, it will be devastating for league fans in Griffith who will miss out on being able to watch them,” Mr Smith said.
“When Griffith almost lost Channel 7 last year, AFL and cricket fans really pushed back. The Channel 10 decision affects soccer fans now, but if they secure a contract with a major sport, many more fans will be affected.”
Network 10 held AFL rights prior to 2011, at a time when Griffith did not have access to the station.
“A lot of people in Griffith used to miss out on watching the Aussie Rules until 2012, when we finally got access to all stations,” he said.
“I thought we’d stepped out of that dark age when Griffith didn’t have the same access as metropolitan areas. We should be moving forward, not backwards.”
Councillor Tony O’Grady, also a keen sports fan, said the loss of Channel 10 was another sign that country areas continued to be overlooked by the major cities.
“It seems if you don’t live in NSW cities like Newcastle, Sydney or Wollongong, you miss out. We keep losing more services even though we are the heavy lifters of the country,” he said.
“We’d encourage businesses not to use Channel 10 for advertising, and the Federal Government should perhaps divert its advertising money to networks that do broadcast in regional areas.”
Councillor Tony O’Grady says those in the bush are being treated like second-class citizens. Photo: Griffith City Council.
Griffith, Leeton and Narrandera soccer fans will still be able to watch their teams through the Ten network app, but Mr Smith said many people will still be disadvantaged.
“The app might work in town, but a lot of people on the farm don’t have internet access that supports streaming and will miss out altogether,” he said.
Murray MP Helen Dalton vowed to fight to keep the station on air.
“This is the second time in two years. WIN tried it with Channel 7 in July 2025. Now they are doing it again with Network 10. Rural Australia is being treated as the easy place to cut costs,” she said.
“Free-to-air TV should be available to every Australian regardless of where they live. For elderly residents, farming families and smaller townships, streaming is not a substitute. It can be the difference between knowing a bushfire is coming and not.
“Communications Minister Wells has a responsibility to ensure equity in free-to-air television. The minister needs to work with WIN and 10 to ensure regional viewers are not disadvantaged. We will not allow viewers in rural and regional Australia to be treated like second-class citizens.”
Mayor Doug Curran has also vowed to lobby politicians in an attempt to reverse the decision.
