Maori language lessons for Breakers' fans

Digital, broadband links needed for playoffs

Kiwi basketball fans wanting to watch the New Zealand Breakers’ historic first game of the semifinal series against the Melbourne Tigers on Wednesday night will have to have a digital decoder to do so.

Either that, or a decent broadband connection.

The match, game one of a highly anticipated best-of-three series between the Breakers and the defending champion Tigers, is being broadcast live by Maori Television, but only on their second, digital-only Te Reo channel.

Also the match will feature a full Maori language commentary, with no English option available.

The Te Reo channel is only available either through Sky Television’s digital platform (channel 59) or via TVNZ’s Freeview operating system. Both require customers to have a set-top decoder.

Maori Television will also live stream the match on their website, www.maoritelevision.com, at least giving a viewing option for those unable to access Te Reo.

It’s understood Maori TV could not shift regular programming on its main free-to-air channel to fit the game in there, and on Te Reo all coverage has to be in the Maori language.

Clearly this is not an ideal scenario for the Breakers who would have preferred their first ever NBL semifinals match went out to as big an audience as was possible, and in the preferred language of most New Zealanders.

But the club did not want to rock the boat on this one, for the most part content with the job Maori Television has done covering their home matches through the 2008-09 season.

New Zealand viewers who do have either the Sky or TVNZ digital set-top boxes will still have a way to enjoy the match with an English commentary, providing they tune in to Radio Sport which is carrying live coverage of the match.

Radio Sport are sending regular commentator Matt Gunn to Melbourne to call the game.

"It is great that fans will get the chance to follow the game from Melbourne on Wednesday, the different range of options our partners have come up with should mean that every Breakers fan will have a way to be with the boys as they take on the Tigers," said club GM Richard Clarke.

Fairfax Media understands Maori Television's position as official broadcaster of the Breakers, and Australian NBL, could be coming to an end.

As part of the league's new deal with Foxtel in Australia, it's highly unlikely that Breakers games would continue to be shown on Maori TV.

Foxtel has a strong relationship with Sky in New Zealand and it's thought that both the NBL and Foxtel are keen for Sky to come on board as the official New Zealand broadcaster of the competition.

Foxtel has never been happy with the amount of Maori language content there is in coverage of Breakers' games, and Maori TV have also largely declined to pick up coverage of other matches in the league, despite having the rights.

Foxtel would prefer Sky cover Breakers home games, and also run the large package of Australian games on its vast sports network.

Maori television has a one-year contract with the Breakers and ANBL, but a new deal with Foxtel in Australia has already been confirmed for 2009-10 and beyond.

However with the league still to confirm its makeup, it's understood that the finer details of broadcasting relationships, such as the New Zealand partnership, won’t be confirmed until next year’s competition is sorted out.