Here's why Bruce McAvaney isn't part of Channel 9's commentary coverage for the Paris Olympics

The iconic voice of Bruce McAvaney is missing from Channel 9's coverage of the Paris Olympics - but fans will still get a chance to hear him. McAvaney is one of the most famous voices in Australian sport and has been calling the Olympic Games since 1984 in Los Angeles.

All up he has covered 13 Olympics as a commentator, and provided some of the most iconic moments in Australia's sporting history at the Games. His call of Cathy Freeman's gold medal triumph in the 400m at the Sydney Olympics will live long in the memories of sporting fans who witnessed it - and even some who didn't.

But he's not part of Channel 9's coverage in Paris due mainly to the fact he's contracted to the rival Seven Network. McAvaney has scaled back his commentary commitments in recent years and no longer calls the AFL with Channel 7.

However he still leads the Seven Network's horse racing coverage and called the Canberra Track Classic and Maurie Plant athletics meets in recent months. But with Channel 9 having the TV rights for the Paris Games this time around, McAvaney won't be on our TV screens.

Channel 9 gets Gerard Whateley for Paris Olympics

According to the Herald Sun, the Nine Network tried to secure McAvaney's services for the Games, but didn't have any luck. The Seven Network have since denied reports they "dug their heels in" in regards to releasing McAvaney to join the rival network, labelling those claims "completely incorrect".

Channel 9 instead snared Gerard Whateley of Fox Footy and SEN. Whateley successfully lobbied Fox Footy and SEN for a one-off release for the three-week event. The move was apparently rejected by Whateley's current employers when first floated last year, but further negotiations got the move over the line.

Whateley was shadowing McAvaney as he called the athletics at the Maurie Plant meet earlier this year, and is said to hold the 100m final at the Olympics as a 'bucket-list' desire to commentate. The veteran media man is following in the footsteps of Eddie McGuire, who has been allowed to work across a variety of networks while contracted to others in recent years.

Dave Culbert and Tamsyn Manou, who worked alongside McAvaney at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with Channel 7, have both been snapped up by Channel 9 for the Paris Games. But it's Whately who will serve as the lead athletics caller in Paris.

Bruce McAvaney lands last-minute commentary role with ABC

Even though McAveney won't be part of the TV coverage, fans can still hear his iconic voice on ABC radio in some parts of Australia. The ABC announced last month they'd struck a deal with the 71-year-old to call some of the action for radio listeners.

That came after Channel 9 signed a sub-licensing agreement with ABC Local Radio last week to broadcast the Games in select markets on ABC stations where they don't compete directly with Nine-owned radio stations. The stations included in the deal are 891 ABC Adelaide, 105.7 ABC Darwin, 936 ABC Hobart, 666 ABC Canberra and DAB+ channels in those markets. Local ABC stations across regional, rural and remote Australia are also included in the deal and will feature McAvaney's commentary.

“I’ve always thought the Olympics was the ultimate event for an Australian broadcaster," McAvaney said in a statement. "To be given this opportunity by the ABC means a great deal to me. These Games will be as exciting as any. We have a 75-strong athletics team – our biggest ever we have sent overseas. I’m very optimistic they’re ready to achieve great things.”

Even though he'll be on radio in some parts of Australia, fans were left saddened to learn McAvaney won't be part of Channel 9's coverage. It marks the first Olympics in a very long time that McAvaney won't be on the TV coverage of the Games.