New Angle on Televised Fishing

Match Fishing League New Angle on Televised Fishing

The competitive spirit of five teams of anglers will be tested in the world’s first ‘reel-life’ televised fishing contest. Match Fishing League, coming to TVOne from 10 July 2010, will capture a broader audience with its focus not just on the fishing, but the unique personalities within the teams.

Auckland, 17 June 2010 – Match Fishing League is not just another fishing show: it’s a made-fortelevision competitive fishing event where teams of anglers representing specific regions fight it out in head-to-head shootouts in a round robin league.

Each match sees a home team fending off the challenge of a visiting team. As if they needed it, the home team has an extra advantage: they set all the rules and parameters of their home matches such as target species, line weight and bait restrictions. The visitors must outfox the locals and beat them at their own game – a win away is a significant step up the league table. As well as providing exciting fishing, this is a great leveler, allowing any style of fishing to be used in the matches within the league as points are awarded based on a win or draw. The eventual winner is decided after 20 matches and any wildcard games are played, leaving the final result a
mystery until the very last match is declared.

With a mixture of teams from young and enthusiastic whipper-snappers through to salty old sea dogs there’s both excitement and some serious knowledge on tap. It’s brought to the viewers by seasoned presenters Peter Elliott and Andrea Downey who join a team each on the respective boats, along with a cameraman.

Match Fishing League provides a level playing field in terms of equipment. Extreme Boats has supplied two 610 Centre Consoles, Yamaha has supplied a pair of 150hp four-stroke engines and ENL has provided the latest Lowrance high-definition electronics. The entire package towed to each location with two vehicles provided by Kia Motors.

The first season is being competed on an exhibition basis with invitational teams, but for the 2011 season Match Fishing League wants winners of a regional-based series to compete for overall glory, with a view to then competing in a global Match Fishing League battle.

Match Fishing League was devised by Sports Media Holdings and is based in Auckland, New Zealand. The company’s directors and advisors draw on extensive experience in television and advertising, as well as competitive and recreational fishing.

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