The biggest loser of the Paris Olympics? Why fans think Channel Seven’s Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington has been ‘dudded’

He could have been the perfect host for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

But former Olympian and Seven Sunrise presenter Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington lost out when Nine was awarded exclusive rights to broadcast the sporting spectacle in 2023, fans say.

The 45-year-old former track champion has won plaudits for his incisive commentary on Seven’s morning show since the Games kicked off on July 26.

Still, many viewers wondered how things might have turned out, as Seven’s coverage of the Paris Olympics was severely compromised by the lack of accessibility, even though Nine owned the rights.

“He really got screwed by not covering the Olympics,” one sympathetic fan posted on the TV industry site Media Spy.

They continued, “You know he would have been the face [of the Games] had Seven gotten them [the broadcast rights].

“Totally agree,” added another fan on the blog, which is often used by current and former network TV insiders to comment on the current state of commercial television.

“Sunrise is way ahead of Today when it comes to judging match results, even without much actual footage,” wrote another.

“The conversations between Katie, Beretts and the hosts (Nat and Shirvo/Matt and Mon) were much more illuminating than Karl and Sarah’s.”

Viewers didn’t hold back when criticizing Shirvo’s rivals, with one writing, “This is what’s missing from Today during these Olympics.”

Another agreed: “This is what I expected Today to be.”

The former runner regularly wore green and gold in the studio and also organised his own ‘Olympic’ track and field competition.

He even attempted to recreate the Games’ famous chocolate muffins at Sunrise’s Eveleigh studios, a world away from Paris, where his Nine rival Karl Stefanovic is celebrating his life at Nine’s expense.

A Channel Seven spokesperson declined to comment on the support for Shirvo on social media.

Shirvington joined Sunrise as co-host alongside Natalie Barr in June 2023, four months after Nine announced it had acquired the rights to Games.

The former Olympian has long been groomed for stardom by the network since he was brought in as a weekend sports presenter at Seven News Sydney in 2020.

Nine Entertainment paid a whopping $305 million for the exclusive rights to the Summer and Winter Olympics, which run for nine years, starting in Paris and ending with the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

Nine’s deal with the IOC comes after rival network Channel Seven withdrew from an official bid for the broadcast rights in December 2022.

The broadcast of the Olympic Games is highly sought after by commercial networks, as it attracts millions of viewers.

“Didn’t Shirvo originally sign with Seven because they had the Olympic rights?” one viewer wondered on the Media Spy forum on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Nine’s coverage of the Paris Games has been heavily criticised by viewers.

Shirvington’s Today rival Stefanovic, 49, in particular came in for heavy criticism for his comments.

Stefanovic has been criticised by fans from the very first day of the Olympics for his commentary on the opening ceremony.

They accused him of ignoring important and fun parts of the event and many took to social media to call on him to keep his mouth shut.

‘@Channel9 please tell that idiot Karl Stefanovic to shut up during the performances. I was planning on watching Channel 9’s Olympics coverage but if this is any example of the quality of the broadcasts… I’m turning it off immediately,’ one person posted.

‘The @9NewsAUS coverage of the #Paris2024 Opening Ceremony is absolutely awful. @karlstefanovic is awful and has zero insight to offer. Terrible casting for this moment. The ceremony itself is pretty boring. Just a few boats floating down the river,’ added another.

Another fumed: ‘Why would you have Karl Stefanovic host the opening ceremony? Todd Woodbridge on his own would have been perfect.’

Stefanovic is one of Nine’s highest-profile stars and is said to earn between $1.8 million and $2 million a year as co-host of the Today show.

He has been with Nine for over 20 years.

Elsewhere, Nine’s Olympic producers were criticised for their disappointing presentation techniques and the lack of subtitles for non-French speakers during the opening ceremony.

The network also faced criticism from fans over its commentary team, which includes AFL star Matt Pavlich and cricketer Mark Taylor.