Channel Seven faced criticism from the A-League after a camera crew member removed a microphone mid-press conference. The incident occurred while Sydney FC coach Patrick Kisnorbo and player Jordan Courtney-Perkins were discussing the club's upcoming friendlies against English Premier League team Chelsea.
Courtney-Perkins appeared visibly surprised as the microphone was taken from beneath his chin. Fans on social media expressed frustration, with one commenter stating, "this is why we can't trust our major channels to promote anything in this country."
The A-League's social media team responded sarcastically, suggesting the Seven representative was in a hurry to "recut a rugby league promo." This remark alluded to a recent controversy where fans accused Channel Seven of using footage of soccer supporters for promotional material for the Rugby League World Cup.
Visuals of Socceroos fans, including those at Federation Square and a watch party in Canada, were reportedly featured in a Seven promotional video for the Rugby League World Cup. This decision sparked backlash from football fans who questioned the use of rival code footage for promotion.
"Didn't know Socceroos were playing in the World Cup with majority use of the World Cup and live site footage," one user commented on X. Another questioned, "How come this is footage of soccer fans. I mean seriously, wtf??"
The Rugby League World Cup is scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 15, with Australia facing New Zealand. Channel Seven has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the press conference incident.