Sports codes call for anti-siphoning list cull
Major sports codes write to Communication Minister to slash the number of sporting events that must be shown on Free to Air.
- Published by David Knox
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The CEOs of the major sporting codes are urging Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to trim the list of sporting events on the Anti-Siphoning list.
The AFL and NRL, soccer and netball, rugby union, tennis and cricket bodies have signed a letter, along with Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein and ASTRA chairman Tony Shepherd, asking the government to slash the number of sporting events that have to be shown on Free to Air television.
News Corp reports they propose finals of AFL, NRL, Australian Open and the Melbourne Cup remain on Free to Air but the removal of almost all games and events outside Australia except major events such as Olympics opening and closing ceremonies and World Cup finals.
The push to free up “hoarding” of events and increase the value of broadcast rights, recommends keeping the current sharing of AFL and NRL between Foxtel and FTA.
It also recommends FTA no longer be required to broadcast events on their primary channel.
The Anti-Siphoning List was given a major shake-up by former Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, putting major events onto a ‘Tier A’ list and other events onto a multichannel ‘Tier B’ list.
Earlier this year FreeTV Australia Chairman Harold Mitchell criticised ASTRA’s push to reduce the length of the 1300 events on the anti-siphoning list, describing it as a “trick” to force Australians to pay to watch their favourite sport on television.
FreeTV called on the government to enable free-to-air broadcasters to show listed sports on all their channels.
Left in the middle are audiences, who want their major sport events Live and in HD, something Free to Air audiences have still not consistently delivered.
Nine CEO David Gyngell told media at the 2012 NRL broadcast rights press conference Nine would offer the matches in High Definition after the end of digital switch-off.
Switch-off ended in December.
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- Tagged with AFL, Australian Open, FIFA World Cup, Melbourne Cup, NRL, Olympics
12 Responses
Australia please don’t head down this track, as you only have to look at NZ where all our major sports are behind a pay wall, even our beloved All Blacks our national team are only live on Sky. You don’t want a monopoly taking all your sports and leaving a few crumbs for free to air. We here in NZ are not as fortunate as you lot to have anti siphoning legislation. Hope you all fight this move and that the FTA’s listen to viewers by upgrading to HD sports broadcasts.
“The codes run and own the sports. They should be theirs to decide when and where they are broadcast. There is no reason for politicians to be running things for their advantage.”
While that is true for domestic competitions it is not accurate for a great deal of international competitions.
FIFA own rights to World Cup (the only real world cup btw), IOC for Olympics, FINA (swimming) etc etc.
@cnrmlj Totally agree that’s something i have been saying for a long time why the government keeps helping these guys out i will never know.It’s not a even playing field it’s far from that.I love Foxtel and watching various channels in HD it’s awesome.FTA for the future must switch to HD.SBS has on Channel 30 what about the other’s.FTA are very happy to put out another product out on the market for their content.Which is a pure waste of time.HD is the future and we all know that so start catering for the masses
I’m not bothered as to what free to air channel a sporting event is on but having less sport on free to air is not a good thing.
The codes run and own the sports. They should be theirs to decide when and where they are broadcast. There is no reason for politicians to be running things for their advantage. It’s a very unique and strange situation we have where politicians boost about forcing commercial businesses to provide sport for free to voters.
I mean if you really needt to watch sport go and buy a ticket and see it live with other fans.
Of course Free TV want the price for their programming driven down and their competitor excluded, they make millions of dollars in profit every year from this. Doesn’t mean laws to do so are in the rest of societies interest.
The sports need FTA exposure to maintain popularity and growth and FTA increasing needs popular sports and will pay for them.
There should be no anti siphoning list at all. The FTA treatment of sport in this country is a disgrace and they should not be afforded a free kick by the government in any way.
Agree 100% tihsamikah! Changing from anything HD to the lower quality is such a let-down.
How about the siphoning of sports by FTA networks where they delay them and often show them at sub SD quality?
Meh, Foxtel isn’t the answer either. Look at how poor their tennis coverage is (their us open coverage). We never win with this monopoly
@db
The footy on 7mate is not HD.
One of the good things about living in Sydney is AFL on free-to-air HD. Foxtel don’t do HD where I live, so I’m against anything that sees these sports move on to Foxtel.
“…..describing it as a “trick” to force Australians to pay to watch their favourite sport on television.”
oh yes – force your views on to everyone…
HD, ad free sport on Foxtel blows away FTA.
and I have absolutely no problem paying for it.
1080i on my 150 inch projector is brilliant.
the grabled low bitrate mess on FTA is appalling.
the NRL on GEM, and 49ers game this week on 7mate are just a mess.
I would be quite happy if more sport went to Foxtel.
considering thats the main reason I have it, it would better justify spending $100 a month.