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Report: Turnbull canvasses trim for anti-siphoning list

Minister consults MPs about removing some sports fixtures from anti-siphoning list but leaving major events untouched.

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Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has reportedly contacted industry players and colleagues to discuss trimming the anti-siphoning sports list.

The Australian reports he has contacted MPs to see if they could move could remove some sports fixtures but leave major events untouched.

Such reform would likely result in AFL and NRL finals, and the Melbourne Cup, remaining on free-to-air TV but some of the 1000+ events open to other players such as Pay TV.

Codes including AFL, NRL, soccer, netball, rugby union, tennis and cricket, are seeking the ability to sell their broadcast rights to a wider range of buyers.

A spokesman for Mr Turnbull declined to comment.

16 Responses

  1. The anti-siphoning laws need to be adjusted so that the major events like AFL & NRL Finals series & Melbourne Cup are broadcast in HD as well as being on FTA even if that means the FTA networks have to simulcast them. Currently they are broadcast is SD and it’s a joke.

  2. The only thing worse about sports on ABC and SBS is that they are suffering from financial problems. With SBS ending the FIFA rights at Dec 2022, This will be up to the three major networks to bid for the rights. ABC then lost the WAFL, VFL and now Paralympic Rights.

  3. NBN was Rupert’s worse night mare, That’s why Rupert and the LNP are against it. If Australia had superfast Broadband and with Stan and Netflix now available in Australia and the AFL and NRL Most likely having an online paywall streaming in HD, who needs Foxtel? It’s live sport which help drives Foxtel sales, and with Smart Tv’s,Tablets and Gaming Consoles being available in most homes in Australia and are able to screen these products, once again who would need Foxtel or Fox Sports? At the moment HD Telecast suxs via Internet in Australia. Which gives Foxtel the Leg up. The old NBN was going to be Great piece of infrustructure for Australia and Australians and very bad and costly for Rupert!!!!! Hence why we are getting the “slower NBN”.

  4. I hope this doesn’t mean less NRL games on FTA. People don’t want to pay to watch sports they are currently getting for free. The government needs to be careful about what they take off the list. How about adding sports that should be on the Anti siphoning list like the big bash cricket, Socceroos, and the Euros.

  5. Major sporting events like the Melbourne Cup, AFL and NFL finals are major sporting events that FTA can’t exist without, and they won’t be major sporting events if they aren’t on FTA. So they don’t need protecting.

    Minor events FTA doesn’t want to show anyway, so they don’t committing to buying and showing them 12 weeks before and then Foxtel can buy the exclusive rights to them. Most of those 1000 events are the AFL and NRL games that Seven and Nine don’t want and so air exclusively on Fox Sports now.

    The organisations that own and run the sports events should be able to sell rights to in the best interest of their game. All the anti-syphoning rules do is allow politicians to buy votes for peddling snake oil and Seven and Nine to pay organisations like the NRL and AFL less for games, so players get less money.

  6. is rupert controlling or is it other media organisations. it doesnt matter, the market needs to open up to more players. the industry needs emergency action now.

  7. Although the government is more willing to change legislation regarding where sporting events can screen than the legislation restricting FTA networks having their primary channel in HD, at least the outcome is still the same – more sports screened in HD. Only difference being the former sees it in full HD on STV whereas the latter sees it in sorta-HD (thanks to the reduced bandwidth due to the datacasting channels) on FTA.

  8. Well, to be fair, there’s effectively bugger-all on it these days. The AFL & NFL finals, and Melbourne Cup, are about the only things that haven’t been granted repeated exemptions over the last few years.

  9. Sports organisations are increasingly looking towards TV rights for their major source of income. If the TV networks could agree not to bid over a certain figure, they, the networks would have extra money left over to improve drama, increase news coverage, cover more sport, not just major leagues, everyone would be in a win win situation. Unfortunately , it will not happen, as the networks ate just as greedy as the sports organisations, so we get this ever upwards spiralling of costs.

  10. “seeking the ability to sell their broadcast rights to a wider range of buyers”

    yes.. I’m sure, there’s a wide range of Australian buyers for them, so Foxtel? Rupert sure knows how to get the most out of this government doesn’t he? He just got away with dodging 4.5 billion in tax.

  11. They just keep doing Rupert’s will.

    Kill NBN, Kill reach rules, defund ABC, defund SBS, now kill anti siphoning.

    Here is a tip Rupert, if I cannot follow the whole season, I stop watching rather than pay you ……

    1. You forgot getting rid of the Australian network and now spying on your Internet usage just to prosecute pirates (not terrorism) Why are the Australian public so stupid?

    2. Exactly, Ted. Malcolm and his buddies owed Murdoch a huge debt. They are still paying it off at our expense and the expense of diversity in the media. Shameful but unsurprising. This is how the old boys network has always worked.

    3. It has nothing to do with rupert, his not controlling anyone.
      Nbn isn’t dead there putting it in my street this mth.
      Abc and sbs should be one or run by them selfs without government

      1. Fibre to hub is not the NBN, NBN was fibre to all homes.

        NBN is dead.

        And, yes I agree, ABC & SBS should run themselves not to government rhetoric or ulterior commercial motives like the commercial networks.

        Keep the ABC and SBS to keep the independent, non commercial, non corporate non propaganda area of media alive.

        The conservative are scared of what they cannot buy.

        1. The NBN was fibre to the home and satellite, that wouldn’t be delivered for a decade in many places. The NBN is now fibre to the home, fibre to the node, fibre to the basement, coax, wireless and satellite delivered quicker and cheaper.

          SBS is a commercial network. It doesn’t fulfill most of its public service charter anymore anyway.

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