0/5

Report: Talks “stall” over 11 AFL matches

Foxtel & TEN yet to reach agreement over sub-licensing of 11 Saturday arvo games, according to report.

IMG_1843

Free to Air viewers are facing an average of 3.5 AFL games a week under the next broadcasting deal, according to a media report today.

Fairfax claims talks between TEN and Foxtel over 11 Saturday mid afternoon matches have stalled.

Seven contributed $840 million in cash and $60 million in contra to the AFL to televise one Friday night, one Saturday night and one Sunday afternoon. It also has next year’s Thursday nights and public holiday games such as the Queen’s Birthday Monday and Anzac Day.

Foxtel will televise every AFL game Live except the grand final.

But Foxtel was looking to sub-licence one game a week on 11 of the 22 rounds for about $13 million annually.

The article speculates TEN offered $7 million. Foxtel had attempted to gain the rights to some Big Bash games in exchange for less money but TEN declined.

26 Responses

  1. Channel 7 need far better commentators and production if they are going to be the sole FTA network. I really think Channel 7 should on-sell their Saturday Night game to Ten. If Ten can have footy on Saturday’s again it would be the greatest news! Would the CEO consider that?

  2. So Foxtel want Ten to play close to $1.2 million per game for a mid afternoon, non prime time game. Wow. Would love to see Ten back doing AFL. Ten should never have pulled out when pitching for rights with Seven a 5 years ago…Ten have not been the same since suffering from poor ratings and people having no reason to watch – even though they are slowly getting their mojo back. But just don’t know if a non prime time game is going to help Ten all that much. It will probably be just a feed of the Foxtel broadcast anyway.

  3. As long as they play Port Adelaide games here in SA every week on FTV, I dont care how many games they play. I will not be getting Foxtel not matter what.

  4. I’d be surpised if 10 screens Saturday Arvo Footy. They really need to fix up ratings following their exit of AFL in end of 2011. Having a game starting at 2pm (Melbourne Time) would give a stronger lead in to news.

      1. Unfortunately, most of the Before the Game hosts are now on other channels. It will not be the same if they try do it with others. Its a shame it stopped in the first place. It was by far the best AFL TV show

  5. If no deal is reached to onsell that means that NSW/Qld/SA/WA will end up with 11 rounds of 3 games that are those state based games plus Friday night footy.

  6. Absolutely terrible that some rounds next year will only have 3 matches on free to air. Agree with Bella that shame on the afl for giving foxtel so much power. Viewers are getting dudded by not having the option of a suitable stand alone product. And no the telstra option for devices under 10 inches is not suitable. I’ve read too many complaints and seen the bugginess of the apps first hand to not want to pay money for that product. What’s also disappointing is that when telstra created afl apps for windows 10 and windows phone they failed to include audio know full well that online audio of matches is only available through an afl app due to the radio broadcasting agreement. (The afl website does have audio but it doesn’t work on windows phone and should have been included in the windows 10 app for pc’s as its an essential feature). So much power is given to foxtel and telstra for…

      1. Have you used airplay with the afl app? Im not an apple user and haven’t used airplay but when I did read some forums about the live pass there were specific complaints about airplay being disabled on the afl app because the pass is to view on a 10 inch device or lower.

        Again going to my original point a suitable standalone streaming service would work on a range of different devices, not be restricted by screen size and a person wouldn’t have to jump through hoops to use the service and it would help if the app wasn’t so buggy.

        1. >> Have you used airplay with the afl app?

          For several years.

          >> I did read some forums about the live pass there were specific complaints about airplay being disabled on the afl app because the pass is to view on a 10 inch device or lower.

          I suggest you read some other, more solution-focussed, fora.

          1. Your comment doesn’t change the fact that the afl live pass is supposed to be for devices 10inch or lower. That’s in the broadcast agreement. Good luck to you if you have found a work around but there are others who don’t own apple products or don’t have the technical knowledge to find work arounds. I’ve read plenty of comments that airplay doesn’t work and I’ve read plenty of comments in the windows 10 (pc) store that people can’t use the live pass on desktop screen larger than 10 inch. Your one comment doesn’t change that and doesn’t diminish the fact that the afl needs a stand alone product to use on any device that doesn’t require workarounds and they failed to provide that.

    1. I get the impression Laurie that the Sat 3.20 slot will always be two Vic based sides to enable 7 to air local teams into the local markets outside of Vic.

  7. In my view Ten has given life to the BBL so like them l would say get lost to Foxtel as well. It’s interesting Foxtel are looking to sublease the AFL. Can’t they make money broadcasting them??

    1. >> looking to sublease the AFL. Can’t they make money broadcasting them

      They always have; that’s why they pay for it in the first place. Foxtel face a controlled market, in Adelaide (at least) the games of both local teams are on FTA every weekend (the away games live, the home game sometimes live, sometimes on 30 minutes delay; often 7 relays the Foxtel coverage). They also cannibalise their market through the AFL Live App which for $100 gives you every game live, plus a bunch of extras. Paying for a Foxtel subscription for a whole bunch of stuff you don’t want is a losing proposition.

      If Foxtel was serious they would:

      provide the infrastructure to everyone for free
      allow subscribers to select as many or as few channels as they want, and charge accordingly

    2. Foxtel aren’t necessarily looking, when the AFL TV rights were signed Fox were given the ability to onsell the new Sat 3.20EST timeslot if they chose as a means to recoup some of the
      excessive amount they’ve paid for the rights.
      Of course it makes sense for Fox to try and claim some of the BBL rights in a contra deal, rates well, would bring eyeballs back to the Foxtel platform.

  8. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about economics and the share market, but if Foxtel ended up selling the rights for a few million less than planned and it does well for TEN then wouldn’t they recoup at least a portion of that in shareholder returns?

Leave a Reply