What sports fans want: live and in HD

Anti-Siphoning is still the hot talking point of the week.

We’ve had behind-the-scenes reporting and lobbying-via-media on a daily basis.

Today AFL boss Andrew Demetriou pushes the same line as NRL boss David Gallop: that the leagues should retain the right to divide games between pay and free-to-air TV -not government nor networks.

This puts them into the bargaining seat for the best broadcast deal.

“We are best equipped to understand what our supporters want with (the broadcast) of games,” he said. “Our supporters tell us that. I don’t think we should be leaving that to television networks to divide it up amongst themselves.”

Fair enough.

But your supporters are also telling you one thing loud and clear: Networks must play the games l-i-v-e and in high definition.

That means no more waiting for Better Homes and Gardens, no more stopping the tennis for a Home and Away episode, no more excuses on time zones, no more sport in SD, Olympic events live on multiple channels.

That’s what viewers want.

If our sports can be watched live in foreign territories, then what sort of public interest list do we have when viewers in WA have to sit and wait?

The Age notes that Demetriou and NRL expert Frank Hawkins, at yesterday’s AFL industry conference on the Gold Coast, insisted live coverage should be a mandatory requirement of televised sport.

Seven, which is contracted to bid in conjunction with TEN for the next five-year deal, appears to have accepted it could be forced to televise Friday night football live. Is it willing to do the same for the Australian Open?

The government is expected to give networks more room to move with digital channels. The Anti-Siphoning List won’t dictate a requirement for Live. That will only come via the new broadcast deals with the sporting bodies.

The Courier Mail hopes that AFL will be played on a digital channel while it’s being staged in Victoria. No doubt Queensland AFL fans agree.

Meanwhile, Independent Rob Oakeshott has called on the Government to release its decision next week in time for the Parliament to act before Christmas.

“It could heighten uncertainty if the Parliament does not deal with disallowance until February, with the anti-siphoning list running out at the end of December, and sports like AFL keen to re-negotiate terms as soon as possible,” he said.

Source: The Australian, Courier Mail, The Age