Reports: Seven, Foxtel secure AFL rights
Media reports claim Seven and Foxtel have snared the AFL rights after TEN withdrew three weeks ago.
- Published by David Knox
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Media are tipping that an announcement on the AFL rights for 2012 -2016 could be announced as early as today.
All point to Seven having secured the rights in a joint deal with Foxtel, after TEN withdrew three weeks ago. Interim Ten boss Lachlan Murdoch was keen to cut costs, concerned about a $10m loss per year.
Seven is believed to have bought four regular-season matches per round for $475 million in cash and advertising “contra.”
Foxtel will reportedly pay $500m for five matches per round as well as the right to simulcast Seven’s games live with some of the commercial network’s advertising.
Foxtel will also be able to simulcast all finals except the grand final.
But Seven could yet sub-license games to either TEN or Nine.
There is some speculation that Friday night games in Melbourne could be shown live, as well as away matches featuring Perth and Adelaide teams.
Together with digital and mobile rights, the deal will top the $1b deal being sought by the AFL.
But the AFL Commission must meet on the issue to approve any deal.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is yet to confirm that the AFL has signed a deed ensuring the free-to-air networks are given the best game on Friday night and the second-best match on Saturday night.
But some commentators claim the deal has contributed to the downfall of ONE.
Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Roy Masters notes: “ONE HD would have allowed TEN to show games on its primary channel in its main markets, while broadcasting the same game to minor markets via the digital service.
“So how must those AFL fans on the Gold Coast watch their new team, the Suns, and Rugby League fans in Victoria follow the Storm?
“By buying subscriptions to Foxtel, of course, which is 25 per cent owned by News Corp, of whom Murdoch is a director, with another 25 per cent owned by Packer’s Consolidated Media Holdings.”
Source: The Australian, Herald Sun.
39 Responses
what a tragic, I dont understand why so many people dislike steven quaters, i mean you people think his bias?, his an awesome commentator, along with the rest of the mob, Walls, Michael Christian, Luke Darcy, Llody for a few years now, Blight, Tim Lane, Andy Mar, Huddo the list goes on. To those who are happy to see them not showing the afl anymore disappoints me. i was brought up by watching 10’s afl along with 9 back in 03,04,05,06,06,07 to even today, their last game :(. i have certainly enjoyed em, even shows like 5th qr and of course before the game. its a real tragic that all these commentators are going to break up now after years of success:(:(:(, well…im not sure for some, but certainly according to me
thankyou so much foxtel your afl coverage is the best ive seen so far to be onnest as for one who cares about that anyway all they do is show mostly american baseball and all that hardly any australian sports are shown on that channel from what ive seen most of it is shown on fox sports i watch fox sports afl all the time i love there coverage and i love there shows that they have and all that its brilliant i hope they bring back that fox footy channel that was seriously cool as its gonna be unreal i am seriously looking foward to it
@Armchair Analyst
I’m not trying to pick a fight, but you just rehashed the same thing you said before. Your point has already been answered. What is the point of the list? It’s to ensure that people who cannot afford (or are too cheap for) paytv can still see events for free. Foxtel simulcasting has no bearing on this. It is still available on FTA. You can still watch it without paying a cent.
Hence the list has done its job… its stated purpose.
Like I said, this is nothing new (and johnjet just pointed out that 7 & 10 already simulcast foxtel games into certain markets when a club from that market is involved). Because Foxtel are simulcasting the ads too, this is no different to providing a feed of ch7 (which foxtel also already do, just not for regional markets, or to wa/sa). It’s nothing new at all, I don’t see why Foxtel are now paying more than half when all they are getting is 1 extra (rubbish) game. Probably more to do with the fact that it will now get games 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 instead of 5, 6, 7, 8 like it does atm.
Lol, what fools would pay for tv?? I mean seriously you can’t get more pathetic! esp this day and age. People with foxtel might get to boast that they get alot more shows but it does come at a cost! Couch potatoes! If you have something to watch all the time what will u do? you will sit on your ass all day and night long! You will encourage your kids to do the same and we wonder why we are getting fatter. I’m just glad fta shits all over it!:)
@ Armchair Analyst “i would ask foxtel if i could simulcast some all of foxtel’s matches as well.” You obviously are not from WA as you would know that both 7 and TEN have shown the Foxtel feed of either the Eagles or Dockers for years, live or delayed.
This is very said. If TEN goes with no afl then ONE becomes a nothing channel. Expect another relaunch of ONE in October as it will have formula one as it’s flagship. Hardly something to hang a half assed sports channel off. The fact is foxtel is struggling in Australia. People have been canceling subscription in droves as it is not value for money. Australia has the lowest take up of pay tv in the world. Foxtel are desperate to get AFL so subscriptions can stop decreasing. Murdoch and Parker are desperate for AFL to move off ONE The top 20 programs on foxtel are sports programs every week. The boys have got there wish. foxtel need sport. Foxtel need afl. Desperately!!!! And we will have to pay for it. Ten have been good for afl in taking a battering in the ratings in the northern states and have been the only channel via ONE offering the game in HD. Ten and ONE- thanks for you unrewarded efforts. It will be sorry to see you go. Because clearly murdoch and Parker are clearly happy for you to die a slow death. Providing their interests in foxtel come first.
There is no other country in the world (oh perhaps except Italy) where such a clear conflict of interest would be allowed. With ONE out of the picture Foxtel are free to pick the eyes out of sport eventually forcing the public to pay TV if they want to see major events.
No way should this have been allowed but neither party would dare take on Packer & Murdoch, it’d be political suicide.
yes 5 more years of the Channel 7’s Megawall!
TEN pulled out all because of the inhouse fighting between TEN & Channel 7 over it’s CEO moving to TEN from 7.
Why can’t TEN and Ch-7 just work it out the politics & give the AFL fans what they want Free to Air football. TENS football coverage has been great & now Lochie Murdoch is saying he needs to make cut backs to the network.
I won’t be paying for foxtel to watch 5 live games a week as i cannot afford it, times are tuff for many people paying a home + gas / electricity / petrol keep going up
@Ararat. Foxtel and the AFL are circumventing these new anti-siphoning laws as far as AFL matches are concerned by agreeing to simulcast those fta matches. All i am asking is what is the point of the list and the 4 AFL games be secured for the FTA market if Foxtel is just going to simulcast it on pay tv, i mean then you might as well just scrap the whole thing. its just another reason why the list does not work. If i was 7 or another FTA broadcaster i would ask foxtel if i could simulcast some all of foxtel’s matches as well. FOX Sports want to have their fingers in everything. They don’t want to pay more for the rights but still want to show all 9 matches clearly they are not happy with 5 which is almost a 100% increase since 2002 when they only had 3. My prediction is that in another 5 years the rights will be so inflated that no free to air network will bother with the AFL at some point you have to say is it worth it and if so how much. When bidding for sports rights you have to take into account the cost of broadcasting it in the first place not just the immediate price of having the privilege of broadcasting it.
Roy Masters is a grumpy.
@Rachel, why do you want those OneHD footy shows to ‘go away’? You may not like them, but others do, and you have 15 channels to choose from. You tastes should not (and thankfully do not) have the right to deprive others of what they want.
If Ten axes them due to ratings, then that’s something different, but you are one person.
I just hope that this is true and Foxtel get all 9 games live. Channel 7’s lack of live coverage in particular will see many take up Foxtel if this deal goes through.
Ironically it’s the FTA networks that will ultimately drive people to Pay TV, thanks to their lack of live coverage.
What is to stop Seven (if it is the main contract signer) sub-leasing the games it does not want to the likes of SBS. SBS has the ability to slpit its signal in each state and metro captials level in some cases so as to carry live coverage that Seven might not want to screen in QLD and Sydney, time will tell. Seven has sold Olympics coverage to SBS before and allowed SBS to run Davis Cup Tennis in the past.