Networks reject call to overhaul Anti-Siphoning list
“Free TV broadcasters do not hoard sporting rights." Networks hit back at Subscription TV lobby's call for further reforms.
- Published by David Knox
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Commercial Free to Air networks have rejected calls from the Subscription TV lobby to overhaul the Anti-Siphoning sports list.
Free TV Chairman Harold Mitchell said, “This latest self-serving attack on the rules by pay TV is
misleading and designed to force Australians to pay for sports they currently see for free.
“The anti-siphoning rules have delivered a terrific outcome for the millions of Australian sports fans
who are able to see a range of major sporting events live and free.
“Free TV broadcasters do not hoard sporting rights. We show everything we acquire and there is
more live and free sport on television than ever before.”
His comments follow ASTRA Chairman Tony Shepherd telling The Australian that more than 1000 events were protected for networks including TEN, Seven and Nine.
“(The rules) were written to protect incumbents and shackle new entrants of the day, without contemplating how they might apply to unimagined new technology,” he said.
“This is why the rules ban Foxtel from buying certain sports, yet apply no such ban on a Netflix, for instance, buying rights to the Melbourne Cup and charging Australians to see who wins.”
But Free TV says Australians don’t want to pay for their sport.
“The latest sporting rights deals demonstrate that the rules deliver wins all round; sports fans get
more for free, sporting bodies get record returns and anyone who wants to pay to see more can do
so,” Harold Mitchell said.
However, Free TV’s statement made no mention of Australians wanting their sport in High Definition which fans have been demanding for years.
This week TV Tonight readers had no opinion on Trimming Anti-Siphoning List as a pressing issue in the annual Audience Inventory.
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8 Responses
FTA act like they are doing you a big favour by giving you rubbish sports coverage “Live and Free”.
The Australian Open is the pinnacle of the crap attack that FTA (plug the network) sports coverage are capable of and don’t get me started on the Olympics take on we’ll show you a bit of this and a bit of that, but really nothing at all, but cut to the aussie bronze medal ceremony pronto. Spew!!!
So which FTA network is showing the US Open quarters, semis or finals?
That’s why I have Fox Sports.
Wanna see it, pay for it.
these FreeTV people are very demanding. Here is an idea open the market to anyone and everyone. In turn will increase competition, then increase production, then increase jobs in a dying industry. Then and only then can we see the last of this whinging lobby group.
Anti siphoning should at least be modified to allow networks to show sports on the list in HD on their HD channels without having to simulcast – absolutely ridiculous why they can’t as it is still free to air – not paying anything other than the problem of that small percentage who still don’t have HD. The move of main channels to HD will solve this – but although its been recently talked about, it doesn’t look like happening soon.
Self-serving attack… meet self-serving defence.
Yep. Though there is a case for allowing the NRL and AFL etc to decide what should able to decide what’s best for their own competitions. If they can’t they they are stuffed anyway.
Foxsports won’t get everything their own way if restrictions are removed. FTA will be able to outbid them where millions watch. The NRL has been pushing Nine to buy extra games and show them live because a critical mass of FTA games is important to grow the sport. And the FFA has pressured SBS to show a soccer game (though it’s moving back to SBS2 this season because ratings on SBS were low).
Compromise: remove from the anti-siphoning list everything that is on the list by default, but that the FTA channels have asked & been granted exemptions for on 2 consecutive occasions in the last 5 years.
That means that all AFL (except the grand final), all NRL (except State of Origin & the grand final), a good whack of Twenty20 / 1 day / test cricket, all Tennis except the Wimbledon quarter/semis/finals (& the entire Australian Open after 2017), and all V8 Supercars except Bathurst would be removed from the list…
Pretty sure Bathurst is the only V8 Supercars race on the list anyway.
It varies all the time; currently they’re all on the list (but that’s almost certain to change by the time the new series starts next year – for example, the sprint races were excluded for much of this year). Bathurst is the only one that’s consistently been on the list