Swans CH10 coverage

[SWANSBEST]

[URL]http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/13/104743

Ten, AFL to review Swans deal
By Caroline Wilson
March 14 2003

Channel 10 has pushed the AFL to reduce its prime time television commitments to the Sydney Swans.

The network has put forward a bid to the league to televise live only Sydney three Telstra Stadium fixtures for 2003 and move the Swans seven other Saturday night fixtures back to 9.30 pm replays into the Sydney market.

Although the bid would contravene Ten's five-year broadcast agreement with the AFL, the network has received cautious support from Swans chairman Richard Colless, who told The Age: "I can sympathise with Ten. Some of our ratings were pretty dreadful last year, and, after all, they're not running a charity."

The Ten move will be debated in Monday by the AFL commission. Under the $76 million annual News Limited consortium deal with the league, Ten has agreed to televise all Saturday night Brisbane and Sydney fixtures in prime time into those clubs' local markets.

While the network has no plans to alter its Brisbane coverage this season, it has made it clear to the AFL that only the Swans Homebush games against Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood should be guaranteed live or near live coverage. However, Ten has said it would review the Swans' seven other Saturday night games should the club's TV ratings in Sydney improve this season along with its football fortunes.


The league's commercial operations general manager, Ben Buckley, said yesterday that his preference would be for all Sydney's Saturday night games to be televised live into the Sydney market.

Conceding that Channel 10's regular dismal single-figure ratings for most of its home-and-away games into Sydney on Saturday nights last season, Buckley said he did not subscribe to the view that the AFL had committed overkill in scheduling so many Swans matches into the prime time Sydney market.

Late last season former Swans chief executive Kelvin Templeton said he believed the sudden jump in prime time Swans games into the local market had proved too much too soon for a no-traditional football city.

But Buckley said: "You don't want to give up any ground and with Channel 10 we made inroads last year that may have been small but they were significant.

"It is important that we are out there in Sydney. I should add that we've been delighted with our relationship with Ten."

The AFL has also worked this week to ensure live coverage of Saturday night's Wizard Cup grand final into the New South Wales and Queensland markets. With Channel Nine's inability to do so, Foxtel has agreed to broadcast the match.

The Swans open the 2003 season at the Telstra Stadium with a clash against Carlton. The AFL has employed Templeton as a consultant to develop and promote the Swans clashes at the former Olympic arena and both parties are believed to be disappointed at the Blues' relative lack of interest in promoting the round-one fixture to be played against the backdrop of a multicultural theme.http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/a...431152234.html

[floppinab]

Hard to argue with Ten on this one.
I think 9.30 isn't a bad compromise

[Beaussie]

This gets me so upset. I can't believe Channel 10 can be requesting this. Sure the ratings in Sydney have been less than great but they got the rights to finals the G.F. and Saturday night football all around Australia in markets where the game does rate well on the basis that they commit to showing Swans and Lions games prime time in their respective markets.

We cannot now agree with their request to just alter a contract to suit their desires in the Sydney market. Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember that at the time of broadcasting negotiations, Channel 10 clearly stated that it understood the Sydney market would not be easy and it would take time to develop (not 1 season). Channel 10 at the time was fully committted to this process.

Personally, I think removing prime time coverage of the Swans in the NSW market is a step back for the further development of the game. Our great game needs and deserves to be showcased in primetime. In addition, what's to say Channel 10 wont come back to the AFL mid season and request midnight replays of the Swans games in NSW if its ratings at 9.30pm are not great. The precedent will have already been set to allow them to alter their contractural obligations.

Sorry, in this instance the AFL and Sydney Football Club need to stand firm and demand that Channel 10 upholds it part of the agreement for the sake of the further development of the game.

[TheMase]

Originally posted by Beaussie
This gets me so upset. I can't believe Channel 10 can be requesting this. Sure the ratings in Sydney have been less than great but they got the rights to finals the G.F. and Saturday night football all around Australia in markets where the game does rate well on the basis that they commit to showing Swans and Lions games prime time in their respective markets.

We cannot now agree with their request to just alter a contract to suit their desires in the Sydney market. Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember that at the time of broadcasting negotiations, Channel 10 clearly stated that it understood the Sydney market would not be easy and it would take time to develop (not 1 season). Channel 10 at the time was fully committted to this process.

Personally, I think removing prime time coverage of the Swans in the NSW market is a step back for the further development of the game. Our great game needs and deserves to be showcased in primetime. In addition, what's to say Channel 10 wont come back to the AFL mid season and request midnight replays of the Swans games in NSW if its ratings at 9.30pm are not great. The precedent will have already been set to allow them to alter their contractural obligations.

Sorry, in this instance the AFL and Sydney Football Club need to stand firm and demand that Channel 10 upholds it part of the agreement for the sake of the further development of the game.

Mate,

I think is the first time I have ever agreed with you. All your credibility has been restore

Luke

[CureTheSane]

This doesn't get me upset, it gets me frigging MAD!!!

Richard Colless deserves a real serve for almost endorsing reduced TV times for the Swans.

Ch 10 signed the contract, and all parties had better uphold it.

Actually, fine, let go of the live coverage, and how about delaying the telecast of teh Grand Final too.
I bet if anyone ever mentioned that, Ch 10 would be crying "contract" until they were blue in the face...

[swansrock4eva]

The one thing i don't get is showing the Satde Oz matches live against the gate - wouldn't it make more sense to NOT show those ones live in sydney in order to convince more people to get off theur lazy butts and actually come to the match simply because they can't sit with their beer on the couch and watch it? Isn't that what they do with the cricket - show it live in all places but where the match is held when it's not a sell out, and only make it live in that city when it's a sell out?

Also, isn't CH10 trying to do what we did to Port Melbourne essentially? The current arrangement isn't working as well as expected so there needs to be a change - maybe this isn't the solution either, but as CH10 is a BUSINESS above all else, they need to make sure they are still profitable across the board, or can at least justify why certain programs etc are continued despite being unprofitable - obviously they feel they can justify moving the Swans to 9:30, which is still better than what we generally got from Seven, so as long as we get the full match (none of that cut out the "unimportant" bits and stick 20 ads in after each goal garbage) I don't see the problem?

[Bas]

The question I thought that should be asked is: Why are people at home watching and not at the game? I'll be at the game so the only way it affects me is that I set the video for 9:30 instead of 7:30.

As a parent, I prefer the delayed 9:30 pm telecast on Friday nights because it gives me time to get home, get our son fed, washed, read him a book and bed. I then feed and shower myself and settle down for the evening to watch the game in uninterrupted comfort.

Most people at home are not keen Swans supporters therefore a 9:30pm start might ensure they watch more of the game. If it's an earlier start, they'll probably only catch the last quarter anyway.

However a starting time of later than 9:30pm would be detrimental.

I'd rather people at the game creating atmosphere than bums on seats at home. If it's a rainy night/day, most people would prefer to stay home and watch the game live. They mightn't if it's on delay broadcast.

What sounds better/worse "Swans attract low crowds" or "Swans rate 30 on Saturday night (game crowd 17,000)"

Big crowds in 96 and 97 had nothing to do with telly, it was rather the trendy thing to do at that time - go to a Swans game. Now Super 12 games are the vogue and maybe even Rugby League this year.

On a pure contractual basis, I agree that CH 10 got the nod because they offered live broadcasts and they should be held to their contract. Poor ratings may put the broadcast back to 11:30pm if they can break their agreement now.

I think Colless has done nothing wrong. He can see that Ch 10 need to make money and putting the Swans on at 11:30 pm might not cost Ch 10 a great deal in penalty fees for breaking the agreement. Who else will cover the game in Sydney? Not 9, SBS?

Compromising the situation (9:30pm) might be a win-win for both Ch 10 and the Swans. Colless can see that because only die hards and drunks will watch it at 11:30pm.

[floppinab]

A bit like you Bas I'll be relegated to baby sitting duties during the night games this year primarily due to my wifes insistence on signing a bunch of her friends up and wanting to go with them

And frankly coz I'll be hanging out for some live action I'll tune in on the wireless for coverage anyways and follow up with the replay when it comes later.

On a pure contractual basis, I agree that CH 10 got the nod because they offered live broadcasts and they should be held to their contract. Poor ratings may put the broadcast back to 11:30pm if they can break their agreement now.

And this is the rub do you really want to piss ten off at this relatively early phase of their footy lifetime. 9.30 really ain't too bad compared to the witching hours.

[TheMase]

If they are delayed, I will also listen to the matches on the radio.

I rarely miss any live coverage, no matter where I am!

[Skells]

Well said Bas. Iagree that 9:30 is not a bad time to have the game on TV but would like to make sure that Channel 10 don't try pushing the time back even further.

[Louellyn]

OH NO!!!

Those of us not living in Sydney rely on the TV for our footy fix, this is dreadful. NOT HAPPY JAN.

Oh well, looks like we will have to listen to it on the radio, if we can find coverage of the game.

This really saddens me......I feel even more disconnected from my team.

[Bas]

Re: OH NO!!!

Originally posted by Louellyn
Those of us not living in Sydney rely on the TV for our footy fix, this is dreadful. NOT HAPPY JAN.

Oh well, looks like we will have to listen to it on the radio, if we can find coverage of the game.

This really saddens me......I feel even more disconnected from my team.

If you can afford it, connect to Fox Footy. I thought you would have received it through the Ten regional station?

The other alternative, the last possible is pay that footy membership thing on the AFL website and get the streaming broadcast. Louellyn, at least it's cheaper than Foxtel.

[Louellyn]

Thanks For That Bas

Here's hoping.....my heart is heavy tonight at thought of not watching them. I will find out if we get the regional broadcast once the TV guides come out, but I am not holding my breath.

[swansrock4eva]

Louellyn, do you get the ACT tv channels? if so, you should get whichever match is on TV live or close to down there. Even capital and Win etc in wollongong usually have the footy on at a different time to the Sydney parent stations (which makes it hard, living smack bang in the middle of sydney and not able to receive Sydney tv channels, only wollongong, and having a Sydney tv guide ).

Aside from that, my reading of it was they were discussing options in they sydney market rather than the whole country?

[cos789]

Why are we feeling sympathetic for channel 10 ?
Have they done anything special for the Sydney market ?
They're happy in Brisbane , but through no help of Ch10 .
If they want concessions -OK- lets bargan a bit .
Poor ratings mean not enough promotion.Promotion by chanel 10 cost them zero.They still lead off their national sports program with NRL not the number one winter sport .If the AFL want to promote the game in Sydney ,how about being proactive and giving us some sort of advantage .so we'll always be up there,therefore rating well,therefore expanding the game in the biggest city .It's not Fair ,but either is the current setup for interstate teams!!