Are Melbourne Swans fans big losers in Foxtel deal?

[liz]

Originally posted by SimonH

For those who have access to pay TV, I don't know why they would be awaiting this announcement with bated breath, or hailing it:

From my point of view, I am happy because Fox's involvement will ensure it provides more than just games. While FF is dead, I'd be amazed if they don't resurrect some of the related programming that they showed on that channel. Sadly I suspect WLF won't return in that format without a dedicated channel - and that was the highlight of associated programming for me. But we are likely to see some level of analysis type programming - something the FTA channels can't, or aren't interested in, delivering.

I also don't want to spend 20 odd hours over a weekend watching all the games of the round. Apart from the Swans game, I'd usually try to see the Friday night game and maybe one other. But I did enjoy catching odd quarters of the other games during the following week as FF replayed them late at night and in the early hours of the morning. Again, we won't get the degree of coverage we used to get, but I suspect FS3 will use its ultra-off-peak timeslots to replay at least some games.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by liz
I also don't want to spend 20 odd hours over a weekend watching all the games of the round. Apart from the Swans game, I'd usually try to see the Friday night game and maybe one other. But I did enjoy catching odd quarters of the other games during the following week as FF replayed them late at night and in the early hours of the morning.

Yes, this is something I will miss too.

[hammo]

Originally posted by SimonH

I'm less interested in whether any individual person gets a better or worse deal as a result of this; I'm more interested in the coverage for the general good of the game in Sydney. Which is measured by viewers in tens or hundreds of thousands, not by whether any one person or cluster of a few people believe it's a good thing. I'm yet to see any argument that live PTV coverage would be better for the game (in terms of increasing net viewership) than delayed-but-when-most-people-are-still-awake FTA.

Nine's Friday night coverage began at 11pm. As an AFL fan even I struggled to stay awake for that.

Growing the game in Sydney is done via the Swans brand of which all games are shown live or near live in Sydney on free to air. We don't play Friday night games.

The Friday night resolution ensures those with Foxtel get the games live, it will be on screens in pubs and clubs, and others have the option on waiting for the delayed telecast at 11pm.

There's still scope to expose new viewers to the game with the Swans game live and at least 2 other live free to air games on the weekend.

[giant]

Originally posted by liz
I also don't want to spend 20 odd hours over a weekend watching all the games of the round. Apart from the Swans game, I'd usually try to see the Friday night game and maybe one other. But I did enjoy catching odd quarters of the other games during the following week as FF replayed them late at night and in the early hours of the morning. Again, we won't get the degree of coverage we used to get, but I suspect FS3 will use its ultra-off-peak timeslots to replay at least some games.

According to yesterday's press conference, Fox will show replays of every game during the week at some point. Given the precedent of Super 14, this won't necessarily be at "infomercial" hour.

As for other shows, OTC & the Winners (the best way to catch up on ALL the games) will return. Unlikely that WLF will return (sad face) but there will be some other programming I believe.

[royboy42]

Here is Fox's programming for footy 07...

http://www.foxsports.com.au/files/afl_on_fox_sports.pdf

No more WLF or Grumpies... Couch and Winners and Teams survive..and new pregame show Friday night..

And I think Tiff has gone to ESPN!!!

[Industrial Fan]

Originally posted by goswannie14
Thank you Simon, exactly what I have been trying to say all along.

It was actually as well thought out as most of my posts.

Nice work.

[hammo]

This deal could accelerate the demise of the Kangaroos in Melbourne. Apparently only about 9 of their matches will be played on free to air tv.

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by cruiser
They're all coming round to your place on Sunday arvo's to watch the games.

Yep, the only way swantastic will get rid of me is if he pays for an Austar subscription for me for 6 months.

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by hammo
This deal could accelerate the demise of the Kangaroos in Melbourne. Apparently only about 9 of their matches will be played on free to air tv.

You are such a Pollyanna.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by hammo
This deal could accelerate the demise of the Kangaroos in Melbourne. Apparently only about 9 of their matches will be played on free to air tv.

You get that when the AFL is playing an impossible game: on one hand, it says that having all of this money allows it to run a pro-Victorian welfare state; but on the other, making all of this money requires it to drop the non-profit-producing clubs like a hot potato (or allow the TV networks to do so).

How much will it now be worth to sponsor the Kangaroos, when you know that over half of their games will be seen by 100,000 people as opposed to 500,000 people (rough estimates obviously) nationally? And so it goes around in a cycle, with the poorest and least-supported clubs getting less exposure, earning less cash off their own bat, and becoming more and more welfare dependent. And even if the Roos left for the GC tomorrow, the same problem would perpetuate itself with the next-weakest of the 8 remaining Melbourne clubs.

[hammo]

Originally posted by Sanecow
You are such a Pollyanna.

You bet. I'd like to see them play out of the gold coast permanently.

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by SimonH
You get that when the AFL is playing an impossible game: on one hand, it says that having all of this money allows it to run a pro-Victorian welfare state; but on the other, making all of this money requires it to drop the non-profit-producing clubs like a hot potato (or allow the TV networks to do so).

How much will it now be worth to sponsor the Kangaroos, when you know that over half of their games will be seen by 100,000 people as opposed to 500,000 people (rough estimates obviously) nationally? And so it goes around in a cycle, with the poorest and least-supported clubs getting less exposure, earning less cash off their own bat, and becoming more and more welfare dependent. And even if the Roos left for the GC tomorrow, the same problem would perpetuate itself with the next-weakest of the 9 remaining Melbourne clubs.

Simon whilst I agree with your sentiments, there are only 9 Melbourne clubs at the moment. Geelong is not in Melbourne, any more than Wollongong is in Sydney.

[ScottH]

I wonder how many of the people bitching and moaning about the new C7/C10/FOX deal, where the same who were really happy that C7 got it over C9.

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by ScottH
I wonder how many of the people bitching and moaning about the new C7/C10/FOX deal, where the same who were really happy that C7 got it over C9.

Not me, I have made it clear that I prefer 9 to 7 for footy and that I also prefer FTA over pay TV. The fact that in Victoria we now have less FTA TV than in the last contract is bad IMO, and the AFL should have been tougher on the stipulations of what would be accepted in the initial tendering process.

I believe that there should be the same level of FTA in the southern states as there was before, and that should be matched in NSW and Qld. If they are serious about growing AFL support and monitoring that support in those 2 states they should be forcing the networks to put AFL on against NRL. It's the only real way to judge the popularity of the codes.

Long slightly off topic answer to the question, but the short answer is that I am not one of those that you are wondering about.

[EMJ]

I am still really wrapped Ch 7 etc have the rights to broadcasting. I think the stickler in al this is Williams of Foxtel. He is very forthright and not giving an inch. Why people would pay $50 for foxtel per month if they havent got it - since Williams took all the extra footy stuff off. He is really greedy combing crap supports no one watches with games of AFL.

Many have commented on him - must be hand in hand with Magure and Channel 9 - just playing the game to try and rort channel 7.

What goes round comes around for Williams - so he will find that in the end you can't be so mean with your broadcasting and life.