AFL coverage on FTA TV in Sydney

[CJK]

Excellent, it's official then.

'Freeview' sucks.

[goswannie14]

Excellent, it's official then.

'Freeview' sucks.

I think you will find it is the Networks that have the AFL rights that are the ones who suck!

[laughingnome]

I think you will find it is the Networks that have the AFL rights that are the ones who suck!

I direct my blame to those who wrote the contract with a lack of reasonable foresight.

[goswannie14]

I direct my blame to those who wrote the contract with a lack of reasonable foresight.

Sorry I forgot to add..."and the AFL"!!!

[CJK]

I think you will find it is the Networks that have the AFL rights that are the ones who suck!

But the Networks are Freeview

[floppinab]

We now have the week's TV guide to tell us how FTA coverage in Sydney will pan out in 2009, and it's largely as feared:

• Ten will show the Thu night season opener Richmond v Carlton at 11:15pm and at the same time on its new ONE channel (so obviously anti-siphoning/existing pay TV contracts prevent subsidiary digital channels from giving earlier service than the main FTA channel provides)

Disappointed but not surprised, although I suspect TEN may have some higher order commitment for the swimming. Given that this game is now live into Melbourne they're missing a big opportunity to launch their ONE channel with a bang I would've thought (with my Aussie Rules blinkers on of course).

[laughingnome]

I've been thinking about this the last couple of days, and I might be missing something, and if so could someone on here please point it out?

Under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 then no limited operator (eg, Foxtel) can bid on the rights of shows unless the free networks pass on them. Therefore Channel 7 & 10 bought the rights to broadcast the AFL from 2007 - 2011 inclusive, but agreed to sell some games onto Foxtel as they didn't intend to show them live in NSW and QLD, if at all. The deal for Sydney means that Fox Sports will carry the FreeTV broadcast live on Friday and Saturday night unless the local team is playing, in which case it will be shown on FTA.

A call to Channel 10 today confirmed all this as well as saying that Channel 10 was in the early stages of planinng a digital sports channel (now known as ONE) when the deal was being negotiated. The operator confirmed that the above act prevents Channel 10 showing (for example) Thursday's game live on ONE as the Act doesn't recognise Digital TV as being free-to-air. Channel 10 would either have to show it live on their main channel or not at all, and this was the nexus of the deal made with Foxtel.

Given the Australian Government (through Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy) is pushing for analog TV to be fully replaced by Digital by 2012, why is it that anti-siphoning laws prevent FreeTV Networks from broadcasting content on their second and third channels? Surely if the government is pushing everyone to have digital TV then the Networks are not merely hoarding it in the idea that if they can't show it, no one can? Does this add up? Anybody?

[Xie Shan]

Why is Channel 7 showing repeats of Scrubs after the Friday night movie before the footy? I love the show but seriously...they could easily start the replay at 10:30 rather than 11:45!!

[j s]

We now have the week's TV guide to tell us how FTA coverage in Sydney will pan out in 2009, and it's largely as feared:

• Ten will show the Thu night season opener Richmond v Carlton at 11:15pm and at the same time on its new ONE channel (so obviously anti-siphoning/existing pay TV contracts prevent subsidiary digital channels from giving earlier service than the main FTA channel provides)
• Seven will show the Hawthorn v Geelong blockbuster on Fri night at 11:45pm. I thought the much-trumpeted FTA Sydney deal was that 11:15pm Fri was the latest start allowed? Seven's HD channel won't start a minute earlier.
• Ten's ONE will provide a replay of Rich v Carlton at 7:30pm Fri (so at least there's some prime-time AFL, albeit this won't be an option in most other weeks)
• Swans live (or near enough to) on Ten (and ONE simultaneously) on Sat night
• Very oddly, no Sat arvo game at all on Ten or ONE (hopefully only because it clashes with the Aussie F1 GP this weekend)
• For those who missed it (and, generations later, can't program a HDD/video) ONE will replay Swans v Saints at 10am Sunday
• Seven plays the dud-of-the-round Melbourne v NM live on Sunday arvo
• Seven will replay the Pahhhhr v Essendon at midnight Sunday-- and once again its HD won't offer anything better (seemingly a permanent policy?)

So, in summary, a little better than we had last year and previous years (although in terms of the Fri night game start, actually worse); but still way, way short of where it should be given all of the minority/specialist sport broadcasting resources that FTA channels now have at their disposal.

Also strange that ONE never replays the Sat arvo game that Ten had but gave up (just this week, I hope) for the Aussie GP. I presume they resold the broadcast rights to it, in their entirety, to pay TV? Is this allowed?

Some comments:

* The "sat arvo game" will be played (and shown) on Thu night.

* we actually get an extra FTA game this week - seven is showing two games on Sunday instead of the usual one

[ugg]

Are you talking about the game at midnight? I thought Seven always did that.

[SimonH]

...

Given the Australian Government (through Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy) is pushing for analog TV to be fully replaced by Digital by 2012, why is it that anti-siphoning laws prevent FreeTV Networks from broadcasting content on their second and third channels? Surely if the government is pushing everyone to have digital TV then the Networks are not merely hoarding it in the idea that if they can't show it, no one can? Does this add up? Anybody?

Laws obviously don't prevent them from broadcasting 'content' on their 2nd and 3rd channels; only broadcasting it for the first time there (see, e.g. the Friday replay of the Thu game). You might be right about the 'digital subsidiary FTA is treated the same as pay TV' legislative anomaly; but Stephen Conroy's office and/or [email protected] (that's the real email address, I'm not making it up) would be able to clarify if that's the real reason.

Whatever the reason, we're getting dudded for no noticeable benefit to anyone (pay TV either don't have these games at all, or alternatively they don't have them any later than the FTA channel is happy to let them rebroadcast).

Simon I believe that by choosing to screen the Carlton Richmond game, that counts as one of TEN's (or ONE's) allocation for the Round.

Thanks for that. Well-noticed everyone.

Some comments:

* The "sat arvo game" will be played (and shown) on Thu night.

* we actually get an extra FTA game this week - seven is showing two games on Sunday instead of the usual one

I'm pretty sure that Seven played the Sunday twilight game near or after midnight Sun, in 2008 and possibly earlier as well.

The number of games we get live or within 60 minutes or so ('near live' is now officially a dirty phrase) is the real issue. A lack of replays still running at 2am, has never been a major problem in Sydney.

[j s]

I'm pretty sure that Seven played the Sunday twilight game near or after midnight Sun, in 2008 and possibly earlier as well.

Yes - they have done it a few times in the past. It seems that if they switch Sunday games with Foxtel (in NSW) they still retain the "replay" rights to their original twilight game hence we get to see the both games (if we wish).

Pity that TEN doesn't take the same approach. It may be that now with One they will.

[laughingnome]

Laws obviously don't prevent them from broadcasting 'content' on their 2nd and 3rd channels; only broadcasting it for the first time there (see, e.g. the Friday replay of the Thu game). You might be right about the 'digital subsidiary FTA is treated the same as pay TV' legislative anomaly; but Stephen Conroy's office and/or [email protected] (that's the real email address, I'm not making it up) would be able to clarify if that's the real reason.

Whatever the reason, we're getting dudded for no noticeable benefit to anyone (pay TV either don't have these games at all, or alternatively they don't have them any later than the FTA channel is happy to let them rebroadcast).

I was under the impression that the games that 7 and 10 don't broadcast into Sydney were shown on Foxtel's Main Event (518) where possible? Is that not happening tonight?

Also, am waiting for replies from ACMA and Mr Conroy re the anomoly. Will post what they say here if it clears anything up.

[Mike_B]

I was under the impression that the games that 7 and 10 don't broadcast into Sydney were shown on Foxtel's Main Event (518) where possible? Is that not happening tonight?

Fri night games definitely get this treatment, and then it's when the FTA channel is showing a Fox-covered game because it involves the Swans, meaning the same game is both on FTA and Fox in Sydney, so they show the game being covered by the FTA network on Main Event.

[ugg]

in addition to FC tonight, there is a new AFL panel show n ONE HD starting at 730 hosted by Quartermain Walls Lloyd Richoooooo and Harley.