Scott 5Fox Footy gets the boot!
August 25th 2006 08:16
The weekend is here at last and what better way to kick back than with the footy and a pie on a chilly Friday night!
But we're not here to preview the St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs game at the Telstra Dome tonight. Instead, let's focus on the saga surrounding the Fox Footy channel.
"What a big week it has been in football" is the common catch-cry and what a week it has been in the football media. So big in fact, that Australia has lost its only dedicated AFL channel as of the end of the 2006 season.
It's hard to find news and opinion on the matter without vested interest, it seems as though every media outlet has some sort of bias. That's no surprise, here is a list of the involved parties:
- Channel 7
- Channel 10
- Channel 9
- Foxtel
Despite naming only four, think of the network influences. PBL owns Channel 9 and also own a number of newspapers, magazines and radio stations. So in reality, the list goes on and on.
So what happened? Fox Footy entered into an agreement with Channel 9 and Channel 10 at the beginning of the last television rights deal to broadcast X number of games a week.
We'll use 'X' instead of numbers, because there is different figures being thrown around.
As we all know, Channel 7 and Channel 10 formed an alliance to wrestle next year's television broadcast rights away from Channel 9.
Fox Footy once again approached the TV rights holders and offered a sum of money to broadcast X number of games. It is believed they requested the same access for an increased sum of money.
The offer was rejected by the 7, 10 consortium.
Why?
PBL, owners of Channel 9, who are losing the footy next year also have a financial stake in Foxtel, the owners of Fox Footy. It makes business sense, why would 7 and 10 give Fox Footy any access at all when they are owned by the competition?
Unfortunately, and as always, it is the average punter, you and I, the normal football fan that will miss out on the goods next year.
Channel 7 and 10 paid $780 million to broadcast the AFL for the next five years. They are entitled to maximise the benefits of that investment. Foxtel has invested more than $300 million in AFL over the past five years and is still calculating its losses.
It seems neither party is willing to risk more money to give the public the access they demand.
So what now? 7 and 10 are seeking other parties, possibly SBS, to help broadcast enough AFL to keep everyone happy. There is also talk that Fox Sports could launch a third channel to carry the AFL.
Australians do not need a 24-hour AFL channel. It is overkill, expensive and for the most part, unwatched. For those familiar with the programs on Fox Footy, we could all do without 'Classic Quarters' 'The Winners' 'Grumpy Old Men' and 'White Line Fever' - to name a few.
White Line Fever should be a bi-weekly program. Saturday Central should stay. The point being made is that it is the live broadcasts and match replays that form the core of the programming schedule. Everything else is just fluff. Expensive fluff.
What we need is a rethink. Lower costs and improve efficiency.
Get rid of the crap and show the stuff we want; live games and replays.
But we're not here to preview the St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs game at the Telstra Dome tonight. Instead, let's focus on the saga surrounding the Fox Footy channel.
"What a big week it has been in football" is the common catch-cry and what a week it has been in the football media. So big in fact, that Australia has lost its only dedicated AFL channel as of the end of the 2006 season.
It's hard to find news and opinion on the matter without vested interest, it seems as though every media outlet has some sort of bias. That's no surprise, here is a list of the involved parties:
- Channel 7
- Channel 10
- Channel 9
- Foxtel
Despite naming only four, think of the network influences. PBL owns Channel 9 and also own a number of newspapers, magazines and radio stations. So in reality, the list goes on and on.
So what happened? Fox Footy entered into an agreement with Channel 9 and Channel 10 at the beginning of the last television rights deal to broadcast X number of games a week.
We'll use 'X' instead of numbers, because there is different figures being thrown around.
As we all know, Channel 7 and Channel 10 formed an alliance to wrestle next year's television broadcast rights away from Channel 9.
Fox Footy once again approached the TV rights holders and offered a sum of money to broadcast X number of games. It is believed they requested the same access for an increased sum of money.
The offer was rejected by the 7, 10 consortium.
Why?
PBL, owners of Channel 9, who are losing the footy next year also have a financial stake in Foxtel, the owners of Fox Footy. It makes business sense, why would 7 and 10 give Fox Footy any access at all when they are owned by the competition?
Unfortunately, and as always, it is the average punter, you and I, the normal football fan that will miss out on the goods next year.
Channel 7 and 10 paid $780 million to broadcast the AFL for the next five years. They are entitled to maximise the benefits of that investment. Foxtel has invested more than $300 million in AFL over the past five years and is still calculating its losses.
It seems neither party is willing to risk more money to give the public the access they demand.
So what now? 7 and 10 are seeking other parties, possibly SBS, to help broadcast enough AFL to keep everyone happy. There is also talk that Fox Sports could launch a third channel to carry the AFL.
Australians do not need a 24-hour AFL channel. It is overkill, expensive and for the most part, unwatched. For those familiar with the programs on Fox Footy, we could all do without 'Classic Quarters' 'The Winners' 'Grumpy Old Men' and 'White Line Fever' - to name a few.
White Line Fever should be a bi-weekly program. Saturday Central should stay. The point being made is that it is the live broadcasts and match replays that form the core of the programming schedule. Everything else is just fluff. Expensive fluff.
What we need is a rethink. Lower costs and improve efficiency.
Get rid of the crap and show the stuff we want; live games and replays.
| 64 |
| Vote |
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
NBL News
Hopefully those involved in the new deal put the needs of the fans ahead of the corporate dollar, of that is a fools paradise and we don't live in an ideal world.
So I guess it is a matter of wait and see.
Cheers
Tony
Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
Great point there - putting the needs of fans ahead of the corporate dollar.
I find it staggering that the AFL can sell their broadcast rights for such a ridiculous amount - $780 million - yet somehow the fans still manage to lose out.
I'm sure the AFL understand there will be consequence if its most die-hard fans do not have a non free-to-air offering, or replay service.
There is many people out there who have the Foxtel service almost purely for the Fox Footy channel - a worrying sign for Foxtel if all is lost.
But hey isn't it all about 'Show Me The Money?'