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Afl Has Lost The Plot


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Anyone else see the deal recently announced by the AFL - Foxtel is effectievly the primary broadcaster of live AFL.

The majority of AFL fans (especially in Melbourne), won't be able to watch AFL on FTA because of a rather sweet deal signed last week by the AFL and Foxtel:

AFL TV deal

AFL fans shafted

I've heard only one in six TV households in Australia have Foxtel. So taking the example of Rugby Union's Super 14 support dwindling terribly in the last 3 years since all game coverage went to Foxtel and major sponsors now calling for a revamp of the code (and this is a sport that has a high percentage of higher-income "corporate" followers), is it fair to say the AFL is trying to "kill the Goose that lays the golden egg" by dismissing the majority of its fans who are mostly middle-class and can't or don't want to fork out for pay TV.

Talk about too much money corrupts - the AFL have lost the plot! :blink:

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I tend to agree with your thoughts

Initially I thought it wouldn't be problem but a learned friend who works with disadvantaged people in outer Melbourne suburbs told me that some of his clients will pay for FOXTEL even before paying for food , they are that desperate to watch the footy.

Whilst this clearly would not apply to the social demographic that posts on this bulletin board , I can see the problems this will create for those less fortunate than us.

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Personally I have little interest in football, but I'm not sure what the alternative would be. The 100% FTA scenario was a lose all round situation. Viewers might have been happy but I suspect the $s involve (and lost) in so much competitive 'niche' broadcasting would have probably bankrupted a station or two.

Bought the only difference I see now is that Foxtel has an extra game a week. People seem to be using the "but just last month it looked like we'd get it all free" as the base line.

Ironically, its stuff like live sport that is most likely to endure people timeshifting TV and skipping ads. Why live TV would want to give it away is a bit of a mystery. And why 10 and 7 wanted to give 50% of matches back to Channel 9 (indirectly) is also a bit strange.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

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Welcome to the future..

Subscription television is where all sports should be, like in many countries overseas... At least on PAY, they actually show the sport instead of showing it delayed or just holding onto it for the sake of having it. Sport should be shown live.... Not delayed.

When and if they get rid of those stupid anti-syphoning laws, foxtel will pay a heap for the rights and they'll get it.. Dimetriou has shown he would prefer AFL on PAY anyways, he's made no secret of that fact.

But this deal is nothing really different than the last, one extra game doesn't make much difference. Last year the networks didn't show a hell of a lot more than they will this year.

Anyone else see the deal recently announced by the AFL - Foxtel is effectievly the primary broadcaster of live AFL.

The majority of AFL fans (especially in Melbourne), won't be able to watch AFL on FTA because of a rather sweet deal signed last week by the AFL and Foxtel:

AFL TV deal

AFL fans shafted

I've heard only one in six TV households in Australia have Foxtel. So taking the example of Rugby Union's Super 14 support dwindling terribly in the last 3 years since all game coverage went to Foxtel and major sponsors now calling for a revamp of the code (and this is a sport that has a high percentage of higher-income "corporate" followers), is it fair to say the AFL is trying to "kill the Goose that lays the golden egg" by dismissing the majority of its fans who are mostly middle-class and can't or don't want to fork out for pay TV.

Talk about too much money corrupts - the AFL have lost the plot! :blink:

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So to that, We have more and more units being built here in Australia, Now if Foxtel refuses to let one person have it unless the block is in. Then what choice do we have?

Once I move into this place I will attempt to get a Foxtel Rep out to see if there is any other solutions.

Quite frankly, I will go to the club on a Friday and Sunday. Although Saturdays I work, every single week, so thats me out.

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When and if they get rid of those stupid anti-syphoning laws

I look forward to that. Sports should be no different to any other type of programming genre, and you don't see government legislation insisting that News & Current Affairs, Reality, Lifestyle, Comedy, Drama, etc being restricted to FTA channels. If the pay channels want to buy sports events, they should be allowed to on an equal playing field with the FTAs.

Bring it on, I say.

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What I see as the point here, is the AFL are further cutting out a big portion of their fan base. Therefore it's a possible threat to the sport's viability longterm.

A large percentage of it's fanbase is of a social demographic that either can't or won't take up Foxtel. Simple as that. You can say all you like about the virtues of pay TV, but that's the bottom line.

So where does that leave the AFL in 5 years time when potentially they've lost quite a few supporters to other sport or other passions? No fans, no $$$.

It's hard to remember this for people like Dimetriou who are on a six figure salary. And believe it or not, 99% of Aussies aren't on six figure salaries (no really, I'm not joking :blink: ).

And looking at the bigger picture, if sport in general is continually taken away from that majority that doesn't take up pay TV, how are the powerbrokers involved going to make any money in the longterm???

As I mentioned, Rugby Union in this country is a prime example. They could've built on the fans they won over with the last World Cup held here, instead the ARU got greedy and Channel 7 stopped telecasting to the masses. So now we have the situation where the primary sponsors of that sport want the ARU board members sacked because of their real concerns for the loss in popularity of the sport.

All that said, I just see it as too competitve a market to disrespect the fans like the AFL has with this deal.

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Interesting that 7 will show the Sunday afternoon games this year, why did they get the v8 supercar coverage? I will not be happy if the v8's will be shown delayed later at night.

The AFL has gotten greedy and has forgotten a lot of fans. But I'm sure people will get over it, really 1 game a week has been lost to Fox. The same thing has been happening with NRL for a while, more on Fox than on 9, and 9 never showed the regular season matches live. This year is different though, more games, and some live, on 9!

This is just my 2c, not being a Melbourne boy I have no idea what the AFL means to the southerners (I know it's huge to them though).

Brazzwald

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Interesting that 7 will show the Sunday afternoon games this year, why did they get the v8 supercar coverage? I will not be happy if the v8's will be shown delayed later at night.
Seven seem to be making a big push for Sunday night ratings, although funnily enough mostly with 'chick shows' (Ugly Betty, Greys Anatomy, What about Brian, etc.)

Regards

Peter Gillespie

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IMO there should be no sport on FTA at all - as it always overruns & causes the following show to be delayed. And crap like "The Footy show" has no place on *any* network.

Footy only overruns when there is an extreme situation, like someone got injured holding play for more than 30 minutes. Also, if you don't like the footy show then don't watch it. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but what would they replace it with? Repeats of CSI probably

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Yeah, the AFL Footy show was where it was at :blink:. I could stand the channel 9 one, but although it ran over time, it usually was only 15 mins or so.

The footy show should hopefully get better next year now that they don't have to watch what they say like they did when they were one of the broadcasters. :D

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I am pleased to see less sport on the screen BUT I do think that there needs something done. A digital only FTA station with football would do the trick... chances of that happening however... 0%.

And the radio? There's a network in New Zealand, where it's dedicated to sport. Australia doesn't have one, but the ABC could surely replace one of it's services with a network for Sport only, and sport talkback when there's no sport being played

I'd expect, Basketball, Soccer, AFL, NRL, Super 14, Cricket, and probably more sports that dont get air time elsewhere.

This has only been thought up of, because someone I know keeps complaining that the normal programming on the Local ABC is being interupted by sport. He's not a big sports nut

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  • 3 weeks later...

In Melbourne we have a 24 hour sprts only radio station. Its called SEN and you can actually listen in from the website.

WWW.SEN.COM.AU

It is pretty much dominated by football during the winter months (particularly in prime time) but all sports seem to get a run throughout the course of a week.

It struggled in the early days but seems to be gathering a bigger following. they have also secured rights to broadcast 5 AFL games a week this year for the first time.

personally, i couldn't live with out it. My mrs reckons i superglued the radio knob in my car.

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  • 3 weeks later...
In Melbourne we have a 24 hour sprts only radio station. Its called SEN and you can actually listen in from the website.

WWW.SEN.COM.AU

It is pretty much dominated by football during the winter months (particularly in prime time) but all sports seem to get a run throughout the course of a week.

It struggled in the early days but seems to be gathering a bigger following. they have also secured rights to broadcast 5 AFL games a week this year for the first time.

personally, i couldn't live with out it. My mrs reckons i superglued the radio knob in my car.

Thanks for the website address - 5 games covered per round isn't too bad at all! Another option for me to get my AFL fix. :blink:

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