Talking Footy

[quote]AFL pay-TV impasse may end soon
Caroline Wilson
September 12, 2006
http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news ... 77247.html

THE tension between Channels Seven and Ten and the AFL's pay television carrier Foxtel has abated after News Ltd chief Ian Frickberg intervened in negotiations.

Frickberg is believed to have contacted the AFL's new free-to-air media team in a bid to overcome the impasse between the networks that stymied a deal for the next round of broadcasting rights from 2007 to 2011.

The Age understands that Foxtel boss Kim Williams last week increased his network's offer for three games a weekend from $17 million to $21 million.

But Williams has not budged on Foxtel's original four-game-per-round offer of $45 million.

Channels Seven and Ten have vowed to go it alone next season, broadcasting all eight games on free-to-air TV over the home-and-away rounds.

They claim they have at least three solutions for the Friday night football dilemma, where Seven would be forced to broadcast AFL live into NSW and Queensland.

But the networks would be unwilling to go head-to-head with each other and are believed to be prepared to accept a four-game-a-round deal with Foxtel, should the pay-TV carrier increase its offer from $45 million to $60 million.

The free-to-air networks believe Foxtel was prepared to pay $60 million for the four games it would have owned under the Nine deal, a claim Foxtel denies.

While the intervention of Frickberg is significant â€â€

Screw Foxtel, pure and simple. It's becoming a case where Pay TV is ever so steadily taking away the viewing pleasure of the common sporting fan. I'd rather have all 8 games on FTA, not everyone has (or wants) the general crap that is Pay TV nowadays. A national game should stay in the realm of FTA so that the vast majority of fans can watch it without any damned extra cost. Pay TV should be an "extra" not a main service for the viewer, in something as major as AFL, where the viewership on FTA is generally astoundingly high (although I for one don't trust in or believe the whole ratings sham, but that's a discussion for another day), it should be kept in the hands of FTA, especially when it is now spread over two major networks.

As for broadcasting in the northern states, well, Nine is out of the picture, so conflict of interest no longer exists with the RL factor. Seven and Ten should easily be able to formulate a plan for Friday Night Football. Even if it runs head to head with Nines rugby, so what? It's about promotion of the game in NSW and QLD, that's what the AFL wants. There are sufficient fans in both states that will provide very decent viewership numbers to satisfy whichever channel gets Friday night broadcasting (my bet is that Seven will get it, although in reality, there is nothing preventing Ten from doing it other than network ego). All it takes is some bravery, which is in very short supply in programming circles lately, drop whichever shite they normally put on, whether it is some half arsed movie, idiotic reality tv or lifestyle program, slot in the game and watch how it performs.

My two cents.

Even if I wanted Foxtel, I've been informed that the service is not available in my area. FTA TV is definately the way to go to increase awareness and interest in the code, particularly in the northern states.

I'm with you TP, surely broadcasting FNF in Sydney and Brisbane couldn't be much worse than the current ratings for movie re-runs like Happy Gilmore or Billy Maddison. Why oh why don't the TV networks look to the future and growing their audience through promoting their own product? You'd think they would want to considering the outlays to secure the footy tv rights.

In the end I'd be happy with SBS broadcasting FNF in Sydney and Brisbane if Channel 7 and 10 aren't willing.