Talking Footy

Free TV to lose live rights
MICHELANGELO RUCCI, CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
February 07, 2007 01:15am
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 28,00.html

SHOWDOWNS may no longer be seen live by SA football fans unless they have tickets to the twice-a-year derbies at AAMI Stadium or buy a subscription to Pay-TV network, Foxtel.

The AFL next week is expected to endorse Foxtel's return to AFL telecasts - as a partner with free-to-air channels Seven and Ten - by finally agreeing to the network's long-held request to have exclusive rights to telecast some Crows and Power home games.

Foxtel could get exclusive access to as many as four home games from each of the two SA-based clubs in each of the next five AFL seasons. The pay-TV network also would demand that these eight matches not be shown on free-to-air stations until its telecasts were complete, meaning a three-hour delay in Adelaide households without Foxtel subscriptions.

Foxtel would inevitably choose the most-anticipated games at AAMI Stadium - the Showdowns and those featuring the league's strongest-supported clubs, such as Essendon and Collingwood. This would, for the first time, compel Crows and Power fans without season tickets at AAMI Stadium to buy Foxtel subscriptions - for $720 a year - to see live telecasts of the usually sold-out Showdowns.

Foxtel's craving for exclusive rights to live telecasts in Adelaide from AAMI Stadium has long been known. The Advertiser reported Foxtel's push to get rights to six of the 22 games played each AFL season at AAMI Stadium on May 25, 2005 when the Adelaide and Port Adelaide football clubs and SANFL made a pact, fearing a heavy financial hit.

The SANFL declared it would lose $3 million a year if football fans were tempted to stay at home or in pubs to watch live telecasts carried by Foxtel from AAMI Stadium.

That alliance is not so strong today. The SANFL, which wants to maximise crowds at AAMI Stadium where it banks the income from catering and parking, remains opposed to live telecasts from West Lakes.

So does Port, which is striving to sell more season tickets at the ground which has 51,515 seats - 13,000 of which the Power has not sold.

But Adelaide, which has a waiting list for its season tickets, does not feel so threatened by Foxtel's demands that have not been detailed by the AFL to either the Crows or Power.

"It's a fine balancing act - what is best for our members and how do we give value to the television networks that have invested ($780 million for the next five years) in the AFL's television rights?" said Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg yesterday.

Trigg says the line is drawn at Showdowns which since their start in 1997 have been shown live on free-to-air television whenever the derbies have been sold out.

"It is the match we showcase to our state - and that changes if it can only be seen live on Foxtel," Trigg said. "Live coverage of the Showdowns on free-to-air television takes the match to every South Australian. Live telecasts on Foxtel would not even reach a third of the state."

Port is completely opposed to live telecasts from AAMI Stadium.

"If Foxtel wins this battle, it changes the landscape of football in our state," said Power chief executive John James.

"In the past, season ticketholders and members have paid for the privilege to see live football by buying tickets.

"We have to protect that.

"We're sticking firm to the policy of no live coverage of home games from AAMI Stadium.

"Even Showdowns have to be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on ticket sales. Put them on Foxtel and everything changes."

The AFL yesterday was reluctant to publicly discuss what could be conceded to Foxtel to bring the Pay-TV network back to football telecasts.

That the league had not privately talked to either the Crows or Power concerned both clubs yesterday.

"I look forward to discussing this later," said AFL commercial executive Gillon McLachlan in his only public comment from league headquarters in Melbourne.

Trigg yesterday expressed his wish for the SA clubs to be canvassed by the AFL for their opinions.

"But we might not," Trigg said.

"We understand the AFL's need to give value back to an investor.

"We can even see upside in Foxtel having live rights to our home games against Collingwood and Essendon. But we have to be careful on this one - and so do the television executives.

"We cannot afford to develop a culture where people stay at home or in pubs to watch football.

"After all, nothing looks worse on television than a stadium that is half or two-third full."

14 Crows, Power games live
JESPER FJELSTAD, MICHAEL McGUIRE
February 11, 2007 12:15am
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html

FOXTEL will screen a combined 14 Crows and Power home games live this season, it was revealed yesterday.

The revelation took both Adelaide clubs by surprise, because they had not expected so many games to be shown by Foxtel live.

Crows chief executive officer Steven Trigg said he was unaware of the arrangement, which stemmed from Thursday's announcement that channels 7 and 10 had reached agreement with Foxtel to share AFL telecasts for the next five years.

Port chief executive John James said he was concerned the extensive live coverage may tempt supporters to stay at home rather than make the trek to AAMI Stadium.

Under the deal, Foxtel is able to screen four live games each round, but until today it had not revealed which games it had chosen.

Fox Sports, which is carried by Foxtel, will screen six of the Crows' home games, while eight of Port's home games will be live. (The round three Showdown is classed as a Port home game.)

In total, 25 of Adelaide and Port's 44 home and away games will be shown live by Foxtel this season.

Foxtel is unable to screen any Friday night football live into Adelaide, with Seven holding exclusive rights to that slot, seen as the most lucrative in the home and away schedule.

Seven and Ten are yet to release their full schedules but it has been reported Ten will screen two live games per Adelaide club.

Trigg said that, until informed of the Foxtel schedule by the Sunday Mail, he believed only four Crows games – two on Foxtel and two on Ten – would go to air live.

He said he needed to confirm the news with the AFL before making a definitive assessment.

"I'm surprised because that's not what was outlined to us by the AFL during the week, so I want to talk to the AFL about it," he said.

"I'm not really in a position to make comment until I hear what the AFL has to say about it.

"Until then, I'd better hold my fire."

The Adelaide clubs have been challenged by live Foxtel coverage games more than most.

Collingwood, the AFL's most influential club, only has to deal with two of its home games being televised live.

James said he became aware of the amount of live games on Foxtel after seeking out AFL commercial manager Gillon McLaughlan for a discussion on Friday afternoon.

"From our club's perspective, the thing we're confident of is that the majority of our supporters want to come to the football," James said.

"But you'll see, potentially, supporters who may watch some games at home on Foxtel and go to some. We don't see it as an immediate concern but it's certainly something that needs watching.

"It was a little bit of a surprise (the amount of live games) but we also understood that for Foxtel to get involved they were going to commercially want more.

"Strategically, it's not going to have an impact over the next year or two, but it's certainly something we need to follow.

"But I guess that's the landscape and we have to deal with it."

The SANFL, which owns AAMI Stadium, acknowledged the added competition may keep some supporters away but said it was a sign of the times.

"We always knew that broadcast rights were heading towards live against the gate," chief commissioner Leigh Whicker said yesterday. "But we're getting a share of the broadcast money through game development and that's the way the industry's going.

"You've just got to be sharp and promote your facilities."

The SANFL has already committed $70 million to redeveloping AAMI Stadium, with a new scoreboard and sound system to be in place before the start of the season, as well as improved catering facilities for members and season ticket holders.

Foxtel is partly owned by News Limited, the publisher of the Sunday Mail.