Get used to paying to watch AFL games on TV, says Eddie McGuire Michael Warner
Herald Sun
November 09, 2010
UPDATE 11.55am: COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire says footy fans have to get used to the idea of paying to watch their team on TV.
The AFL and Federal Government are refusing to guarantee that the best AFL games will remain on free-to-air television.
As revealed by the Herald Sun last month, more quality AFL matches will handed to pay-TV giant Foxtel under federal reforms expected by Christmas.
McGuire said this morning he expected free-to-air channels to broadcast the best two games of each weekend on Friday and Saturday nights, and Foxtel would have the pick of the rest.
"If you're a footy nut, you probably want to get Foxtel. There's going to be five games on there and sooner or later your team will be on there," McGuire said on Triple M.
"The two best games, I still reckon, will stay on free to air
"One, two, five, six I reckon will still be on free to air and three, four, seven, eight, nine on Foxtel could well be the mix."
McGuire said even his Magpies would get their share of pay-TV games.
"Collingwood had four last year, which is a record for a year, which is not the great draw everyone keeps telling me we've got."
This year Foxtel will broadcast five Pies matches. Richmond will be on pay-TV 11 times and North Melbourne 14 times.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has reportedly told free-to-air network bosses that the days of them getting first preference on all the best games are numbered.
The looming overhaul means Foxtel will choose what it regards as the third and fourth-best games of the week when the league's new round of rights begins in 2012.
Previously, Foxtel had been left with the matches the free-to-air networks do not want.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has until December 31 to release the Government's crucial Conroy report into what is known as "anti-siphoning".
The report will determine which sporting events are protected for free-to-air stations and whether the AFL can sell matches directly to Foxtel for the first time - a move seen as the league's best chance of securing a $1 billion payday for its 2012-16 package.
Free-to-air stations believe it is already a done deal for at least four AFL games to be taken off the list.
Other anticipated changes will involve the AFL season being divided into A and B-list matches, and networks given the power to select games for broadcast on a rolling basis.
A-list games, including the Collingwood-Essendon Anzac Day clash, Friday night football and all finals, will be protected for telecast by only free-to-air stations.
But up to five B-list- games would be shown on pay-TV each week.
A selection system would give free-to-air networks first crack at the week's first, second, fifth and sixth best games. Foxtel would then have picks 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9.
It is expected all B-list matches will be eligible to be shown on Foxtel or secondary free-to-air digital channels.
Speculation is mounting that the AFL will make it mandatory for all games to be aired live, a move backed by Channel 9.
A new deal is likely to be struck before the start of next season, giving the winning networks a full season to prepare.
Channels 7 and 10 will again bid together with Nine to go alone. Seven and Ten paid $780 million for the current rights - the biggest broadcast rights deal in Australian sporting history.
The anti-siphoning scheme was introduced in 1994 to ensure that events of national importance and cultural significance, such as AFL games and Test cricket matches, were made freely available to the Australian public.
But pay-TV networks have called for a "use it or lose it'' policy to be introduced, saying that the anti-siphoning list lets free-to-air networks hoard sports they don't broadcast.
Free-to-air networks have come under fire for their coverage of recent major sporting events, with viewers complaining of delayed coverage and excessive advertising.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/foxtel-could-be-allowed-to-bid-for-top-afl-games/story-e6frf9jf-1225949731830
