AFL kicks around starting own footy channel
Jane Schulze
The Australian
September 29, 2006
THE AFL could launch its own football channel next year to maintain a presence on pay-TV after the Fox Footy channel closes this weekend.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the idea of starting the AFL's own pay-TV channel had "crossed our mind" because "the issue of keeping supporters informed through that media is very important to us".
A new channel would not be able to broadcast AFL matches, with the Seven and Ten networks this year agreeing to pay $780 million for the AFL's free-to-air and pay-TV rights for the next five years.
But the AFL could broadcast programs similar to those now on Fox Footy, such as the White Line Fever talk show.
The AFL would have to negotiate a deal with the pay-TV group Foxtel (part-owned by News Limited, publisher of The Australian) to get the channel on air. Foxtel broadcasts Fox Footy, which is being closed because Foxtel cannot reach an agreement to buy the rights to show next year's AFL matches from Seven and Ten.
"What we've noticed with the closure of the Fox Footy channel has been an enormous amount of correspondence from our supporters that they relied on the Fox Footy channel for their actual football news -- not necessarily the games," Mr Demetriou said in an interview to be broadcast on Sky News Business Sunday this weekend.
"It's certainly gone through our minds about whether we could exploit that opportunity."
Mr Demetriou does not expect AFL games to be shown on pay-TV next year after meeting with executives from Seven and Ten this week. They have been negotiating to sell their pay-TV rights to Foxtel but Mr Demetriou was not confident of success.
"Whether they come to an arrangement or not -- we are not party to that ... but I don't think they will, particularly in light of recent discussions over the last few days," he said.
"And if they don't, that's OK with us -- we'll have football on Ten and Seven with eight games on free-to-air and for us, that's great reach and coverage, particularly into NSW and Queensland."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20495424-36035,00.html
