TonyK
CibbuanoSports codes unite for sports broadcasting law reform
September 21st 2006 05:47
Major sports codes the AFL, NRL and FFA today formed a united front to support plans to reform sports anti-siphoning laws and bring more live sport to Australian fans.
Speaking at a joint media conference in Melbourne, the AFL, NRL and FFA CEO’s supported the Government’s proposal for a “Use it or Lose it” approach to sports broadcasting regulation.
However, they said the change would only put more live sport on television if the resulting system is given "real teeth."
The sports codes said an effective Use it or Lose it scheme that enabled more live sport on TV would also increase funding opportunities and promote the interests of sports codes, fans and participants right through to families and kids at the grassroots level.
Sports broadcasting on television in Australia is governed by "anti-siphoning" laws that give free-to-air TV networks exclusive first rights over a large list of sporting events.
The networks do not show all the sport that is set aside for them.
The anti-siphoning laws dictate that listed sports codes can only sell their television rights if they deal exclusively first with the free-to-air TV networks.
This stops sports codes from directly managing their own television broadcasting rights which are core to the future of the sports.
A “Use it or Lose it” approach to sports broadcasting laws would see any sport not shown by the free-to-air TV networks fall off the anti-siphoning list allowing the sports codes to open those rights to competition from all broadcasters including free TV and pay TV.
The result will be more live sport on television, and greater opportunity for sports codes to develop by being able to better manage their TV rights.
The CEO’s of the AFL, NRL and FFA said that they supported reform of the sports broadcasting regulations because they should be in a position to decide what is in the best interests of their game, rather than any commercial interest.
They added that they support a Use it or Lose it approach because it would protect any games that are currently shown of free to air television while allowing the sports codes to more freely deal with the rights that the free-to-air TV networks don’t show.
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said the league supported Use it or Lose it as long as it was effective in practice.
"The current anti-siphoning rules restrict us in our objective to get maximum national, live coverage of the AFL. We value our television partnerships with both free-to-air TV and pay-TV and we should be able to deal directly with both partners to get the best results for the game and our fans," Demetriou said.
Speaking at a joint media conference in Melbourne, the AFL, NRL and FFA CEO’s supported the Government’s proposal for a “Use it or Lose it” approach to sports broadcasting regulation.
However, they said the change would only put more live sport on television if the resulting system is given "real teeth."
The sports codes said an effective Use it or Lose it scheme that enabled more live sport on TV would also increase funding opportunities and promote the interests of sports codes, fans and participants right through to families and kids at the grassroots level.
Sports broadcasting on television in Australia is governed by "anti-siphoning" laws that give free-to-air TV networks exclusive first rights over a large list of sporting events.
The networks do not show all the sport that is set aside for them.
The anti-siphoning laws dictate that listed sports codes can only sell their television rights if they deal exclusively first with the free-to-air TV networks.
This stops sports codes from directly managing their own television broadcasting rights which are core to the future of the sports.
A “Use it or Lose it” approach to sports broadcasting laws would see any sport not shown by the free-to-air TV networks fall off the anti-siphoning list allowing the sports codes to open those rights to competition from all broadcasters including free TV and pay TV.
The result will be more live sport on television, and greater opportunity for sports codes to develop by being able to better manage their TV rights.
The CEO’s of the AFL, NRL and FFA said that they supported reform of the sports broadcasting regulations because they should be in a position to decide what is in the best interests of their game, rather than any commercial interest.
They added that they support a Use it or Lose it approach because it would protect any games that are currently shown of free to air television while allowing the sports codes to more freely deal with the rights that the free-to-air TV networks don’t show.
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said the league supported Use it or Lose it as long as it was effective in practice.
"The current anti-siphoning rules restrict us in our objective to get maximum national, live coverage of the AFL. We value our television partnerships with both free-to-air TV and pay-TV and we should be able to deal directly with both partners to get the best results for the game and our fans," Demetriou said.
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