Foxtel wants all games live on Fox by 2006

[Joel]

Pay TV push on live footy (Click on heading for link)
By Caroline Wilson
August 08 2003

[carcarly_pieland]

If this eventuates, AFL would become more a Rich man/woman's sport (if it isn't already). It'd also mean I'd have to spend $70 more each mth.

[GO RUPERT 10]

well if this happens i think every clubs gate takings would be cut dramatically.we must ensure that this never happens because going to football in 100 times better than watchin it on tv

[JLC]

That would be bad for football.

Foxtel would bump up their prices quite nicely i think as supporters couldnt get the games anywhere else.

I can see blockbusters like Anzac Day, Queens Birthday being Pay Per Events in the future. Similar to the Boxing and Wrestling.

It will be a sad sad day when this happens.

Lets hope the AFL leaves games with Free to Air television

Farxtel

jlc

[GreatGonzo]

At least they want to show them unlike free TV atm.

Seriously, for interstaters this is good news, because if you are a Pies supporter outside Vic, you won't get to see many Pies' gmaes live on TV.

[Goo]

I don't think there's anything in there about the games being exclusive to FOX - I'd be very suprised if AFL didn't insist on maintaining the same amount of FTA games.

It would definately be a benefit up here though.

[Natalie]

Not a good idea. It's hard enough to get supporters who barrack for lower placed teams such as Richmond, Dogs, Mel, Geel, Saints etc to even go to a game. If they have it on tele, none of them will go and will become armchair supporters. It's not practicable at all. They'd obviously still have games on free to air but maybe foxtel want every game live on their channel with the delayed replays still happening on the free to air.

[magpie willow]

I would be spewing if they did this we dont pay for fox footy already but we have foxtel and we wouldnt be able to see interstate games on tv im sick of everything the afl and foxtel are doin soon the whole game will be stuffed something needs to be done the fans arent getting treated fairly.

[Proud Pies]

Currently I have the fox footy channels and I love having that but I only watch the pies playing and I only watch it when we win. After I've been to the game there's nothing better than coming home and watching the replay, again and again and again. But that's all i have it for, it's expensive enough already. I totally agree with JLC, they WILL use the blockbuster games to get more money but putting them on Main Event and what's that cost? about $20.00 a hit.

All the Rugby games are on the normal Fox Sports, they don't have a speical Fox Footy Rugby channel and have to pay extra to watch their teams. Interstate or not.

If the AFL goes ahead with this, it shows exactly what they think of the supporters.

[Ed from WA]

For far too long free to air especially in WA have played all sport when it feels like it and playing us for suckers.

The fact that fox show games live would not stop free to air from doing what they do a lot now anyway and that is show games delayed.

I have been busting for years to see friday footy live and if fox getting the games achieves that for me..all power to them.

What sort of arrangement is it that will not allow fox to show a game live yet the free to air station doesnt want to.
9 can have burkes back yard and stick it where it fits and i can watch friday footy on fox.
thats sounds good to me.
Even those humax boxes a lot rave about are no good to me in the bush where i live,what a waste of money buying that thing was.
no im all for fox getting the rites.
free to air have caused the problem and fox want to fix it.

[Bones]

I'm with Ed... Good luck to Fox, I want to watch the PIES live not a 2 hour delay, not a bluddy 8 hour later replay. I want it LIVE...

It's ok for you lot in Melbourne that can attend the games, it shouldn't concern you wether it's on TV at all, go to the game.

This year so far there have been THREE LIVE games, Anzac Day, Queens Birthday Monday and one other that i can't remember.

Yes i have Fox Footy, the $50 a month is probably less cost than it would to go to 4 games a month. But at the moment I am seeing NOTHING except replays because of some dopey agreement. If 9 and 10 can't show it LIVE then hand it over to Fox.

[Proud Pies]

My apologies guys, I forgot about you guys in the bush and the west. You definately have a valid point.

[London Dave]

I said as soon as Fox/10/9 consortium got the rights, that Fox(i.e. Uncle Rupert) would use AFL to drive mutli channel TV subscriptions, it's turned BSkyB into an absolute cash cow for him in the UK. It's really the only thing that a large % of the population are willing to pay for, and I stand to be corrected here, but I believe Rugby League channels are free, AFL ones cost $$$?

As regards to PPV, that is a possibility, though I suggest their strategy would probably involve buying a 'season ticket' to watch the 'live games' on another set of channels, and then still shell out the same dollars you pay now to recieve the football channels you get now, these channels being sans live games in the future.

Personally, I'd like to Fox to broadcast all games live. It will not make one iota of difference in attendance levels I'd say. Why not???...read Go Ruperts post.

One could take the attitude that it's all evil...media screwing poor punters over etc, but I'm afraid that's swimming against a rather strong tide...at some point in the future, when clubs such as ours could perhaps regain control of some of their media rights, you may see a Collingwood only channel, subscriptions to which, in part, go staight to the pies, and I don't think anyone would see that as a retro move.

[M@®©]

Its all about money these days so soon enough i believe there wont be any free to air games