Australian sports TV rights set for shake-up 05/10/2010 |
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New rules governing sports TV rights in Australia are set to be announced before the end of the month.
The new Julia Gillard cabinet is expected to receive a submission on the plans within three weeks.
Communications minister Stephen Conroy will hold meetings with key stakeholders, including TV networks and major sporting bodies, in the coming weeks to clarify final positions, although one executive noted "it's all done and dusted", reports The Australian newspaper.
The AFL and NRL in particular are keen to accelerate the process to further negotiations for new broadcast deals beyond 2012 that could net $1bn each.
The so-called “anti-siphoning regime” governs which sports are seen on free-to-air (FTA) and pay-TV. The list expires at the end of the year, making it a matter of urgency for the Gillard Government.
The process is also important commercially. Prime-time TV viewing has arrested declines and is showing better trends this year, helped by new multi-channels which have become a new variable in TV sports rights, adds the newspaper.
For consumers, key changes are likely to include more live AFL broadcasts, particularly on Friday nights, Twenty20 cricket being added to the anti-siphoning list along with Socceroos World Cup qualifying matches, therefore ensuring free-to-air broadcast on channels Seven, Nine or Ten.
As part of the changes, the "use it or lose it" policy is expected to be instituted, with broadcasters having to show key A-list events live or forfeit them.
The anti-siphoning list of more than 1,300 sporting events to which FTA networks have first rights is also likely to be significantly shortened based largely on what has or has not been broadcast on the FTA channels.
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