AFL close to $2b broadcast deal

[Scotland]

$333m a year, and we'll still have loss making clubs.

 

[PieMan!]

Great more thursday night football and less Saturday afternoon...

 

[Rob]

I am reading it right? Less games on FTA? Glad the AFL is thinking of the fans! Oh well, more time to watch other sport I suppose...stuff the AFL.

It's the Saturday afternoon game which hardly anyone watches anyway.

 

[Foreign Legion]

A massive mistake by the AFL if they have less games on FTA - Foxtel is dying and this is their last roll of the dice. See cricket in England on Sky for an example - sometimes more money is NOT a better deal.

 

[hawkman]

12 Thursday night games a year, and when there's no Thursdays, the Saturday afternoon doesn't get televised. On the minus side, less FTA footy. On the plus side... no more Hamish and Basil!

Plus the public holidays so add in 3 more. So it will probably end up about 8 games less on FTA

 

[KissKiss]

Less FTA games sounds like they still aren't looking after their fans

 

[Abomination]

The AFL should take a look at the partnership Ten and Cricket Australia got with Big Bash. An absolutely hopeless, irrelevant competition while it was on Foxtel, then exploded as soon as it hit FTA. Everyone's now making bank on that deal, total win-win.

The AFL are being completely shortsighted here, just seeing dollar signs. This move simultaneously alienates fans and makes the game vastly less accessible (at a time when they're supposedly trying to expand the game up north). The writing was on the wall when Murdoch invited Gil to lunch last week, right after the NRL went in with FTA and turned their back on Fox.

The other ignored but significant consequence of this deal is that only 1/3 of the AFL's clubs will receive FTA exposure every week, and you need only look at Seven's match selection this year to guess which teams they'll be. Get used to Richmond, Carlton, Collingwood and Hawthorn playing every Friday and Saturday night, while the usual suspects get the dregs on Foxtel. Further making a mockery of "equalisation" due to laughable fixturing that favours the rich clubs. Just look at the Bulldogs, how many years since they had a Friday night match? Yet they're 4th on the ladder.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

HAND CANDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

DARCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

[The Falcon Strike]

I'm assuming that excludes all the digital rights?

 

[manboob]

I'm assuming that excludes all the digital rights?

Never fear they'll end up with Telstra I'm sure

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Never fear they'll end up with Telstra I'm sure

The same telstra that ****ed up the last update and now my afl live app shits itself everytime I want to watch a game?

Oh goodie!!

 

[Big Sauce 21]

LOOOOOOKKK BROOOOST

 

[manboob]

Say that again.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Only 3 games on FTA?

Well isn't that just a big '**** you!' to the fans.

"we just love the footy" - channel 7

 

[Marley10]

Because "Darce", "Lingy", "Richo", BT and Bruuuuuuuuuce are so much better?

To be honest, I like the channel 9 team better, but that's not going to happen.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Standard definition 4 lyfe

 

[Abomination]

I'm sure we'll get some glorious 240p, 128kb/sec bitrate streaming from Telstra's excellent 2G mobile network.

 

[Grandaddy J]

If they reduce FTA games to 3 per week without implementing an affordable, high-def, subscriber-based means of streaming games (a la NBA TV) and sell their souls to Murdoch they can kiss any growth in the expansion markets goodbye. Would be a monumental utensil-up if we're left with Telstra's bullshit streaming service that doesn't allow you to stream games to your PC or laptop unless you live overseas.

 

[Yolo Swaggins]

gunna set up my home entertainment theatre and crank some dolby digital BT for another couple seasons yet

 

[Biggy_Boy]

I'll be furious if they scrap the streaming, like I'm hearing. Everything is on the internet now, it would be typical of the AFL to make an anti progressive move.

The progression of the internet and internet-based services in this country is held back by one man/company, which happens to have a share of the rights deal. The high concentration of media ownership in Australia is a massive problem.

 

[Leigh Lowther]

All I got from that article was Gill essentially giving the supporters a massive '#$%& YOU'

Thanks Gill!

Whose interests are you really looking out for?

 

[Abomination]

That'll be lights out for Channel 10 too. They desperately needed to get into either NRL or AFL to stay viable, now that's out of the equation.

 

[DazzaTys]

Cyril beats one tackle, steps around, Cyril, Cyril, cyyrrrrrriiiiiiilllllllllll. That was so delicious.

 

[PieMan!]

Please Please Please Play the games in HD

 

[kenneje]

I'm assuming that excludes all the digital rights?

* I hope Google get the digital rights.