Footy Fans Shafted Again

[Demonic Ascent]

I'll start giving a stuff about the Pensioner's, the Poor's & the Less Fortunate not being able to afford Subscription TV to watch Footy when I'm no longer being extorted into paying for the ABC.

But mUh MuRdOcHz

"Extorted"

 

[Demonic Ascent]

I hope the next Government that get's elected later this year, brings in Policy to start Funding Murdoch's empire

They already do

 

[mike ross]

I get that, why then claim supporters and members are the backbone of footy? When in reality they are just cash cows!

Because gullible cash cows swallow all the bullshit. And there's plenty of them.

 

[Carn The Berries]

The entitlement with some posters in this thread is absolutely bloody staggering. What other form of entertainment can you predominantly enjoy from the comfort of your home for free?

Most people here would be old enough to remember when the FTA coverage (in Melbourne) was a delayed Friday night game (which would start at 9:30pm) 1 hour Saturday night replay, 1 Sunday game (in Sydney or Brisbane) and extended highlights of another game on Sunday (if it didn't clash with the Touring Cars).

As has been pointed out, the Saturday night games are being substituted with Thursday night and Saturday day games on FTA haven't been a thing for ages. I can't speak for other states, but delayed telecasts are a complete thing of the past in Melbourne.

But yeah, we're absolutely getting shafted...

 

[iameviljez]

The entitlement with some posters in this thread is absolutely bloody staggering. What other form of entertainment can you predominantly enjoy from the comfort of your home for free?

Most people here would be old enough to remember when the FTA coverage (in Melbourne) was a delayed Friday night game (which would start at 9:30pm) 1 hour Saturday night replay, 1 Sunday game (in Sydney or Brisbane) and extended highlights of another game on Sunday (if it didn't clash with the Touring Cars).

As has been pointed out, the Saturday night games are being substituted with Thursday night and Saturday day games on FTA haven't been a thing for ages. I can't speak for other states, but delayed telecasts are a complete thing of the past in Melbourne.

But yeah, we're absolutely getting shafted...

I think there are only two points here on which footy fans are getting shafted:

1) No live broadcasts of interstate games on Saturday - so going to the footy instead isn't an option, and
2) Dynamic pricing of games at some grounds (read: The Gabba) locks fans out of going, and then there's no TV coverage.

Otherwise, yeah, whatever.

 

[rapidfire7]

It's not that I can't afford it, I just don't feel I should suddenly be forced to pay for a kayo subscription for something which has always been free. Stuff em.

 

[iameviljez]

something which has always been free

Just quietly, how old are you? It wasn't that long ago that only two games per week were actually live to air. "Always" is stretching it

 

[rapidfire7]

Just quietly, how old are you? It wasn't that long ago that only two games per week were actually live to air. "Always" is stretching it

Correct me if im wrong, but has there not virtually always been a live free to air match on Saturday nights? Interstate or otherwise?

 

[iameviljez]

Correct me if im wrong, but has there not virtually always been a live free to air match on Saturday nights? Interstate or otherwise?

Fair point in so far as that Saturday night footy has been going on longer than my memory told me

It was a 90s thing, turns out. And it was almost always a non-Vic match, so it would have been broadcast live into Victoria.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I get that, why then claim supporters and members are the backbone of footy? When in reality they are just cash cows!

Because gullible cash cows swallow all the bullshit. And there's plenty of them.

Yep. If people aren't told they are important, they won't put their money in and care. And then the value to sponsors goes down, as does value to advertisers and therefore media rights.

 

[shintemaster]

While I get your frustration, in the AFL defence, they have long term gone out of their way to make sure matches are on FTA. Anti-siphoning laws only cover the finals.

If the AFL wanted to & they probably get more money doing so, then every in season game could be behind a paywall. Most major domestic competitions around the world are & Australia is the outlier.

There is also a commercial reality for channel 7, that reality is why they were so keen on Thursday night, Saturday day doesn’t rate. It’s the same production costs as Thursday, the return on a next to nothing broadcast of a 1980’s midday movie, in many cases makes more financial sense for them. So the amount they are willing to pay to secure that match is far lower than PayTV.

We also complain about the price of food at stadiums. But go overseas, by comparison it’s ridiculous cheap, not to mention the cost of tickets to games here is also unbelievable cheap. Go to a NFL game in season in the US & you are remortgaging your house just for the ticket.

Reality is FTA is dying, just look at the ratings. Sport is the one thing they are hanging onto, but subscription sport services such as Kayo are only increasing their penetration. This is going to be turned around. Within the next couple of decades, it’s realistic that FTA TV will be a thing of the past

It’s fun to kick the AFL, but commercial reality & trends say that they can only do so much

They haven't. They've gone out of their way to ensure that certain teams are on FTA.

As a North supporter I do find some of these comments laughable - we have long been consigned to dregs of FTA.

 

[Bjo187]

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but really it's only Vic and TAS getting truly screwed from what I believe was always the intention, to block out Saturdays all season by having every single Thursday night game. It's why the afl pulled Thursday night last year so the masses complained they wanted it, then they could justify going all rounds in 2025, effectively making their earlier promise of 'no Saturday in Vic and TAS till round 10 or so', instead, all season.

Even the nrl super Saturday they get the last few rounds before finals Saturday content in nsw and qld.

Works for foxtel 'Saturday blackout all season, more subscribers, works for 7, more games in prime time slots'.

Anyway this explains the whole thing in detail.

2025-2031 Broadcast Rights - AFL.com.au

View a summary of the 2025-2031 AFL Broadcast Right agreement

www.afl.com.au

 

[DaicosDisciple35]

I didn't mind Rugby union games having that one free to air game. They had a Saturday night game showed on Sunday afternoon. Better than nothing I guess

Union didnt die because of paid tv tbh. Rugby Australia just ran their operation terribly, same with the Australian Super Rugby teams. Union is growing everywhere else in the world except for here lol. Big in Japan, Argentina, Pasifika, but the recruitment programs in Australia were only focused on elite private schools and that killed it.

 

[Freomaniac]

Union didnt die because of paid tv tbh. Rugby Australia just ran their operation terribly, same with the Australian Super Rugby teams. Union is growing everywhere else in the world except for here lol. Big in Japan, Argentina, Pasifika, but the recruitment programs in Australia were only focused on elite private schools and that killed it.

Yeah rugby Union partially survived because of pay tv.

The rugby Union national side was good in the 1990s and 2000s

Having the Aussie union sides played alongside the South African and New Zealand sides in the 1990s and 2000s was a blessing and a curse.

Had Australian Rugby union board actually had common sense, they should of built some grass roots foundation. Then have a 8 team Union league of just Australian sides. 2 NSW sides, 2 Queensland sides, one side in the ACT, a Vic side, a WA side and one SA side.

The NSW sides, the Queensland sides and ACT would dominate for the first few years then it would eventually level out.

 

[The_Wookie]

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but really it's only Vic and TAS getting truly screwed from what I believe was always the intention, to block out Saturdays all season by having every single Thursday night game. It's why the afl pulled Thursday night last year so the masses complained they wanted it, then they could justify going all rounds in 2025, effectively making their earlier promise of 'no Saturday in Vic and TAS till round 10 or so', instead, all season.

Even the nrl super Saturday they get the last few rounds before finals Saturday content in nsw and qld.

Works for foxtel 'Saturday blackout all season, more subscribers, works for 7, more games in prime time slots'.

Anyway this explains the whole thing in detail.

2025-2031 Broadcast Rights - AFL.com.au

View a summary of the 2025-2031 AFL Broadcast Right agreement

www.afl.com.au

AFL deal includes Saturday nights after round 15. The state specific details only deal with the first 15 rounds.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

The AFL and media creaming over Super Saturday footy. Load of Crap! So during this cost of living crisis...lets screw the fans and force them onto streaming services as opposed to free to air tv. Total bullshite!

Player wages go up

AFL puts a price freeze on ticket prices at MCG and Marvel.

 

[Bjo187]

AFL deal includes Saturday nights after round 15. The state specific details only deal with the first 15 rounds.

That's good to know but I thought coz they intended to have 22 rounds with a Thursday night that would exclude Saturday's anyway, being there is only 3 games per weekend they can broadcast. They'd have to grab from the Sunday game if they wanna do a Saturday one post round 15.

I do like there is some flexibility there, but we might end up with no Saturday's post round 15 anyway.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

Pay up or watch re runs of Gilligan's island...

Damon Killian likes this.

With more Thursday night games there was going to be the need for a sacrifice and Saturday night was it.

The past few seasons deal was for basically three games a week on FTA, although there was some flexibility which enabled four to be shown at different times.

 

[Freomaniac]

They haven't. They've gone out of their way to ensure that certain teams are on FTA.

As a North supporter I do find some of these comments laughable - we have long been consigned to dregs of FTA.

Random question, how many free to air games did North Melbourne get last season?

North Melbourne in the 1990s and 2000s got a fair bit of Friday night games

 

[Freomaniac]

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but really it's only Vic and TAS getting truly screwed from what I believe was always the intention, to block out Saturdays all season by having every single Thursday night game. It's why the afl pulled Thursday night last year so the masses complained they wanted it, then they could justify going all rounds in 2025, effectively making their earlier promise of 'no Saturday in Vic and TAS till round 10 or so', instead, all season.

Even the nrl super Saturday they get the last few rounds before finals Saturday content in nsw and qld.

Works for foxtel 'Saturday blackout all season, more subscribers, works for 7, more games in prime time slots'.

Anyway this explains the whole thing in detail.

2025-2031 Broadcast Rights - AFL.com.au

View a summary of the 2025-2031 AFL Broadcast Right agreement

www.afl.com.au

NRL free to air is interesting. 8 games a week but only 3 are free to air games on Thursday night, Friday night and Sunday afternoon

 

[pjcrows]

Kayo costs $7 a week, and less if you use promotions.

I understand and experience cost of living pressure, but $7 is literally a coffee or a couple of donuts.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Random question, how many free to air games did North Melbourne get last season?

North Melbourne in the 1990s and 2000s got a fair bit of Friday night games

A couple of times the last few years, Good Friday has been the only FTA game into North's major market (Melbourne).
We get more North games on FTA here in the ACT, because they play Swans and Giants at least twice and up to four times (but haven't normally got Good Friday, as a Swans/Giants game has been an FTA replacement).

Generally when North are expected to be mid-table rather than top four or bottom two, 3-8 FTA games from memory of a long time ago. And that was when there 4 games per round on FTA in Vic (Saturday afternoon was always there if a public holiday wasn't)..
St Kilda and Melbourne often don't fare much better. It smashes a club's chance to build a fan base when they can't be seen by anyone who isn't already a footy fan (and therefore already has a club) as most Kayo subscribers probably are. Although, with less people watching FTA overall, on TV or via streaming, that is becoming less of an opportunity to build a base anyway.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Random question, how many free to air games did North Melbourne get last season?

North Melbourne in the 1990s and 2000s got a fair bit of Friday night games

Yeah they pioneered FNF and then when the other teams realised how lucrative it was North were banished from it. Not saying they should have a monopoly on it but they should get a few games a year.

 

[shintemaster]

A couple of times the last few years, Good Friday has been the only FTA game into North's major market (Melbourne).
We get more North games on FTA here in the ACT, because they play Swans and Giants at least twice and up to four times (but haven't normally got Good Friday, as a Swans/Giants game has been an FTA replacement).

Generally when North are expected to be mid-table rather than top four or bottom two, 3-8 FTA games from memory of a long time ago. And that was when there 4 games per round on FTA in Vic (Saturday afternoon was always there if a public holiday wasn't)..
St Kilda and Melbourne often don't fare much better. It smashes a club's chance to build a fan base when they can't be seen by anyone who isn't already a footy fan (and therefore already has a club) as most Kayo subscribers probably are. Although, with less people watching FTA overall, on TV or via streaming, that is becoming less of an opportunity to build a base anyway.

We have to outperform clubs to get something even close to a decent run. When we were playing in prelims we were regularly getting worse FTA scheduling than a Carlton team that couldn't win a raffle with 1 ticket in the barrel.

This kind of coverage will only widen systemic inequity in the system in the long run and IMO will reduce the pot of money for all. We aren't going to be building stadiums bigger than the MCG / Docklands anytime soon so at some point the AFL will just use the lack of seat access for bigger clubs to squeeze their supporters for more money (a la Essendon at docklands with their supporters). In the long run bigger supporter groups broadly across all clubs is better for all. Rather than having to fight over who gets return matches all Vic clubs should arguably be getting a big benefit - revenue wise - from playing each other. That doesn't happen if we keep artificially encouraging supporter consolidation to only the biggest clubs.

 

[Aphrodite]

Kayo costs $7 a week, and less if you use promotions.

I understand and experience cost of living pressure, but $7 is literally a coffee or a couple of donuts.

Are there any current promos atm as my Kayo expires next month?

Had a quick look and couldn't find any.