Mobile TV Coverage - Optus Won

[MaddAdam]

AFL and NRL will lean hugely on govt on this and govt will roll. They semi-rolled on pokies (tried to wriggle out of it more accurately but won't be allowed to by Greens) and will defo roll.

Convergence Review is out imminently, I expect that will have major recommendations on this sort of stuff, almost certainly recommending protection of "exclusivity".

Though in the wider sense it does play into the AFL's long term agenda of getting rid of the broadcasters and selling straight down the pipe to consumers.

 

[IanW]

Could be the end of free to air if this get ugly.
If the only way to protect revenue for the game is to put it all behind a pay for view wall then that is what may happen. When a poli gets a choice between a blackout of all major sports (NRL and AFL) because free to view is unsellable and protecting rights holders a bit, they may take the view that a time shift as Optus propose is little different from illegal streaming.

I cant see this sticking - within days every sport will start to lobby on this.

Perry Pie,

Assuming this decision holds up on appeal, Parliament will need to amend the Anti-Siphoning legislation and the Copyright Act to make that happen.

The Leagues will cry poor, but remember this decision does not affect the broadcast rights or the pay-tv rights, and Parliament already came down on the side of fans with the anti-siphoning list.

 

[Perry Pie]

A partial cure is probably not too difficult - ban time shifting while the programme is still on. Essentially you cannot start watching a "time shift" outside the home until the original programme has concluded.

Like DOP, I suspect the various special interests will use this to get rid of free to air. The telcos want it, some TV wants it, Murdoch wants it, and truth be told, many sports want it. This is not good news.

 

[MaddAdam]

Like DOP, I suspect the various special interests will use this to get rid of free to air. The telcos want it, some TV wants it, Murdoch wants it, and truth be told, many sports want it. This is not good news.

Free to air isn't really in much of a position to defend itself either - 9 and 10 are pretty much broke.

It really spells trouble for NRL though. You would have thought they'd be in the final stages of their negotiations. This uncertainty really throws a spanner in their works.

 

[IanW]

Though in the wider sense it does play into the AFL's long term agenda of getting rid of the broadcasters and selling straight down the pipe to consumers.

Oh, jesus.

Lets assume Vlad is long-sighted and ruthless.

He eats the $154m, and offers a slightly delayed rebroadcast of the FTA games - and only the FTA games - to members of afl.com.au, which can be bought seperately or is packaged with an AFL membership. There is lots of value-add the AFL can do, especially if it has the AFLPA on side (as an example, google "Suns tv analyser youtube", and imagine that for your club, only available to members of that club on afl.com.au).

Heck, he keeps channel 7 sweet by keeping their ads in his rebroadcast.

This lets him test run AFL TV.

Then, after the next media contract, all the pay-TV games go on AFL TV on subscription or pay-per-view, and the games on the anti-siphoning list go on FTA and the free part of afl.com.au.

Strategically, this hurts the NRL more than it hurts the AFL, as they need money more and are much less well prepared to run their own pay TV operation.

Vlad may not oppose this, or he may not oppose it very hard.

 

[QuietB]

This will not stick - the Networks have as much or more to lose than anyone. For example, what happens when Optus start messing with the advertising, ie. they take the stream but change the adds? All hell will break loose. FTA TV pay for all the content and Optus trump them on the advertising. It is a pain for the AFL and NFL and Telstra, it is armageddon for FTA TV.

 

[Slattery_20]

I think he was making the point that consumer internet at home would be included.

It lays the legal foundation for broadcasts such as those found on Justin TV to be legitimised with just a bit of tweaking. It means that as long as the game you want to watch is on tv somewhere on free tv, then it can be rebroadcast with no benefit being passed on to the clubs or afl. This affects not only Telstra, but Foxtel as well, as the number of matches that are exclusive to Foxtel dwindle.

Yep.

The further implication here, is games that are provided FTA somewhere... anywhere... but on pay TV in certain markets.
I know there's been legal battles with pubs, they take a (free) satellite feed from OS or interstate, rather than stumping up for the commercial Foxtel licence. And the provider has (rightly) fought tooth-and-nail against that.

This is rubber-stamping using different technology to do the same thing. The ruling could open that market right up.

Blooody big tea cup you got there hamo:
And with the NRL set to renegotiate their next television rights, analyst tip the decision to cripple any deal by up to a fifth.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/live-sport-win-for-optus/story-e6frfm1i-1226259726980#ixzz1l7NNMkpr

Hang on, the deal was $1,125M; with Telstra's component being $150M of that.

A fifth coming from Internet rights would be pretty rich - according to the AFL deal.

 

[Slattery_20]

Oh, jesus.

Lets assume Vlad is long-sighted and ruthless.

He eats the $154m, and offers a slightly delayed rebroadcast of the FTA games - and only the FTA games - to members of afl.com.au, which can be bought seperately or is packaged with an AFL membership. There is lots of value-add the AFL can do, especially if it has the AFLPA on side (as an example, google "Suns tv analyser youtube", and imagine that for your club, only available to members of that club on afl.com.au).

Heck, he keeps channel 7 sweet by keeping their ads in his rebroadcast.

This lets him test run AFL TV.

Then, after the next media contract, all the pay-TV games go on AFL TV on subscription or pay-per-view, and the games on the anti-siphoning list go on FTA and the free part of afl.com.au.

Strategically, this hurts the NRL more than it hurts the AFL, as they need money more and are much less well prepared to run their own pay TV operation.

Vlad may not oppose this, or he may not oppose it very hard.

I know all the US pro sports do this, basically you stump up your $100 a year and get every game, free, live, streamed straight to your TV or computer. No Foxtel, no C7, cuts out the middle-man.

I'd do it like a shot.

 

[MYOB]

A quick question.

When did Optus introduce the Optus Now product?

If it was before the finalisation of the AFL Media rights, then surely Telstra are at fault for not doing their research.

 

[Slattery_20]

It also creates a precident for the TV rights if they are "stored and played back" - Free TV replays on the internet for everyone! Yippeeee! Shame the clubs will be broke.

The content belongs to the Clubs (via the AFL), it should not be given free to a company for their own benefit.

The content that is FREELY broadcast to everyone on FREE TO AIR television? The content that electronics shops have going all day, every day? That pubs have going all day, every day?

It shouldn't be available for FREE?
Interesting.

The networks buy it to package ads in. Nothing more.

Those ads are getting in more people's faces in more places at more times of the day. They'll live.

 

[Perry Pie]

I know all the US pro sports do this, basically you stump up your $100 a year and get every game, free, live, streamed straight to your TV or computer. No Foxtel, no C7, cuts out the middle-man.

I'd do it like a shot.

I am in the UK, and I do exactly that. Two games a week are on held back until after they have been broadcast on ESPN (subscription) the rest are live and can be viewed any time on catch up. It is perfect for me and quite cheap. But I bet a local version of this in Austrailia would cost a fortune (it also helps have unlimmited broadband which I dont think is always the case back home).

 

[Perry Pie]

The content that is FREELY broadcast to everyone on FREE TO AIR television? The content that electronics shops have going all day, every day? That pubs have going all day, every day?

It shouldn't be available for FREE?
Interesting.

The networks buy it to package ads in. Nothing more.

Those ads are getting in more people's faces in more places at more times of the day. They'll live.

It is not free. Optus sell the product, that is not free, they are making money from someone elses property.

 

[IanW]

This will not stick - the Networks have as much or more to lose than anyone. For example, what happens when Optus start messing with the advertising, ie. they take the stream but change the adds? All hell will break loose. FTA TV pay for all the content and Optus trump them on the advertising. It is a pain for the AFL and NFL and Telstra, it is armageddon for FTA TV.

Taking the ads out would possibly be a legal bridge too far for Optus - it allows the FTA provider to sue them.

Smaller, dodgier people might risk it, especially if the plan is to set the vehicle up as a pty ltd and pull the money out via salary and if it goes broke after a lawsuit who cares, but Optus will be careful to stay inside the grey line.

 

[IanW]

A quick question.

When did Optus introduce the Optus Now product?

If it was before the finalisation of the AFL Media rights, then surely Telstra are at fault for not doing their research.

Assuming that the AFL wrote the contract right, Telstra are at fault anyway. They are big boys and girls, and can afford their own lawyers to tell them what the law is, isnt and might be.

 

[IanW]

It is not free. Optus sell the product, that is not free, they are making money from someone elses property.

And a judge just said it was completely legal, and told the other side to pay for their lawyers to boot.

 

[Slattery_20]

It is not free. Optus sell the product, that is not free, they are making money from someone elses property.

http://www.harveynorman.com.au/tv-audio/tvs/set-top-boxes-pvrs-1
These guys are also making money by way of recording a free product. Jerks.


Why should it make any difference where the recording physically resides?
What you are saying is, if it's a digital recording sitting on a hard drive in your house, it's fine; but if it's on a hard drive that you're renting, and it lives somewhere off-site, it should be illegal.

The law doesn't make that distinction.

 

[Slattery_20]

Assuming that the AFL wrote the contract right, Telstra are at fault anyway. They are big boys and girls, and can afford their own lawyers to tell them what the law is, isnt and might be.

I'm amazed so many are sticking up for Telstra & the TV networks.
They've treated us - the fans - with absolute disdain for years.

There's barely anything about the coverage now that's superior to 5 or 10 years ago. But thanks for the "megawall" (10 shots of nothing happening), thanks for Robert Walls, thanks for "THE ANALYSER" (a dweeb telling a prat what to say)... thanks for scrolling overlay ads & cross-promotions... thanks for odds & fantasy footy scores all the time... thanks for broadcasting in SD when you've got HD cameras there...

Quite happy to see competition in the market.

 

[Perry Pie]

This is not competition - it is repackaging someone elses broadcast.

The points about Telstra and the TV coverage are valid, but are not part of this.

I cant stand the telcos, they are the biggest rip off merchants on the planet. Every mistake costs the consumer a fortune, they structure products so that we make mistakes and simply point to small print ................ I could go but I will spare big footy my hatred of anyone with anything to do with these scum.....

 

[MaddAdam]

Oh, jesus.

Lets assume Vlad is long-sighted and ruthless.

He eats the $154m, and offers a slightly delayed rebroadcast of the FTA games - and only the FTA games - to members of afl.com.au, which can be bought seperately or is packaged with an AFL membership. There is lots of value-add the AFL can do, especially if it has the AFLPA on side (as an example, google "Suns tv analyser youtube", and imagine that for your club, only available to members of that club on afl.com.au).

Heck, he keeps channel 7 sweet by keeping their ads in his rebroadcast.

This lets him test run AFL TV.

Then, after the next media contract, all the pay-TV games go on AFL TV on subscription or pay-per-view, and the games on the anti-siphoning list go on FTA and the free part of afl.com.au.

Strategically, this hurts the NRL more than it hurts the AFL, as they need money more and are much less well prepared to run their own pay TV operation.

Vlad may not oppose this, or he may not oppose it very hard.

He is.

The broadcasting became very sophisticated because it represents 60% or 70% of our revenue. I often say to people that when I started as CEO in 2003, we had half a strategic planner. Today I have five. Five people working on our business, whether it is yield management or stadium returns or broadcast rights.

We are already planning for our next broadcast rights in five years and we’ve only just finished the last one. That is how sophisticated it has become. Where are the next revenue streams coming from and what is the next big ticket item?

We have just set up our own media company. We’ve set up our own production company. We’ve got our own publishing arm and that is all about preparation for the next broadcast rights because we may decide with the advent of the NBN to sell direct to the consumer. We might control our content more. We might work across various platforms.

We are trying to control as much as we can control and not deal with as many third parties. That is where I see upside in the revenue.

https://theconversation.edu.au/afl-...ing-to-control-as-much-as-we-can-control-2812

 

[jim boy]

I'm amazed so many are sticking up for Telstra & the TV networks.
They've treated us - the fans - with absolute disdain for years.

Don't disagree that Telstra and the networks suck arse. But they pay the bills. If they don't pay the bills then footy suffers.

 

[IzzyIsGod]

And a judge just said it was completely legal, and told the other side to pay for their lawyers to boot.

Solid win for Optus.

 

[pazza]

Free to air isn't really in much of a position to defend itself either - 9 and 10 are pretty much broke.

It really spells trouble for NRL though. You would have thought they'd be in the final stages of their negotiations. This uncertainty really throws a spanner in their works.

According to Rebecca Wilson, who spoke to David Gallop yesterday - they haven't even started yet!!!

 

[IanW]

Don't disagree that Telstra and the networks suck arse. But they pay the bills. If they don't pay the bills then footy suffers.

Jim Boy,

Vlad's plan is to end that, and have the AFL sell you a membership that lets you stream the games, and thereby cut out the middlemen.

And a judge just gave him an opening to accelerate that plan.

 

[Slattery_20]

Don't disagree that Telstra and the networks suck arse. But they pay the bills. If they don't pay the bills then footy suffers.

They may not, but someone will.

 

[MaddAdam]

This is all a bit stormy teacuppy.

http://www.dbcde.gov.au/digital_economy/convergence_review/review_timetable

Convergence Review due in about a month.

They will have been looking at ways do deal with this. Whole purpose of CR was to legislate for this stuff so you don't get situations where Fed Couyrt makes law on the hop.