Keep Free Sport on TV

[Buffalo]

Did anyone see the adds on the weekend ( I saw them during the AFL Grandfinal ) for www.savemysport.com.au (http://www.savemysport.com.au) . Seems like a great initiative to keep main sporting events free to air for the public and make sure that the PayTV giants don't get exclusive rights to them. As far as Motorsport goes the following events "may" be under threat.

Motor Sports
Formula 1 World Championship (Grand Prix) held in Australia
Moto GP held in Australia
V8 Supercar Championship Series (including the Bathurst 1000)
Champ Car World Series (IndyCar) held in Australia

However I am yet to understand what the impact to V8SC's is considering the new contract with Channel 7.

Am also wondering who is behind this ? ... Maybe a Channel 10 initiative ( Since the adds were shown during the AFL GF ) as they do not want to see their product eroded.

[Leigh]

I might pay them a tiny amount of attention if they said who they were...I'm always wary of lobby groups who don't declare what's in it for them.

The site is a bit misleading. When you click on "What's affected", it actually lists the sports that have to be broadcast free-to-air, so are not affected...I can't think of much else that you'd actually make a whole stack of money by running it on pay TV...

[brchi17]

Is losing some of these events to pay-tv such a bad thing ???

I must admit that for some sports I would be more than happy to pay to watch them if it means we don't have to wait up all hours into the night long after they've actually happened - Last nights Chinese Gp comes to mind - event started at 4pm EST, but we have to wait until almost midnight EST to see it :rolleyes:

[monarocveightz]

Is losing some of these events to pay-tv such a bad thing ???

I must admit that for some sports I would be more than happy to pay to watch them if it means we don't have to wait up all hours into the night long after they've actually happened - Last nights Chinese Gp comes to mind - event started at 4pm EST, but we have to wait until almost midnight EST to see it :rolleyes:

i don't have pay TV but the good thing about the sport on Pay TV is that there is no ad breaks such as every time someone got a goal in the AFL:mad: bad thing is that not everything on pay TV is on earlier than normal TV such as Friday night AFL in QLD both free TV and Pay TV have it on at rediculous times of the night while they put other crap on.

[Buffalo]

I might pay them a tiny amount of attention if they said who they were...I'm always wary of lobby groups who don't declare what's in it for them.

The site is a bit misleading. When you click on "What's affected", it actually lists the sports that have to be broadcast free-to-air, so are not affected...I can't think of much else that you'd actually make a whole stack of money by running it on pay TV...

Agreed - I doubt it is a private group hence my thought that it would be the current free to air channels trying to protect their interests .... As far as what's protected - all I could glean from the info is that there "seems" to be some move in government to eliminate the "antisiphoning" list ... Maybe it's just a big marketing excercise on behalf of the free to air channels to gauge what interest there is in Pay TV !!

[Hey Charger]

I was thinking of starting a thread on this topic....those ads are the biggest joke in light of the GP/Indy racing and other events being shown late at nite and then the stations crying foul

[brchi17]

....The site is a bit misleading. When you click on "What's affected", it actually lists the sports that have to be broadcast free-to-air, so are not affected...I can't think of much else that you'd actually make a whole stack of money by running it on pay TV...

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the bigger picture is that there is talk of this so-called 'free-to-air safe' list being abolished & as such the likes of 7,9 & 10 don't want to lose their monopoly (advertising income) on these popular sports.

[bigdave]

i don't have pay TV but the good thing about the sport on Pay TV is that there is no ad breaks such as every time someone got a goal in the AFL:mad: bad thing is that not everything on pay TV is on earlier than normal TV such as Friday night AFL in QLD both free TV and Pay TV have it on at rediculous times of the night while they put other crap on.

there still is add breaks on pay tv, just about 1/3rd the amount.

[lexoto]

Yes, showing the chinese g.p so late was one reason when it should be shown on pay t.v....

[vr-x3500]

When digital TV finally comes in I would like to see something like Foxtel has with pay per view, where you pay for something you want to watch, not for channels you will hardly ever watch.
When i previously had foxtel a majority of channels never got watched. With the amount they charge for digital and IQ i couldn't see the point in paying to watch motorsport and the odd documentary with a whole heap of other channels loaded up with crap that would never get watched.

[REDVRSS]

http://www.foxtel.tv/209_5332.htm

Appears foxtel/Astra want the free to air channels to broadcast what they have the rights to, and if they dont then Paytv should be able to air it.

I tend to agree. Free to air should get 1st dibs on broadcasting live sport. but if they are unable, then I think Pay tv should be able to broadcast it.

It sounds like a win win situation. For example Pay tv Subscribers could watch F1 live and free tv could sho delayed much like MotoGP is now.

[Hey Charger]

delayed telecast of events defeats the purpose...the spirit of 'free to air" is to have programs like the Chinese GP aired live and not delayed like it was...they might as well not have the programs if they keep up with this attitude and thats what has got them into trouble now

[brchi17]

This whole sport on tv & clashes with prime time would be a non issue of they (free-to-air channels) decided to do different broadcast on their various digital channels, other than the multiples of the same program that they currently do.

For example, last night ch.10 could of shown the F1 race from China live on one of their 3 digital channels & then ran the replay at midnight for those who don't have a STB.

[REDVRSS]

This whole sport on tv & clashes with prime time would be a non issue of they (free-to-air channels) decided to do different broadcast on their various digital channels, other than the multiples of the same program that they currently do.

For example, last night ch.10 could of shown the F1 race from China live on one of their 3 digital channels & then ran the replay at midnight for those who don't have a STB.

A Great idea. May be this "Use-it-or-Lose-it" reform will force the Networks to do just that.

[Dingo]

Maybe it's time that people came to the realisation that, like everything else in life, television will soon be a user pays system, and the sooner for a lot of people, the better...

[Tumbo]

This is one debate going on in the Senate atm where I agree w/ Barnaby; standing up for the little folk and all :p

The problem is that this mixed with the Media ownerhip laws is going to cost the average person a hell of a lot. We can say eventually it will hapen etc etc all we like but the problem is that we are becoing more americanised in our attitude toward business everyday.

There are certain sporting events which should remain on free-to-air in y opinion; Murdoch is overpaid as it is, why fund his next purcahse by taking away our Bathurst or Grand Finals? They already took Super 14 :mad:

[Martin Thomas]

Just remember whats at stake, here. if we are happy to give sport away (from free to air) then in this nation it means we are happy to give away anything to the pay providers. If you think foxtel is expensive now, imagine if they had the sports we all take for granted..
The free to airers should be held to their commitment to broadcast digital to all of Australia by the end of 2006. digital opens a lot of room up for channels. Its just that the broadcaster has to have the will to use it..

[Footy]

Maybe it's time that people came to the realisation that, like everything else in life, television will soon be a user pays system, and the sooner for a lot of people, the better...

So true,:deal2: ,Just chuck it on the credit card.

[Troy_H]

Sport on pay TV is worth the cost in my opinion. Channel 10 refuse to air Moto GP at a reasonable hour, then when they do its full of adverts. I watch them live and uninterupted, get the 125cc and 250cc as well. Same goes for the F1

Fine for the big local sports, if free to air dont want to show them, let pay TV have it live. Easy as that.

It would be an intersting exercise to time the amount of adverts this sunday, Pay TV would probably show it largely uninterupted if they could.

[Dingo]

Fine for the big local sports, if free to air dont want to show them, let pay TV have it live. Easy as that.
In many cases, it's a case of free to air buying a season of a particular sport just to be able to televise the one big event on the calendar (Grand Prix, Champ Cars, et al spring to mind here)...

[LC Torana]

To the free to air networks I say….use it or loose it