Fox Footy Channel

[ds32]

I BELEIVE THE FOX FOOTY CHANNEL HAS BEEN AXED, DON'T KNOW ANY MORE AT THIS STAGE

[Ecky]

I moved this to the AFL section, Smithy - not really SANFL related.

[MightyEagles]

Why would they axe the FFC? Unless ch 7 and ch 10 had something to do with it.

[JK]

Viability without an agreement in place providing them with 4 games per round for the next 5 years, their proposal for such rejected by 7 and 10, as I understand it

[Brad]

Not Happy if this is the case, the only reason I have Austar.

[RustyCage]

Thats bullshit

Fox Footy have been the best broadcasters of the game for the last 5 years. Best coverage and best commentators by a long way.

Does this mean that TVN or whatever its called will have the rights to the pay tv broadcasts?

Trust Channel 7 to come in and **** things up.

Really not happy.

[Brad]

A guy I know in Foxtel told me it might be gone very soon before the end of the season!

[Ecky]

Don't get too upset people - I believe this is just Foxtel's way to get the general public on their side in their ongoing negotiations with channels 7 and 10 - nothing has been finalised yet.

This is the full media release that was posted on footysa.com:

As we approach the end of the 2006 AFL season, I would like to update you all on the progress of the negotiations for future AFL rights following a discussion I had with the workforce at the FOX Footy Channel today.

As you all know, this 2006 season is the last season for which we currently have rights to broadcast the AFL. FOXTEL is in negotiations with the Seven and Ten Networks who hold the AFL rights for the seasons commencing 2007 to 2011, however we have yet to reach an agreement.

Since commencing negotiations with Seven and Ten in February, we have made two offers – one for four games and one for three games. Seven and Ten have rejected the four game offer and have yet to respond to our offer for three games.

FOXTEL has demonstrated its level of commitment to the AFL over the last five years and still we remain hopeful of having the AFL on our service over the next five. However, with the positions taken by Seven and Ten and the delays and uncertainty over the future, FOXTEL was left with no choice but to close the FOX Footy channel, which we are announcing publicly today.

If we do obtain AFL rights in the coming weeks or months, those games will be broadcast on the new FOX SPORTS 3 channel to be launched on 1 October.

We have reached this decision for two main reasons. FOXTEL has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in AFL and the FOX Footy channel since its launch in 2001 and we are all very proud of what the channel has achieved. However, that level of investment is not sustainable, particularly in an environment where we may only secure 3 live AFL games for each round.

Without doubt, one of the key major factors in the closure of the FOX Footy Channel is Australia’s restrictive sports broadcasting laws that give the free-to-air TV networks power over TV sports rights and their allocation to subscription television.

These rules, known as the anti-siphoning regime, are rules made by the Federal Government in Canberra that prevent our sector from bidding for certain sports rights unless the Free To Air networks have bid for them first (in which case we then have to deal with the Networks to obtain the rights) or they decide they do not want the sport. We are currently lobbying to have these enormously unfair laws reformed although change will be slow and hard fought over.

These laws stopped FOXTEL and the AFL from dealing directly with each other to achieve certainty for subscription TV coverage of the AFL. Instead, we had to deal with Seven and Ten who have delayed negotiations so that there was no certainty on the future of the AFL rights so close to the end of the season. If it was not for the anti-siphoning rules it would have been a virtual certainty that we could have kept the FOX Footy Channel open to continue its record of breathtaking achievements.

Just in case you weren’t aware of the almighty efforts of this channel, let me run you through them. As Australia's only 24 hour football channel, FOX Footy delivers 3 live games of every round of the AFL season with the highest quality coverage and commentary, plus every game of the season uninterrupted siren to siren. And these games have been analysed and scrutinised to the delight of the fans in over 500 episodes of White Line Fever, over 100 episodes of On the Couch, League Teams and The Winners and other groundbreaking shows like Saturday Central and Grumpy Old Men.

With other outstanding programming like Headliners, Kokoda and From the Lips of Lethal, FOX Footy gave the fans rare insights into the world of AFL, taking them places they could never have accessed without FOX Footy’s commitment and creativity like escorting players on the Kokoda Track and watching the Grand Final from inside the coach’s own box (a world first).

The FOX Footy Channel was also there for all the big occasions in Footy, like the Most Valuable Player Awards, the Hall of Fame, the All Australian Awards, and the Rising Star Awards.

We have innovated with our digital service and offered Footy fans interactive games, the roar of the crowd from their lounge room chair and every statistic they could ever dream of. And the team at FOX Footy did all of this while delivering 5 feeds of Footy across Australia every weekend without a hitch.

We are enormously proud of the achievements by the remarkable and talented team at FOX Footy Channel over the last five years and I know that over the next few weeks, they will continue to deliver top class sports coverage with all the energy, enthusiasm and professionalism that FOX Footy has become known for.

Please join with me in acknowledging and celebrating the tremendous achievements of the talented and dedicated group who make up the FOX Footy Channel. It has been a remarkable experience for sports coverage in Australia and for Australian sports fans.

I regret this forced action and remain earnestly committed to endeavouring to finalise an agreement for the AFL going forward over the next five years.

[blink]

I don't have Austar/Foxtel so it doesn't affect me much but I have watched Fox Footy at friends and relatives before and it seems to be a top-notch channel. Shame to see it go, but in the end the free-to-air networks seem to have all the $ and power, and always will. The AFL would be disappointed as well, one less channel to expose the game to the masses - therefore sponsorship revenue for them may well drop....

[JK]

I don't know whether they've got all the money, but they do have legislative advantages

[Leaping Lindner]

When I first moved to Melbourne(1995) we got EVERY* game live to air, then slowly and gradually a few games got missed out or shown much later as replays (involving non Victorian clubs), whilst filling the time slot with old movies or B-Grade sports events. My favourite was a rained out tennis match (not from a major tournament) from somewhere or other was being talked about whilst Adelaide played Fremantle in Adelaide
Then it got to the stage Channel 7 didn't even pretend to care and my wife and I (I'm Crows - She's Eagles) missed at least 12 games in the last couple of seasons. When Fox Footy came about it it was a Godsend. Not only were you guaranteed to see your game live but you also get replays during the week,and also replays of the SANFL and WAFL matches of the round (admittedly you have to set your video for those as they are on in the wee small hours). We even got the WAFL and SANFL Prelims and Grand Finals live for a couple of seasons (I believe that stopped due to matters outside of FFC's control).
I for one will be very sad to see FFC go and I hope that common sense will prevail and all three channels have AFL next year.
I guarantee that if we are just down to Channel 7 and Channel 10 next year there will be delays on interstate matches been shown live so we can have another half hour of "Beyond the lame (sic)" or some new series Channel 7 has bought from the US and needs to put in a prominent time slot.

(EDIT - *Oops! I mean EVERY game that wasn't been played in Melbourne/Geelong.)

[mal]

Foxtel subscribers are now ripped off, we have
to put up with bloody commercials between goals.

[heater31]

channel 7 wont agree to anything beacuse Kerry and co buggered them up with their C7 pay channel so in Stokesy eyes its payback

[JK]

channel 7 wont agree to anything beacuse Kerry and co buggered them up with their C7 pay channel so in Stokesy eyes its payback

I would imagine both 7 and 10 are going to have to sell some of the coverage, because there's no way they can afford to cop the full $700mil+ bill and remain viable ... Actually be interesting to keep an eye on ESPN and see if they become a player in this ...

[heater31]

channel 7 wont agree to anything beacuse Kerry and co buggered them up with their C7 pay channel so in Stokesy eyes its payback

I would imagine both 7 and 10 are going to have to sell some of the coverage, because there's no way they can afford to cop the full $700mil+ bill and remain viable ... Actually be interesting to keep an eye on ESPN and see if they become a player in this ...

or ask a ridiculous price to sell off any games

[TroyGFC]

Its all good news to me, Foxtel have stuffed up my viewing of TV. C7 and C10 can play all games anyway to those who have set-top boxes. I hate pay to view!!!!

[sydney-dog]

Does anyone know how this effects footy coverage in NSW..

Currently we do not get live friday night games via commercial tv networks but we can get 1/2 delay telecast on fox..

Given the poor commercial tv coverage in NSW I hope the AFL have either negotiated a stronger commercial tv package for NSW or continued the fox footy coverage in the state, if the answer is no to both these question how in the hell can they grow the game in the NSW market and what is the point in throwing millions in to the swans

[Dutchy]

I feel, and hope, that this only part of the tough negotiating process, the FTA's cant afford to fit the whole bill, and they need a PAY network to take at least 3 games. Its all business and this is FOX playing a card, the new FOX3 will probably have the best of FOX footy anyway once everything is sorted out.

Mal - your right the best bit about FOX footy is no commercials between goals. It is also critical for us non Crows/Power fans so we can see our teams live every week (Roos play on FTA probably 7-8 times per year) I know crows and power fans wont care but they are spoilt with the coverage they get.

In summary there will be footy on PAY - whch channel and in what form is the question..maybe AFL might step in now as its threatening the national coverage of their brand which is critical in the times of a booming soccer league..

[PhilG]

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[PhilG]

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