Woohoo..Free Footy
Looks like we have some good and bad news about Footy (Aussie Rules Football) on television next season. Channel 10 has been blitzing the right to free sport on TV for the last few months. This latest news of all games shown on free TV is a win for everyone who enjoys watching footy.
Foxtel is bound to lose many customers. You already have to pay a minimum of about $50 just to get the sports channels such as Fox Sports. Think about how many pubs play the footy on the weekends. Pubs wouldn’t need to subscribe to the service anymore and in addition people could just stay home and watch the game.
According to the article, Channel 31 is likely to broadcast the remainder of games. That would be no problem if most people could get Channel 31. Even worse Channel 31 hasn’t been given a digital license (you can’t pick it up on a set top box). For someone who can not get reception without the aid of a set top box, this would be equivalent of missing out on the remainder of games.
I think that SBS should cover the remainder of AFL games. They have done an excellent job covering the soccer and their commentary is very focused on the game. Channel 9’s previous coverage of footy games at times was more focused on the commentators and gossip rather than the game. If the rights do go to Channel 31, people would need to email, write, phone the Federal Government (Helen Coonan) to push for Channel 31 to get its digital license. Even if Channel 31 did get the programming and was able to get a digital license, what kind of creative quality can we expect from a community channel with a substantially smaller budget?
Footy goes to air for free
Channel 31
Petition the Government to give Ch. 31 a digital licence (PDF Link)
Picture via Essedon Football Club
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SBS’s commentary on soccer is excellent coz it focuses purely on soccer. Adding aerial ping-pong would just complicate matters.
What?! Footy on channel 31 will not be the same! what is this world coming to? There is so much money injected into the broadcasting rights, why should a television channel like channel 31 who i’m sure will bring just as good quality as their futsal games and their fish tanks with the weather scrolling at the bottom (that is very poor quality if you have never watched it, but im sure u have at leasy seen the fish swimming casually around your screens) to our national game. This is a disgrace and SBS, a much better channel should host the remainder games, as they already have perfected hosting large sporting events ie. the soccer with Simon Hill, one of the best commentators i have heard.