TV networks unite to keep sport free in campaign

Seven, Nine, and 10 have launched a new advertising campaign this week, urging the federal government to amend its proposed changes to the anti-siphoning Bill. 

With the Bill coming before federal parliament this week, the new "Free Sport Is On The Line" ads are running across print, online, and social media. 

The issue for the commercial free-to-air TV industry is the bill only addresses access to free sport for Australians who watch through an aerial, which represents 61% of people. It does not capture people who access TV content through connected TV apps and mobile devices. 

The industry also wants the government to apply the prominence framework to TV sets already in the market. 

Seven West Media managing director and chief executive officer, Jeff Howard, said: “We welcome the government’s plan to keep sports for free on broadcast TV, but it needs to do more: it must recognise the way people watch sport is changing and extend the amendments to the anti-siphoning regime to include free streaming.

“It's very simple: the new Bill only guarantees free sports for Australians who have an aerial. It does not guarantee people will get free sport if they choose to stream it over the internet or don’t have an aerial. No aerial is going to mean no access to free sport in the future.

“Under the current proposed rules, Australians who don’t use an aerial will not have guaranteed access to free sport. The clock is ticking: as people increasingly use the internet to watch sport, they are going to have to pay unless the government acts now.”

Mike Sneesby, chief executive officer of Nine, added: “Australian audiences need to be able to watch sport for free whenever and however they choose to enjoy it. We need the government to deliver the anti-siphoning framework that ensures we can continue to provide this for all Australians.”

Network 10 president and head of streaming and regional lead, Paramount ANZ, Beverley McGarvey, said: “When Australians go to free-to-air TV, they increasingly don’t even think of an aerial as the gateway, they simply access our channels and content whenever they want, wherever they are and on whatever device they choose.

“It’s no different with the big sports events. Australians’ free access to the Australian Formula One Grand Prix or the Matildas and Socceroos shouldn’t be governed by how they choose to access our channels. They don’t think that way and neither should the government when devising the anti-siphoning and prominence laws for all Australians and their TVs.”