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Free TV Australia has hit out at what it has labelled calls from pay TV to undermine anti-siphoning rules ensuring all Australians are able to view major sporting events for free.Free TV chairman Harold Mitchell stated that it was “a case of here we go again as pay TV attempts to force Australians to pay for sports they currently see for free”.
“Millions of Australian sports fans are able to see a range of major sporting events because of the anti-siphoning rules,” Mitchell commented.
“Any move to force them to pay to watch sports they currently see for free, risks a strong voter backlash.”
According to a recent Fairfax Media report, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is considering allowing Foxtel more access to sports rights, with the Department of Communications having advised Fifield to make minor changes to the anti-siphoning list.
Fairfax reported that the department has recommended removing some outlier events from the list of 1,300 sports events, such as the FA Cup final, as part of changes Fifield intends introducing to Parliament in the first half the year, focused on loosening media ownership restrictions.
“The anti-siphoning list consists of 10 sports, plus the Olympic and Commonwealth Games,” Mitchell commented. “It is misleading to talk about the list containing 1,300 events.
“Free TV broadcasters show everything we acquire and you only have to look at television over summer to see there is more sport live and free than ever before.”
Free TV Australia cites figures showing audiences for sport on free TV in 2015 were up 11.7 per cent in metro and 6.3 per cent in regional areas year-on-year, with research conducted by Crosby|Textor last year finding that 88 per cent of respondents believe sporting events should be available to all Australians for free.
The research additionally found that 76 per cent of respondents disagreed with the statement that “no one would care if major Australian sports are only shown on pay TV”.
“It’s clear that the Australian public do not want to be forced to pay to watch their favourite sports on television,” Mitchell commented. “And Free TV will continue to defend the rights of viewers to watch their favourite sport for free.”
