Socceroos FTA - Socceroos to be put on anti siphoning list

[nero]

That is good news if true, about the socceroos. I hope the delay is only an hour like the Rugby league.

How I hate Commercial stations. 9 will only go with it, if the socceroos beat china and get into the next round. 9 will beat 7 in ratings with the socceroos.

I put my hand up to Fox for giving soccer the start it needed.

 

[soccersensei]

by the time this comes on the list in 2013 free to air will almost be defunct and irrelevant

LOL, you are right of course...    :ashamed:

 

[midfielder]

Article from the terror today.

Looks like lots of smoke and mirrors.............maybe dreaming.............but smoke and fire stuff............just hope this does not mean before 2016 no FTA Socceroos.

Then I remember Foxs almost destroyed RL. But you never know

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23502202-5006068,00.html

World Cup qualifiers to be shown on free-to-air TVArticle from:

By David Davutovic

April 08, 2008 12:00am

SOCCEROOS World Cup qualifying matches will return to free-to-air television after the Rudd Government vowed to add them to the anti-siphoning list.

But the move will not come into effect until 2014, after Communications Minister Stephen Conroy accepted Football Federation Australia's pleas that to do so now would cost them millions of dollars in penalties over their existing deal.

FFA signed a seven-year contract in 2006 worth $120 million which ensured all Socceroos home qualifying matches - plus the A-League - would be exclusive on Fox Sports.

Conroy investigated implementing the laws before 2014, but understood the significance of the Fox deal, which would be jeopardised if qualifiers were added to the list now.

"We will be placing the Socceroos matches on the anti-siphoning list in the near future, however, there is a significant financial penalty for FFA if this overlaps with the terms of its contract with Fox Sports," Conroy said yesterday.

"The listing will only come into effect at the end of the existing contract. Socceroos World Cup qualifiers are of national importance to Australians. Like the Wallabies, Kangaroos, Ashes cricket Tests and Australian Open tennis, these matches should be available to all Australians.

"These matches are of national importance and should be protected by the anti-siphoning list."

The Fox deal helped secure the game's short-term future when it was signed on the eve of the 2006 World Cup. The rights for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups have already been sold to SBS directly by FIFA.

Premier Media Group chief operating officer John Marquard claimed FFA was not in favour of the switch and said the listing was premature as it would not come into effect until the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, which are likely to begin in 2016.

"We've said that's such a long time away it doesn't make any sense," Marquard said.

"We made a long-term investment in football, but (2016) is a lifetime away and the digital media landscape will have changed so much by then - that's possibly an appropriate time to review a whole range of things.

"Certainly the FFA is not in favour of it as it impedes their ability to achieve the value for the sport that they want.

"All the list does is to assist one part of the sector which is the free-to-air networks, at the expense of the consumers, the sport itself and subscription television."

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley confirmed the governing body had held talks with the Government.

"We have informed Senator Conroy of the impact on the agreement with Premier Media Group of adding Socceroos World Cup qualifying matches to the anti-siphoning list," Buckley said.