Fox Footy officially dead

[camsmith]

No more Fox Footy
Sportal

Foxtel will close the its AFL-only Fox Footy Channel at the end of the season because of the uncertainty over pay-TV rights to televise AFL football from next year through until 2007.

Foxtel has been negotiating unsuccessfully with the Seven and Ten networks for a slice of the AFL TV pie from next year but, after two offers were rebuffed by the free-to-air networks, has decided to close Fox Footy on 30 September, AFL Grand Final Day.

Foxtel has indicated that it will continue to negotiate to televise AFL football in 2007, but any coverage would be part of the new Fox Sports 3 station that launches on 1 October.

Foxtel was part of the Channel Nine consortium that was outbid by Seven and Ten in January 2006 for the new five-year contract from 2007-11. As part of that bid, Fox Footy would have televised four live matches a week.


Cont... http://www.sportal.com.au/football.asp?i=news&id=87238

 

[camsmith]

Sad sad day.

Its hard to know how much of a role foxsports 3 will have and if they will have shows like 'WLF', On The Couch' and 'The Winners' also if there will be many replays during the week.

I can only see this as a backward step in showcasing our great game to all Australians. What next? SEN to close down as well?

-----------------

Some more details -

Broadcasters brawl as Foxtel axes AFL

"Foxtel's decision to axe its AFL channel sparked a public slanging match on Wednesday between the pay TV provider and Channel Seven.

It also meant the structure of the league's record $780 million television rights agreement remains a mystery, with Foxtel and Seven saying the ball was in the other's court at this stage of their ongoing negotiations.

But the AFL stressed the impasse would have no effect on its agreement, indicating it was up to Seven and Ten to work out how the coverage would work.

Under the deal, Seven and Ten can sub-license up to four games per week to a pay TV operator.

The big initial losers were about 50 staff at the Fox Footy channel, whose working futures are now uncertain, and AFL fans, who will lose their 24-hour service.

Seven and Ten have secured the 2007-11 rights and at the moment, they would have to broadcast all eight games per weekend between them.

That would appear a highly unlikely option.

Foxtel said if an agreement was reached with Seven and Ten, the games would be shown on its new Fox Sports 3 service.

"In terms of the implications for the AFL's broadcasting arrangements for the next five-year agreement beginning in 2007, the AFL has an agreement with the Seven and Ten networks that all eight matches will be broadcast next year, and for the life of the agreement, on free to air television," league chief executive Andrew Demetriou said in a statement.

"Our agreement provides for up to four matches per week to be licensed to a pay-tv operator, should Seven and Ten reach an arrangement with any pay-tv carrier.

"However, if no agreement is reached, then our matches will be broadcast on free to air television."

Foxtel blamed Fox Footy's closure on the lack of progress in the negotiations with Seven and Ten, plus the federal government's sports broadcasting laws.

Seven quickly hit back, saying Foxtel was a monopoly that was trying to force any potential competition out of the market.

"This has nothing to do with anti-siphoning legislation and everything to do with the fact that Foxtel is making an initial offer aimed at squeezing any form of competition out of the market for sports rights," the Seven statement said.

A Foxtel spokesperson then said aspects of the Seven statement were "absolutely preposterous".

"The gift is their's to give, it's up to them to do the deal," the Foxtel spokesperson added.

"We've put two offers on the table."

Foxtel chief executive Kim Williams told Channel Ten news: "we won't be played for patsies."

He also told Seven news: "It's not financially viable to continue operating a 24-year-a-day football channel when we can only get three lives games a week and not on the terms we have sought."
Fox Footy was set up under the current television rights deal involving Channels Nine and Ten.

The service will end on the night of this year's AFL grand final."

 

[meltiger]

This is all part of a bigger game ...


Although, if RL doesn't deserve a 24hr channel, neither does Aussie Rules.

& having 5 live FTA games as opposed to 4 can only be a good thing.

 

[lockyno1]

Fair enough realistically. Hopefully the coverage of the games will be shown on Fox Sports 3. I don't see the need to have the 400 replays of the weekend's matches on during the week. The only two shows I care about keeping are the Gospel and Fox League Teams. The others I am not too fussed about.

 

[camsmith]

Hmm.. I guess im the only one here who will miss it.

I just like the idea of a 24 hour channel with great daily news talk back shows and a chance to watch your teams game during the week (without having the hassle of having to tape it) Also for the people in say, the NT or Tassie who wont be able to see their favourite team play live and might miss out on FTA.

Like i said though, i dont know how they'll do it with Fox sports 3, if its like the NRL and they will have replays of the games twice a week and still have a few variety talk shows then i suppose i will live....

I do like the idea of live FTA games..

 

[shear_joy9]

I'm gutted.
I usually work on weekends so I can't watch my team play live, so I'd watch the replays on FF.

Then during the week i'd watch some of the other replays.

My dad also really liked watching "headliners" and past games.

 

[lockyno1]

Hmm.. I guess im the only one here who will miss it.

I just like the idea of a 24 hour channel with great daily news talk back shows and a chance to watch your teams game during the week (without having the hassle of having to tape it) Also for the people in say, the NT or Tassie who wont be able to see their favourite team play live and might miss out on FTA.

Like i said though, i dont know how they'll do it with Fox sports 3, if its like the NRL and they will have replays of the games twice a week and still have a few variety talk shows then i suppose i will live....

I do like the idea of live FTA games..

I may miss it but the reality is that I am happy if they show the games on Fox Sports 3. The only "other" shows I watch on Fox Footy are the Gospel and Fox League Teams. There is a good chane Fox League Teams will be on the Fox Sports 3 anyway. The thing that I won't miss is the 400 replays of every match every week. There is no need for it.

 

[camsmith]

400 replays?

Maybe 3-4 for each team but thats not too much when you think about it, "last time they met" is really good. I enjoyed watching the Richmond vs Essendon Dream Time game yesterday.. do you think they'll do that on foxsports 3? Of course not.

 

[lockyno1]

400 replays?

Maybe 3-4 for each team but thats not too much when you think about it, "last time they met" is really good. I enjoyed watching the Richmond vs Essendon Dream Time game yesterday.. do you think they'll do that on foxsports 3? Of course not.

4 replays every week of every game is just pointless. That is 32 replays, that is (2.5 hrs each match) 80 hours of rubbish. I may enjoy the "odd" replay of a really good game but the reality is, is that replayed games in any sport just don't rate at all. Last time they met is ok, but I can live without knowing how they went the last time. As I said the only show I'll miss is the Gospel, and thats only becuase Spider and Browny are hillarious! Fox League Teams will probally be on Fox Sports 3, so no need to worry about that I think. So all in all, I think with the proviso that Fox League Teams and the games are on Fox Sports 3, it could be a blessing in disguise really. The less saturated the coverage the better, the more the game will rate. Most of the Fox Footy shows just don't rate. Something needed to be done.

 

[CyberKev]

Hmmm.

I think it would be good if shows like WLF, League Teams & Headliners could be kept on next season.

I'm philosophical about the loss of FoxFooty, although I'll be seriously pissed off if an arrangement isn't reached to see the 3 live games per week shown on Fox Sports 3.

 

[CyberKev]

The emails and sms messages of despair were still rolling in to WLF last night.

I was very interested by Clynton Grybas's pointed and cryptic comment late in the piece about an official Foxtel announcement on the 2007 AFL issue being "imminent".

I wouldn't be surprised to hear them announce they've signed a deal for the 3 games sometime today.

Obviously these will be shown on the new FoxSports 3 channel.

Of greater interest, will be the peripheral AFL-related shows on FoxFooty, and which ones (if any) will also be making the shift to FoxSports 3.

 

[Timbo]

Consider what NRL gets now on FS1 and FS2:

NRL Scoreboard-1 hour, Mondays.
NRL on FOX-1 hour, Wednesdays.
NRL Super Saturday Pre-Game:1 hour, Saturday.
NRL Sunday Pre-Game:Half and hour, Sunday.

PLUS 2 replays of all the previous weekend's matches.

With a third Fox channel I'm sure AFL will end up with something similar.