Savemysport.com.au – a disingenuous campaign

Here in Australia the free to air television stations can pick and choose what sports they want to televise based on anti-siphoning legislation.

The original purpose of the anti-siphoning legislation was to ensure audiences continuing access to television events that they had traditionally seen on free-to-air television. At the same time there was an expectation that pay TV would provide complementary or extended coverage of events.

Now however it is under review and the free to air networks have rolled out a campaign using their big commentators who smile sweetly at us and ask “Do you want to pay for sport you’ve always watched for free?”.

Personally I like watching my sports for free, however not in the home shopping timeslots, and not when it is delayed to suit the TV executives. What is the point of legislation that gives the free to air networks first access to 12 sports and 27 events/leagues if they are not going to show it live, or not show it at all as was the case with all the golf majors this year.

Realistically sports fans want to see the sports live, and I can see this overcoming the need to see it for free.

The government should amend the legislation to include “use it or lose it “.

Let’s hope the golf coverage fares better next year.