Major athletic events have always been available to Australians to watch for free on TV, but that may be about to change.
Broadcast rules on rights to the AFL and NRL grand finals as well as the Olympics and Commonwealth Games are under the microscope.
The rules are set to expire in April and the government wants to ensure people can continue to watch nationally significant events on free-to-air channels.
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Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said while subscription-based services provided a useful contribution, not all Australians could afford to access the content.
“Every Australian deserves the chance to enjoy live and free coverage of events of national significance, regardless of where they live or what they earn,” she said.
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“The televising of key sports competitions helps to create shared experiences, foster a collective Australian identity, and contributes to grassroots community-based sports participation.”
The government has opened public consultation on the “anti-siphoning” laws, which give free-to-air channels first dibs to buy the television rights to major events.
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The consultation paper covers the scheme’s objective, the acquisition of media rights by streaming services and the regulations involved.
The process forms part of a larger suite of media reforms.
With AAP. (Content has been tweaked for length and style.)
Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
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