New laws are being proposed to prevent iconic Australian sporting events from slipping behind online paywalls.
Key points:
- The anti-siphoning scheme prevents subscription television from gaining rights to broadcast an event before free-to-air television has the opportunity to acquire those rights
- The scheme currently does not incorporate online streaming services
- Sports included on the list include the AFL, the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Open,Test cricket, the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
The federal government wants to modernise Australia’s anti-siphoning scheme, which prevents subscription television from gaining rights to broadcast an event before free-to-air television has had the opportunity to acquire those rights first.
But the scheme currently does not incorporate online streaming services, and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said it needs updating or Australians may miss out on sports coverage they normally watch for free.
“Modernising the anti-siphoning scheme will mean the iconic sporting events and moments that bring us together as a nation won’t slip behind the online paywalls of international streaming services,” Minister Rowland said.
“These reforms have been informed by extensive consultation with industry and the community.”
Sports included on the anti-siphoning list include the AFL, the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Open and Test cricket, as well as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
The minister can choose to add or remove events from the anti-siphoning list at any time, but legislation is required to expand the rules to include streaming services.
The Matildas’ future FIFA Women’s World Cup matches were added to the list earlier this year, shortly before the bids for Australian media rights to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup closed.
The government is also proposing to further update the sports covered by the scheme, to include a greater focus on women’s and para-sports.
In a statement, a Foxtel Group spokesperson said the scheme “adversely affects” platforms like theirs.
“The regime is already anti-competitive and clearly favours free-to-air broadcasters above Australians and above the needs of sporting bodies whose ability to invest in grassroots will be limited,” the spokesperson said.
Legislation to give Australian free-to-air services and their streaming apps prominence on television menus is also being introduced into federal parliament this week.
The proposal is aimed at tackling the practice of some manufacturers pre-installing subscription apps on TVs, which some argue pushes audiences to paid services.
Minister Rowland said the new prominence framework would reduce the risk of free-to-air broadcasting services being crowded out by the larger, international services operating in the Australian market.
“Our existing analogue laws haven’t been updated to reflect the digital age,” she said.
“The rise of global streaming services means Australians could miss out on the free content and services they have enjoyed for generations, with free local services becoming harder to find on connected devices.”