Well technically they don’t
They have all games with their broadcast except the GF. Why would they give that up to get GF since then it won’t be all games anymore. It’s a worse deal for them
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Especially since they won’t be able to broadcast two of the biggest games of the week (Thursday and Friday night)
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Oh well, if Fox want the most watched game and the stratospheric (probably all-time record for them) numbers and bigger advertiser opportunities that come with that… Then there’s a price they’ll have to pay.
It should be noted, the biggest games are given to Seven to host (whether that’s a Seven request or an AFL decision out of tradition or audience safe guarding), so it’s not like those 3 games are produced by Fox Sports, until 2025 had to take Seven’s callers and graphics anyway. So the loss of those 1-3 (as let’s be honest Thursdays have always been minimal and Saturdays not guaranteed to be big) I don’t think should make Foxtel bosses squirm.
That’s why I suggested such a scenario to get the GF.
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I don’t see it as an outrageous request. If AFL (or NRL) is going to sell pay TV rights to a company and that company sells the package to consumers, the viewer should be able to expect to get the whole season including the GF available without ads and in 4K if desired. It’s in the best interests of the consumers of football - they are the ones who are overwhelming complaining every GF - keep your consumers happy and offer them the best premium product you can.
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Or, they could try and negotiate a solution in where they take the Seven feed without ads,
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The reason why people get Kayo or watch Fox is because they can watch 99% games with no ads and the GF is free anyways. If Fox doesn’t have all those games anymore then it’s not appealing to people as they can just stick to watching the free exclusive 7 matches even with ads.
It would be a greater loss for Fox by letting 7 get exclusivity for the matches they produce
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If Fox wants to get the GF then they would have to pay even more so 7 can pay less. That way the total broadcast money still satisfies the AFL. It would have to be a greater increase (so 7 can pay less) which incentivise 7 to give them simulcast rights.
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I agree that Foxtel would have to pay more, but it seems like currently an nonnegotiable option.
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I might be in a minority, but I still like watching the FTA product and dip in/out of Kayo strategically for Essendon games based on the pre fixture when a number are exclusive to Foxtel
Yep and I feel this is why (Kayo) Seven were going all in on 7Plus, the streaming GF numbers will be very interesting, especially from northern markets.
Foxtel also managed to lose Brownlow simulcast rights, back to Seven exclusive (like the GF) since the 2017 deal, another consistently high rating event, especially Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth and has in the past matched or outrated some finals respectively.
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The NRL rights would be interesting since AFL isn’t for another 7yrs and who knows which tv networks will be present.
I guess if 9/stan gets NRL then they would have FTA & ad free on Stan, same with 10/paramount. That would say that it is possible for paid streaming to get simulcast grand final rights
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At the end of the day, Foxtel and Kayo have no entitlement to broadcast the Grand Final live based on the deal they agreed to.
I’m sure they would love to broadcast it but it’s up to them to make a suitable offer to Seven (who have paid the big dollars to the AFL for these rights) should they want to simulcast it.
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During the week there was some commentary on SEN, I believe, about how much people would pay if 7 had an option to watch without ads. I think a lot would be $50 to watch without ads.
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Are you serious? $50?? Nothing happens during the ads. There’s no game play. That’s just outrageous. Why would you pay that?
That’s $15 more than the monthly cost of Kayo!
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Do you mean $50 for the Grand Final?
So no ratings results yet?
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Nope - nothing here or on TV Tonight
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Yes - posting now
Nation audience just over 4 million.
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That’s not the point for me. I hate ads! That’s why I record all FTA on Fetch.
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Part of the issue with Seven’s ads is that on 7Plus, every now and then they insert separate ad breaks to the terrestrial coverage.
The issue was is that when both of the feeds finished one ad, then terrestrial feed would go back to the match, while the 7Plus feed would go to another ad for about 20 seconds. By the time it comes back, viewers would miss the goal replay, and part of the game.