Richard Freudenstein, chief executive of Australian pay-television operator Foxtel, has called on the country’s government to alter the current anti-siphoning regulations, which reserve certain sporting events of national interest for free-to-air television.
Freudenstein said that the rules currently provide free-to-air broadcasters with an unfair advantage when bidding for the rights to major sporting events.
Events currently included on Australia’s anti-siphoning list include the Olympic Games, tennis grand slam the Australian Open, some NRL rugby league and AFL Australian rules games and Australia’s home cricket Test matches.
“If there was a simpler, fairer anti-siphoning system there would be more money available for sport and that would find its way to encouraging the next generation of players,” Freudenstein said, according to the Sky News website.
Freudenstein admitted that it would be “politically difficult” to abolish the rules entirely, but believes the number of events on the anti-siphoning list should be reduced.
He added that the government should also consider establishing a ‘split system’ where free-to-air rights and pay-television rights are separated.