Australia’s Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned media platforms that no changes will be made to television sports rights restrictions without a consensus between free-to-air and pay television operators.
According to a letter obtained by the Fairfax Media news agency, Turnbull has stressed he will certainly not change the politically sensitive anti-siphoning list of sports events guaranteed to free-to-air television without agreement between rival parties.
Fairfax said the letter reveals Turnbull will consider several changes including shortening the list, allowing free-to-air channels to show more sport on multi-channels and partially de-listing the weekly rounds of the premierships of rugby league’s NRL and Australian rules football's AFL.
The letter also states that a “dual rights” arrangement could be introduced that would allow pay-television operator Foxtel to buy non-exclusive rights to anti-siphoning events, along with not applying the scheme to new media providers.
However, Turnbull said: “I stress that the extent to which reforms are achievable will depend on the degree to which consensus can be achieved in the industry.”
Australia’s anti-siphoning laws ensure that key sporting events are broadcast by free-to-air networks. There are about 1,300 events on the anti-siphoning list.