AFANA Footy BBS

Just a couple of questions for my AFL friends at there.

Since Fox Sports World changed name to Fox Soccer Channel to become more soccer orientated, I have seen two other channels pop up on my Directv.
Firstly GOLTV which is promoted as the ONLY 100% soccer channel, and STS which is a European sports orientated channel. Both seem to have a slew of soccer. There is also soccer on the ESPN networks, FSN, ABC and the MLS service.
I think it is quite ironic that at the same time FSW went to FSC, along comes two other soccer channels. I hope it bites FSC in the behind and maybe they will see the error in their ways, and go back to being more of a global world sport network. Give me my AFL, cricket, rugby, gaelic football, curling, hurling, triathalons, surf life saving, sheep dog trials etc. ANYTHING but SOCCER. Any chance that they will revert back?
Next question, which really isn't AFL related but does any one know if FSC is showing the Rugby tri-nations. In the past they have shown it live (in the dead of night) and then a replay the next morning. Next match I believe is Australia v South Africa July 30. Does any one know if they are showing it live this year?

Thanks Bill

> Since Fox Sports World changed name to Fox Soccer Channel to become more soccer
> orientated, I have seen two other channels pop up on my Directv.
> Firstly GOLTV which is promoted as the ONLY 100% soccer channel, and STS which is a
> European sports orientated channel.

GolTV has been around for some time just not widely distributed. They've always been pure soccer. Setanta Sports (STS) represents the move of Setanta into the US market in a big way. Up till now they have been in Pay per view only here. Setanta covers a wide range of sports and may eventually be a possible outlet for Australian football.

> I think it is quite ironic that at the same time FSW went to FSC, along comes two
> other soccer channels.

Soccer, like Aussie rules, is a niche market, just a bigger one. It's also a more ethnicly oriented one. Setanta will continue to expand it's programming base I suspect. As for irony, I don't know. I do know about playing "follow the leader".

> I hope it bites FSC in the behind and maybe they will see the
> error in their ways, and go back to being more of a global world sport network. Give
> me my AFL, cricket, rugby, gaelic football, curling, hurling, triathalons, surf life
> saving, sheep dog trials etc. ANYTHING but SOCCER. Any chance that they will revert
> back?

Not likely. FSWLD never was anything but a majority soccer channel and even at it's inception was over half soccer and in recent seasons 75% or more. There's nothing to go back to and nothing you want them to go back to. Trust me on that. It's been said in the TV and Media newsletter and on this board many times: FSC management doesn't like Aussie rules and doesn't want it. So you don't want them for your broadcast partner for the long term.

It was only a couple of seasons ago that AFANA was constantly told by fans to help get it off FSWLD and on a more widely distributed channel that treats the sport better. What's ironic is that anyone wants it to stay there now.

> Next question, which really isn't AFL related but does any one know if FSC is
> showing the Rugby tri-nations. Next match I believe is Australia v South
> Africa July 30. Does any one know if they are showing it live this year?

I know FSWC in Canada is showing it on tape delay. But I don't track rugby coverage (one sport is hard enough!) so your best bet is to go to the Fox web site and download the schedules (pdf files) for the next couple of weeks and that should give you the info you need (no guarantees they won't change the schedule without warning):

http://msn.foxsports.com/story/920998

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

Its weird how American/Canadian television basically went from no Soccer coverage to an enormous amount of soccer coverage in the past 10 years. There's more soccer on television now than any other sport. At any time of day I can find some soccer game on some channel on my television, I can't even say the same thing for baseball, hockey or football around here.

As far as your question about the Tri-Nations, FSC is going to have the same match/week on monday mornings at 1AM. Basically, television is a terrible medium for niche interests in North America like the AFL and Rugby. I'm sick of the "gatekeeper" model that television works on where someone else decides if its worthwhile to have some type of programming available to me. Just on a side note, most of the Rugby games ARE easily available on bittorrents, and there are a few AFL games. I won't mention where in respect of the wishes of AFANA, but if you're inclined I'm sure you'll find them. Personally, they've been a lifesaver for me

> Its weird how American/Canadian television basically went from no Soccer coverage to
> an enormous amount of soccer coverage in the past 10 years. There's more soccer on
> television now than any other sport.

What's interesting to me is how poorly rated most of the coverage is. What keeps it on is that the viewers are loyal and consistent. That's what keeps the coverage of Aussie rules we do have on the air, too. Strongly movitated fans who consistently watch it every week.

> television is a terrible medium for
> niche interests in North America like the AFL and Rugby. I'm sick of the
> "gatekeeper" model that television works on where someone else decides if
> its worthwhile to have some type of programming available to me.

The explosion of internet based distribution ("IPTV") and other models promises to give us some hope the future will be different. What that means for fans and AFANA is less clear. I concur that the current situation means someone else makes the choices before you get your say.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

Thanks for your input Rob. You always have your finger on mthe pulse!
I guess what I am trying to say is that there seems to be an oversaturation of soccer - now some soccer fans would probably disagree. But what I am hoping is that one of these sports networks does figure out that too much competion may make them rethink their decisions to go totally soccer.
And what I would like to see instead, would be some sort of GLOBAL sports channel, which truly highlights some of the world's greatest sports. Now my idea of global sports would likely be different to some one else. In the previous post I noted some of the sports I like to see. If I was the TV executive I would search the globe for various sports, see what is popular in various regions, and try to bring them to the USA.
One idea might be to visit all the English speaking countries, and bring the top 2-3 sports from each country.
Now I know in reality, that would be hard to do. Might be difficult to get sponsors and get viewership. But if the Game Show Network can showcase the Extreme Dodgeball League, then I think there is some hope for non-mainstream sports.
Any how that's my dream!!!
Bill

Just a further rant on FSC which should be called the #$%#ing stupid channel.
Last year we got to watch the tri-nations rugby live (in the dead of night) with a replay a few hours later (breakfast time). Which was awsome coverage. This year I see they have the game showing Tues 2am ET, which is 2 days later. So not only is it not live anymore, but the replay is on at a total useless time. I might stay up to 2am to watch it live, but not a replay!
Same with the AFL - I gladly stay up to watch the GF live in the dead of night. I would even stay up to watch the regular season live if they would show it!
Last year the AFL was usually shown 11:00 pm ET which for us in mountain time was a very watchable 9:00 pm. Now this year it starts at 2:00 am ET, midnight MT.
So the difference between this year and last, is I would watch the AFL last year as it was broadcast, and even watch the commercials. This year I use the VCR and edit out (fast forward) the commercials.
So by the FSC moving AFL into the dead of night, not only do they lose viewers, they also lose viewers like myself willing to sit thru the commercials!
While I am greatful to be able to get any AFL on American TV, I am ready to drop FCS and the sports pack from my Directv account if they are going to keep this crap up.
Bill

> Same with the AFL - I gladly stay up to watch the GF live in the dead of night. I
> would even stay up to watch the regular season live if they would show it!

AFANA, going back to it's inception nearly a decade ago, has pushed for live coverage. Convincing networks there is a market for it or putting together a pay per view package has proven difficult but will eventually happen. The problems with live coverage include that it would air in the wee hours of the morning in eastern North American making it all but unmarketable to many bars and pubs and many home viewers. Another problem with live coverage is the cost. Depending on how you do it, it would cost from US$50,000 to $200,000 per year to produce and thus it would have to generate at least that much to be viable as pay per view. I could set up a PPV deal tomorrow if I had the backing or guaranteed subscribers.

> Last year the AFL was usually shown 11:00 pm ET which for us in mountain time was a
> very watchable 9:00 pm. Now this year it starts at 2:00 am ET, midnight MT.
> So the difference between this year and last, is I would watch the AFL last year as
> it was broadcast, and even watch the commercials. This year I use the VCR and edit
> out (fast forward) the commercials.

All true enough and we'll say essentially the same things to the AFL when the season is over but as long as it is on FSC, it won't likely get better.

> So by the FSC moving AFL into the dead of night, not only do they lose viewers, they
> also lose viewers like myself willing to sit thru the commercials!
> While I am greatful to be able to get any AFL on American TV, I am ready to drop FCS
> and the sports pack from my Directv account if they are going to keep this crap up.

I share your frustration but to repeat, it's on a network that didn't want it; doesn't like the sport; and doesn't care if anyone watches at this point except for someone with a last name beginning with "M". They will feel justified in further mistreating it if we go away as viewers and fans. The advetisers aren't buying time on the AFL coverage, it's a block buy of time with their adverts to air whenever FSC has open slots. So they don't care either. FSC complains about the ratings for footy coverage (not that they tell us what they are...) so they feel we aren't there enough in numbers and about the lack of sponsorship. (Of course, the coverage problems and the fact few know they air it are part of the problem.)

Be assured that as we do every year, we'll tell the AFL what went well this year (new coverage on FSN and consistent US schedules) and what went wrong (see above). The best thing we can do as fans is to continue to support AFANA , let the AFL know about what is wrong with the coverage, and make sure we watch and follow the sport whenever and wherever it is on.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

> FSC complains about the
> ratings for footy coverage (not that they tell us what they are...) so they feel we
> aren't there enough in numbers and about the lack of sponsorship. (Of course, the
> coverage problems and the fact few know they air it are part of the problem.)

What a weird vicious cycle FSC has gotten themselves into. It's weird how they claim that the ratings are low. I mean its hypocritical to argue that the ratings are low when they intentionally show tape delayed coverage at 1AM. How on Earth do they expect to get the average person to just flip by it one day and discover it? Everyone knows that the average person is suspectable to marketing. If they threw it on at a good time and actually put some effort in marketing it the public would bite. The fact that Americans and Canadians actually like Gridiron football is proof that as if you throw something in the public's face enough, make it visible enough, people will buy it regardless of how good or bad the product is

Fox Soccer Channel's responce makes no sense. I mean, if ABC decided all of a sudden that they were going to tape-delay Monday Night Football and show it at 1AM rather than at PrimeTime I'm sure the ratings for that would be bad too. Would that indicate that American's don't like the NFL anymore? No that's silly. If you cannibalize your own product by making it inaccessible, of course the ratings are going to be bad.

> It's weird how they claim
> that the ratings are low. I mean its hypocritical to argue that the ratings are low
> when they intentionally show tape delayed coverage at 1AM. How on Earth do they
> expect to get the average person to just flip by it one day and discover it?

I've never understood that either. I know that other FOX networks and FSC exchange network promos but unless those promos mention Australian football, it doesn't help. As far as I know, the current ones don't but I'm open to correction on that point.

AFANA has spent a fair share of its resources over the past seven years trying to let footy fans know that the coverage is on FSWLD (now FSC). We've done that on our own with only minimal support from Fox, the AFL, or AFL Films. We get some info from AFL Films and have a good but non-financial working relationship with the AFL. FSC doesn't even provide scheduule info to us at this point, we get it from other sources (and we monitor their web site). (FSWC in Canada does provide us with schedule info directly and are quite helpful.)

As for the timing of the programs in the USA, it suffices to say that they have gradually worsened from year one on FSWLD to the present. The number of repeats has dropped to zero. Obviously it's become a self fulfilling prophecy: show it at poorer and poorer time slots with minimal promotion and the ratings get worse. That justifies the next reduction in coverage and time slot.

The one complaint of FSC that is partly justified is the poor promotion and advertising support, something for which the AFL has at least some responsibiiity. It's not our fault, we've tried. Last season, a former advetising exec and ex-pat living in the US tried to find sponsors and asked for Fox cooperation. After a month of getting nowhere, he gave up.

> If they threw it
> on at a good time and actually put some effort in marketing it the public would
> bite.

That's always been AFANA's experience. It also was that of ESPN in the early and mid 1980's.

> The fact that Americans and Canadians actually like Gridiron football is proof
> that as if you throw something in the public's face enough, make it visible enough,
> people will buy it regardless of how good or bad the product is

Not sure I agree there... Gridiron has a 150 yr history here so it has the same cultural advantage that Aussie rules does in Australia.

> I mean, if ABC decided all of a sudden
> that they were going to tape-delay Monday Night Football and show it at 1AM rather
> than at PrimeTime I'm sure the ratings for that would be bad too. Would that
> indicate that American's don't like the NFL anymore? No that's silly.

Agreed. But that's logical and the TV business isn't.

One related note: It's been announced that Lachlan Murdoch is leaving News Corp's management to do other things and returning with his family to Australia. Without him in NYC, it's a fair bet that no one will be there to keep Aussie rules on FSC in 2006.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

> (FSWC in Canada does provide us with
> schedule info directly and are quite helpful.)

> As for the timing of the programs in the USA, it suffices to say that they have
> gradually worsened from year one on FSWLD to the present. The number of repeats has
> dropped to zero.

I get the sense though that Fox Sports World Canada is in theory at least, a lot more supportive of AFL coverage. I mean, they actually do repeat the broadcasts quite a lot. Also, lately they've been running quite a lot of advertisements and promos for AFL on the channel. Basically the ad shows a bunch of highlights with a voice-over "The Lions, The Cats, The Crows. Catch all the action of the AFL. Aussie Rules Football on Fox Sports World Canada". The ad actually airs quite a bit, during the newscast and other Soccer and Rugby games.

> I get the sense though that Fox Sports World Canada is in theory at least, a lot
> more supportive of AFL coverage. I mean, they actually do repeat the broadcasts
> quite a lot. Also, lately they've been running quite a lot of advertisements and
> promos for AFL on the channel.

I think that's largely true. I also believe they also see themselves as something other than a predominately soccer channel, even if that is the majority of their programming.

What I am most sure of is that they are a pleasure to work with, highly professional, and not likely to have "tantrums" if you ask questions or make suggestions.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog