Skip to main content

After years of frustration, things are about to get a lot better

for viewers of AFL video online beginning July 3rd.   A new service called Aussie Sport TV is coming online and will offer AFL video in flash format (similar to YouTube and other sites).   This will replace the existing video offerings of Telstra's Bigpond service, including for afl.com.au subscribers.   Even better, some of that video will be available here on AFANA.com.   We will have more details on AFANA's part of this very shortly.  Please note:  the service will not be live until July 3rd.   If you are not already a subscriber to afl.com.au you can subscribe to this new service at this link:  Aussie Sport TV.  (Please use this link only as subscriptions through this link generate commissions for AFANA!).  If you already are a subscriber to afl.com.au, you are subscribed to this new service automatically at no additional charge!   Today AFL web site subscribers may have received the following notice:

Dear AFL international subscriber,

This email is to inform you about exciting developments that relate to your AFL international video subscription.

For the remainder of the 2008 season, BigPond has teamed up with global digital sport and entertainment specialist - Perform, to provide a new international AFL video subscription service. The new site is called Aussie Sport TV and will feature a world-class video experience.

Aussie Sport TV will take advantage of the Perform Group's superior video streaming capabilities, providing short buffer times, excellent video and audio synchronisation and low rates of service drop-outs. In addition, subscribers will have the opportunity to sign up to view all of BigPond's Sport properties including: AFL, NRL and V8 Supercars in one cost effective package or just watch AFL videos - the choice is yours!

In order to provide a seamless transition for existing AFL international video subscribers, BigPond will transfer your current subscription and allow you to log on to Aussie Sport TV using your existing AFL.com.au user id and password.

We also want to assure you that Aussie Sport TV is subject to strict privacy and confidentiality provisions to protect your personal information. Aussie Sport TV will also honour your remaining subscription without any additional charge.

Your new Aussie Sport TV subscription service will be available by July 2008, with the actual commencement date confirmed to you in a separate email.

BigPond and the Perform Group are excited about this new opportunity and we look forward to bringing you the best Australian Sports action on Aussie Sport TV.


Kind regards,

David McGrath
Head of BigPond Sport

Article last changed on Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 12:28 PM EDT


Comments

Posted by rstevenson on June 25, 2008

I just contacted Aussie Sport TV about getting their offerings on my iMac. Here's my email to them and their response...

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Stevenson
Sent: 25 June 2008 17:08
To: customer support
Subject: Aussie Sport TV on Mac OS?

Hello,

I am very interested in your ASTV offering, but I see on your FAQ
page only how to set up the various flavours of Windows.

I assume therefore that you do not offer any way to view your content
using Mac OS X. Why not? Please be as specific as possible in your
answer. If it's the digital rights management that is the problem,
please say so. If you think it's a browser or plug-in problem, please
say so. Whatever you think is the problem, I'm sure it can be dealt
with and I'd like to help.

Thank you,

Rob

Rob Stevenson
Dartmouth NS Canada

--- and their reply ---

    From:       customerservices [at) performgroup [ dot } com
    Subject:     RE: Aussie Sport TV on Mac OS?
    Date:     June 25, 2008 1:10:06 PM ADT

Hi Rob

Thank you for comments.

Following the rapid growth of a range of video and stream sharing websites over recent months, a significant volume of content which is provided on an exclusive basis to subscribers was being made freely available on the Internet.  We have to have a solution that will satisfactorily safeguard the content.

This has required us to DRM the content and due to changes made recently we are no longer able to support Apple / Mac products.  Specifically Windows Media Player is longer supported on this platform and likewise IE6.0.

This has been extended to all our sites and services including MatchLive, if you can access the service from a Windows machine supporting the above products, please do so.

This company has always since our inception provided all of our services through and in conjunction with Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player.  We have invested heavily in this technology along with our customers, all of our content is in this format, therefore we continued with this platform when introducing a DRM solution for our clients.

At this time there are no plans to move to a different platform.

Regards

Customer Support

-------------------------------------

I don't think it needs to be stated that any concern they have about protecting content can be dealt with on the Mac OS. The problem is their use of propritary, OS-specific, Windows-centric tools and methods which preclude -- for Microsoft's competetive reasons -- any compatibility with Mac OS. If this company had instead invested their time and money in platform-agnostic software and methods, they'd have all the customers they have now, and a few more besides, and more importantly, they'd be well positioned to take advantage of the future web instead of being left behind in a back eddy of proprietary software.

And if ya wanna know what I really think...! ;-)

Posted by admincms on June 25, 2008

Rob,

Your concerns are valid and it will be very disappointing if again they get it wrong.  However. AFANA has been assured that if you can run flash video the new site will work for you.  If that proves not to be the case, we will be making our views to clear to the people setting this site up.   In the mean time, we will be in touch with the Aussie Sport TV staff and seek clarification.   The new site uses Flash not Windows Media Player so the response you received makes no sense to me.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by rstevenson on June 26, 2008

I got back a little more from them, after reminding them that I use WMP on a regular basis...

--------------------------------

We are aware that it is possible to use Windows Media Player with the Mac operating system. However that version of WMP does not work with content protected by Digital Rights Management software. We use this software to protect the content against unauthorised copying and posting on peer to peer services.
---------------------------

It's probably just the underpaid customer service rep responding to me that isn't up on what the company is planning. Perhaps you could let the upper echelons know that this disinformation is coming from their customer support people.

Rob

Posted by admincms on June 26, 2008

We've received some clarification from the developers PR folks but I am not sure it helps much.  Anyway, here goes:

1.  The service "live date" has now been pushed back to July 3rd.  I've revised the above article accordingly. 

2.  "In terms of the Aussie Sport TV compatibility, all the content is in WMV (Windows Media Video) except on the homepage which is in Flash. We’ll be able to run in IE6,7, Beta 8 and Firefox."

Why they would mix content from two platforms doesn't make sense unless they are only converting the existing AFL content on an ad-hoc basis.  Given the size of the "library" that afl.com.au has that is a distinct possibility.

We will continue a dialog with them to find out the technical details.

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by George.M (not verified) on July 03, 2008

...is that they're now offering the service on a month-by-month basis, rather than just a yearly one. Of course, it remains to be seen what their pricing will be past this opening promotional period - it may wind up being cheaper to just buy the year package instead of the ~7 months that cover the preseason competition and the regular premiership season. As for Mac compatibility - they never have used the DRM built into the Windows Media format. We'll have to see exactly what this system entails, but I suspect they've mainly built a "wrapper" using Flash, &c. around what will still be Windows Media content. At least, that's the impression I get from looking over the technical setup/support page on their site.
Posted by admincms on July 07, 2008

Thanks, George.   I've posted the pricing so that should answer the questions about what is the cheapest option.  For most users, weirdly enough, the monthly option may well be cheaper because of the bizarre pricing but I suspect that won't be the case for long and it will be "fixed".

If they are using a Flash wrapper around WMF then this will be a failure and do little to enhance compatibility for users.  It's also the lazy way out when it would be better to convert the video permanently.   The AFL is obsessed with content protection and that suggests you could prove to be right.  I hope not.

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

What a continued balls up by the AFL. I know we only make up somewhere between 5 - 10% of the PC market, but still - we're growing.

On so many levels the decision not to support macs is idiotic. A few points:

1. Different sport, but MLB.com is mac friendly
2. Setanta Broadband (which I have not used and shows AFL) is mac friendly
3. Does the AFL not know about torrents?
4. There are ways to record DRM protected files using a windows pc, if you are inclined to do the research

I just have to shrug my shoulders..

NYT

Posted by admincms on July 09, 2008

Hi NYT,

I feel your pain and it makes no more sense to me than to anyone else.  That said, did you try the new service?  What happened? First hand reports matter...

Don't hold your breath for torrent support.  The AFL is unlikely to do that anytime soon.  Lots of reasons that would be off topic here.

On a related subject, how does the new web site design here work for you?  What browser are you using?

We'll keep up the work.  We're waiting for the Aussie Sport TV developers to give us some technical info so we can add video here. 

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your response.

I like the new design; it provides exactly the type of service needed, and is a lot cleaner than the prior format. Overall a big thumbs up.

On aussiesports.tv i get the white screen of death, similar to afl.com.au The lack of care for o/s viewers  by the AFL continuously astounds me. it's not just US viewers, friends in Asia have reported decreased viewing on ABC asia.

It's hard to get uninitiated people interested in a game when they can't watch it.

My reference to torrents, was to illegal matches available. Head in the sand stuff by the AFL.

NYT

Posted by admincms on July 09, 2008

You're right.  If fans can't see the sport, it is hard to get them interested.  That is the downside of the current Setanta deal without a doubt.  (This is also why we are working with MHz to get their channel to more fans and it is already paying off in cities where they are available.)

When I asked the firm working with the AFL about Mac support I got the response that they are supporting the majority of the the visitors.  Yes, this is true and I understand that.  Even AFANA has to cover the largest customer groups first.  However, citing stats about your percentage of visitors that use Windows is self fulfilling prophecy.  If you don't support anything else then the customers can only be Windows users.  If you are going to use Flash there is simply no reason you shouldn't support every platform that Flash is on or why would you go through the expense of moving to it?  Thanks for the insight on what happens when you go to the site to view video.  Info like that helps us at AFANA make our case.

Thanks also, for the positive review of the new AFANA site design.  We put a lot of effort into making it flexible and to support multiple o/s, browsers, etc.

I understood your point about torrents.  We know it is there, and content gets posted thru it illegally, and so does the AFL.  If MLB, ESPN, and others can deal with it, so could the AFL and Telstra; but not by sticking to the strategy they have used up to now.   No DRM system is absolutely secure. 

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2008

Despite being advertised and scheduled the Collingwood v Adelaide match isn't on Setanta Broadband - more worrying is the fact that all AFL seems to have disappeared from their lineup. Any info?
Posted by admincms on July 12, 2008

Answer is above.   BTW, note to all readers:  if you want your post to appear immediately you need to login before posting, else it goes into a queue awaiting administrative review.

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by Swans500 on July 12, 2008

My opinion is: AFL/BigPond has got Setanta to drag it...they want us on their new streaming site....back to the cr*p and nothing live.

Setanta is still taking my money...but I got the feeling I have finished with the whole thing after this rort. AFL is finished for me if this has happened.

Dennis James.

Posted by Swans500 on July 12, 2008

....Rob, I feel sorry for you when stuff like this happens. I am a relative newcomer but I can see the effort you have put in over the years, and this kind of total bull#$%@ offends me greatly and offends the efforts you make. A REAL p**s-off.

Dennis James.

Posted by Swans500 on July 12, 2008

....Rob...I know you will probably veto this one...but, AFL/BigPond...before I EVER pay a bloody cent to you now...I WILL get the games by other means, and a bloody sight better quality....seems that's how ya' want it to be.

Posted by admincms on July 12, 2008

Dennis and everyone else:  

I understand your anger and frustration and I share it.  I have to again counsel everyone to take a deep breath and await the facts on this.   If things are as bad as it appears then action may be needed.  However, if I've learned anything in the past 13 years it's that getting the facts matter.  Cancelling subscriptions, going to illegal means of getting matches, etc, won't move this down the track for anyone. 

Way back in 1995-96 when we first started the movement for footy in North America, the most important thing we did was follow the old maxim "to hang together" in the fight.   It bears repeating here.   Unlike those days, we now have direct pipelines to people that matter at the AFL and the networks.  We can, at the least, make our feelings known to them and we will, if it is called for. 

Patience for a day or two and let us gather information.  Then we'll tell everyone exactly what we think we all need to do. 

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by admincms on July 14, 2008

We're beginning to get this sorted.   What we know so far is that Setanta no longer has the rights to relay AFL coverage over Setanta Broadband.  The who, what, where, why, etc. isn't yet clear so no conclusions can be made.   We will post more detailed statements as soon as we have more information so please bear with us.   We are in contact with Setanta and the AFL about all of this. 

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by ovalball on July 14, 2008

I understand the slings and arrows being thrown at Telstra, the AFL and whomever. But, strictly from a business point of view, if you are Telstra and have paid for exclusive broadband rights for the AFL, why on earth would you cede any of them to anyone else? Remember, I’m not talking about what’s good for the game---no one seems to be considering that.

Over a year ago, when I subscribed to ITVN it was specifically for Setanta’s Super 14 coverage. Within one week the “rights” hammer came down and ITVN dropped the feed. Seems Setanta only owned the broadcast rights. The broadband rights were held by MediaZone. Was I pi$$ed??

We are in a time when rights issues are in great flux all over the Internet. Some of us become the innocent victims of that. I didn’t like it then and don’t like it now, but I understand it.

If we are to have any impact at all we need to get behind an organization like AFANA (can you say, “Send $$”?). We then present a united, reasoned voice for questions/requests/complaints. We all obviously share a passion for the greatest game on earth. Together we can make a difference.

BTW, just so you know, it can be done right. MediaZone is the epitome of what a broadband service can and should be. You can watch your footy (rugby) live or the match will be up for viewing within 12 hours. The quality is absolutely fantastic, without fail.

OK. I’ll shut up.

Go Blues!---the rest of you lose!Image removed.

Posted by Swans500 on July 14, 2008

Well....it is clear to me what has occurred and should have been apparent to me the day the AST announced its July start.

And, having checked out what is currently "showing" on their site and going by the reports from AST subscribers on these pages, I will avoid it with vigour. My '06 experiences as a BigPond subscriber is enough for me anyway. They have taken live AFL from all of us who have no choice at this point....not a good USA promo for the game at all, downright disappointing and embarrassing at the same time.

Two months ago, American friends of mine in Texas subscribed to SetBB after I had sent them a few YouTube AFL clips of the game which intrigued them.....

It is all very well to have it on DirecTV and Dish, and a great advance, but I cannot utilise any kind of sat dish at my place of residence.

Of course, if Comcast could bother to add Setanta to their other ten thousand channels (95% of which are useless to me)....then all this would be way less of a factor.

Dennis.

Posted by lberns1 on July 15, 2008

OK.  I caved in.  Sorry folks.  $45.00 isn't going to break me (not until my wife finds out at least Image removed.  )  The reality is I will miss more games on Setanta because of the broadcast times.  So I will keep Setanta for my Rugby, and GAA fix, and go with Aussie Sport TV for AFL.

On the plus side, I subscribed using the AFANA link, so you guys should get a kick back.

<offtopic> the CAPTCHA codes on this site are like taking an I.Q. test.   I feel like a moron after ten tries getting it right.  Image removed.</offtopic>

Posted by ovalball on July 15, 2008

Now I know there is at least one other subscriber to ASTV!Image removed. We can b*tch--or praise together!

Things seem to be smoothing out and I think the service is well worth the price. The feed is only 318 kbps, but is absolutely reliable. I expect the kbps and the full match upload timing to improve. Even Setanta only archives at 300.

As for CAPTCHA, you are not alone. Personally, my favorites are the math ones. I generally have enough fingers and toes to work them out.

Hey, Rob, are you aware that sometimes the image goes outside the CAPTCHA box and then hides behind the Google ads? It is cool trying to be psychic!Image removed.--but I haven't gotten one of them right, yet.

Posted by HelenO on July 15, 2008

Any particular reason you expect the , or is it simple optimism?

I enjoyed Setanta's 600kbps streams and didn't like the clarity (or lack thereof) of their 300kbps streams.  Can you give me some idea of the clarity of the 318kbps feeds on ASTV, relative to the Setanta options, since I know that different video codecs have different results and different bandwidth requirements?

Thanks.

Posted by lberns1 on July 15, 2008

There's no doubt the Setanta's live streams are superior.  But even they don't offer archived material greater than 300 kps.  This is most likely due to storage costs more than anything else.  So for now, that's what we have.  It will change in the future.  It's the nature of the technology.

Overall, I can't complain.  I just watched one of the games in my garage on my laptop at full screen.  No skips, blips or otherwise (and this is over my wireless).  So for $45.00, I think it is worth it.  I like the ability to watch stuff at my leisure.  Sure, I like real time content, but time shifted  media is a great modern convenience.

Posted by lberns1 on July 15, 2008

My neighbors call it the 'man cave'.  I have cable T.V. with everything (laptop too) piped through a stereo with four large speakers mounted in the corners.  And then there is the fridge loaded with beer NEXT to the chair.  Oh, it is quite comfortable  Image removed.  (I'll post some pics)

I do watch in my house too (when necessary)

Posted by ovalball on July 15, 2008

Caught!Image removed. I am a cynical optimist. Or is it an optimistic cynic?

My experience with broadband providers (I've used 4) has been that  over time they boost their kbps to satisfy customer demand. I'm simply expecting the same from ASTV, but have no basis for that or expected time frame. If I remember correctly the old service came through at 378 or there abouts.

When ASTV first loads it shows "Low" "Medium" and "High" choices, but so far I have not been able to access them. Again, I think they are working things out on the fly. Not the best procedure, but it seems typical in the industry.

ASTV's 318 is definiteley better than Setanta's 300. There is some fuzziness on long shots, but the close up action is more than acceptable. I guess it's a question of how bad you need your footy. At the price, I feel I'm getting fair value.

Posted by ovalball on July 16, 2008

Thanks for the tip. Since I always use Firefox I forget to check that "other" browser.

Posted by ovalball on July 16, 2008

Well, thanks to "lbern1" I checked out the feed on IE and it is much better. I would estimate it to be in the 400-500 range. Very good.Image removed.

My only problem is that when I use IE to view, my mouse pointer disappears after I go full screen. No amount of movement or clicking brings it back. I have to Alt/Ctrl/Del to get out.

Anyone have any ideas on that one? I have updated everything and tried various WMP settings, but nothing seems to matter.Image removed.

Posted by ovalball on July 16, 2008

On the pointer thing, I should add that the screen controls at the bottom do not show up, either.

Posted by lberns1 on July 16, 2008

Hit esc.  That should take you back to the normal screen.  You can also control the volume in full screen mode with the mouse wheel.  Clicking on the left button will pause the screen.  Hitting the space bar will resume

Posted by ovalball on July 16, 2008

That works. Have a beer on me.Image removed.

That problem just popped up a couple of weeks ago--only with IE, not Firefox. Any particular reason you're aware of?

Oh, BTW--I live on the coast. We hardly ever see 90. Enjoy your tropical vacation!

Posted by ovalball on July 19, 2008

Well, without getting the cart too far before the horse, it appears ASTV has improved its full match upload times.

Watched the Kangaroos/Magpies match earlier this AM. We'll see how well they do with the rest of the weekend's games. Last week I don't think any full match was up before the following Tuesday.

Using IE the quality on the "High" setting is excellent, so if they get the upload speed improved they will have a great product.

Posted by ovalball on July 20, 2008

Richmond/Essendon & Cats/Bulldogs up yesterday afternoon. Final five matches up this PM. All great quality. Image removed.

If that keeps up I've got no problems with ASTV. I realize there may be some lingering issues to be resolved, but this is an exponential improvement over the old service.

Barring some kind of relapse I have nothing else to say---on this subject------for now.Image removed.

Go Blues!

Posted by admincms on July 15, 2008

I wasn't aware but it is likely a problem due to our new "theme".   Please contact me off the board as I will need some info about your setup and perhaps a screen grab so I can have our consultant fix it.

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by admincms on July 15, 2008

Perhaps some suggestions on the CAPTCHAs might help. 

Without giving away our "secrets" we use a series of different types of CAPTCHAs which are selected at random and will change from one time to the next.  If you get one that you just can't figure out the best thing to do is to cut and paste what you have written to a file or program on your PC to save it.  Then back out of the comment you were writing completely.  In other words, go back to the home page, logout, and log back in.  Then go back and start over.  (Believe me this is the least hassle method).  You can then paste back in your message and you should get a different type of CAPTCHA and that may let you move forward much easier.

We recently changed the fonts and format of the "letters on an image" classic CAPTCHA to make it easier to read for those of us with less than perfect eyesight.  :-) 

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by admincms on July 14, 2008

After a blizzard of e-mails between AFANA, Setanta, and the AFL we have pieced together the situation:

  1. The schedules from Setanta listed the matches last weekend as on Broadband thru the updates we received on 7 July.   They did not list it as of 9 July.   I missed the change as it wasn't something I ordinarily check and had no reason to suspect it would have changed.  Also, the matches were not coded by Setanta as "changed" by placing the text in italics as they ordinarily do.
  2. The AFL has stated that:  "Aussie Sport TV is the only party allowed to stream AFL matches outside Australia. Setanta were never given the rights to stream matches over the internet. Setanta realised they were in breach and of course have discontinued the streams."
  3. Setanta has told AFANA that:  "It seems we do not have the BB rights for the AFL any more only broadcast rights."
  4. and from another person: "We are not allowed to simulcast the Aussie Rules and have had to amend the plans accordingly. At the start of the season the decision was made to simulcast while negotiations were ongonin [sic] but we didn’t receive the permissions sought."

So, we can draw any number of conclusions from this, some of them contradictory.  Here are AFANA's: 

  1. We can't determine whether the end of the AFL on Setanta Broadband was or was not due to the launch of Aussie Sport TV and there is no hard evidence of that one way or another. 
  2. We can't determine whether Setanta distributed the AFL coverage over the Setanta BB channel without permission or whether they had temporary authority and the AFL withdrew that sometime recently. 
  3. What we do know is that Setanta should have alerted fans and AFANA prior to the end of coverage. 
  4. We also know that if Setanta did carry the AFL on Broadband without permission the AFL should have known that back at the start of the season given that it is clearly listed on the Setanta web site, and was in both articles and banner adverts on this site. 

AFANA for it's part, did not knowingly mislead fans at any time.  We will ask Setanta to update it's banner adverts on this site.  We encourage fans to cancel their Broadband service or seek refunds from Setanta if they feel they paid for service not received.  We will continue to work with Aussie Sport TV since we cannot establish any factual basis to change or end that relationship.  We will update our TV pages to reflect that Setanta no longer carries AFL on Broadband.

Personally, in my 13 years of pushing for AFL coverage in the US and Canada we have had many setbacks, many much worse than this.  However angry or frustrated fans feel at this moment, I think we must see the big picture.  We only gain by working together and acting was one when it comes to getting our footy each year and AFANA needs your on-going support.   The TV and Internet business in the USA is a competitive one and not played by the same rules as other businesses.  Setanta has, on the whole, been the best partner we have had in those 13 years.  We will continue to work with them but be more cautious from this point forward. 

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by admincms on July 12, 2008

We had an earlier inquiry from someone who noticed that Setanta's online schedule seemed off.  At this stage, we have inquired with Setanta because we have conflicting information:

This schedule shows the AFL on Setanta Broadband:  (Ed. note:  Setanta no longer on broadband so broken links removed.)

This one does not:

The direct info we get from Setanta seems to show it as not on BB after we checked it closely.   However, the info from the Setanta management implies it should be unless the company which does their internet feed has made a mistake. 

Bottom line:  confusion.   So we are continuing to make inquiries to get this clarified. 

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by lberns1 on July 12, 2008

Thanks Rob.  I did send a note to the folks at AST (for what it's worth):

Greetings,

I'm a Setanta Broadband subscriber  One of the reasons I subscribed was they offered live AFL games.  I was disappointed that archived games weren't available.  I'm not always going to be up at 12:00 - 5:30 AM ET to catch them.  When I saw Aussie Sport TV had revamped it's service, I was ready to whip out my wallet and subscribe to it.

So last night, I logged into Setanta to check out the Collingwood v Adelaide game, and guess what?  It was no longer being offered via broadband.  In fact, none of the AFL games are listed anymore.  I have a sneaking suspicion as to why all AFL games have disappeared from the Setanta BB line-up (read Big Pond). 

As a result, I'm no longer interested in subscribing to your service.  I choose to not do  business with an outfit that lacks foresight.  AFL could make it in the U.S.  Poor business decisions directed by greed will kill it.

Keeping AFL on Setanta is what I call "the crack dealer" way of of doing business.  I was hooked through them, and would have laid out the bucks to you for more.

Join the 21st Century fellas.  Give Setanta the broadband broadcast rights, and I'll do business with you.

-----------

I will lay into Setanta as well.  Why should I pay the same rate as satellite subscribers when I'm getting less content?  I know it really isn't their fault, but they should at least make an effort to correct it on the financial side.


dean

Posted by Swans500 on July 12, 2008

Iberns1....GREAT letter, and I echo it a thousand times...this is a disgrace. Neither Setanta OR AFL/BigPond.com etc etc etc will receive my bucks this year. What a disgusting "sellout" by whoever created this situation....but my bet is...it was not Setanta. I smelled a rat 36 hours ago and my worst fears have been substantiated. I am ashamed at the tactics used by my home country...and REMEMBER.....BigPond is Telstra...Govt operated! And as for the AFL....weak kneed admin, devoid of the slightest foresight, other than morphing the GREAT GAME into just another soccer variable.....OH....and...get the last dollar outa the  farthest-flung plebs on the face of the earth. SHAME SHAME SHAME and GO BBB, put the game back where it belongs.

And ..hey Setanta...a little "heads up" would have been appreciated. Simply "wimped out" and disappeared, ....unreal. Luck of the Irish, I guess....

Dennis.

Posted by admincms on July 12, 2008

At this point, it is entirely speculation as to what has taken place.  We have no facts, other than that the netcast last night did not occur, on this matter.  AFANA has taken the issue to Setanta upper management and been told that the lack of the feed last night would be a "mistake".  No one from their scheduling department or our usual contacts at Setanta have replied to our queries.  The rocky start of Aussie Sport TV isn't helpful in clarifying this. 

If the case is, as speculated, then we have cause for concern.  It will result in AFANA reconsidering the nature / level of our involvement with Aussie Sport TV.  We'll also want to know who made the decision to deny Setanta the right to broadcast their TV feed over the Broadband outlet (given that Setanta has never indicated to AFANA their own intent to drop it).  More info is needed.

Until we have more facts though, restraint is in order.  

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and Site Admin

Posted by lberns1 on July 12, 2008

Sorry Bob,

It is just the cynic in me.  With the whole Viacom/Youtube fiasco and all, I really have no faith in big media looking out for the consumer.  But I will exercise restraint going forward.  Thanks for looking into this.

dean

Recent content

Partners

Worldfootynews.com

Our Favorite Footy Podcasts

A Yank on the Footy

 

Donnie's Disposal

 

Americans Watching the Footy

Shorten URLs

*

 

We Recommend:

ENJOY 40% OFF SITEWIDE!

  • The future of vitamins is here! Say goodbye to generic multivitamins cluttering your table top. 
  • With Vitable, you get personalized daily vitamin packs tailored to your unique diet, lifestyle and health needs.
  • All you need to do is complete a simple online quiz and unlock your expert recommendation. 
  • Join the 400,000+ people embracing the Vitable way with 40% OFF your first order
  • Use the promo code AFANA40 at checkout.