Participant Observations 14/12/2020 - The 2021 AFL Floating Fixture

This is concerning.

After locking in the fixture for the first six rounds next year, the AFL is introducing a floating fixture for weeks 7-23

This concerns me for several reasons. Firstly, as a member from a regional area, a floating fixture is going to make it difficult to plan when I can go to games. My weekends in the winter are made up with Masters games of football, and this will make commitments with them compromised as well.

Secondly, the cynic in me says that while the AFL may appear to be doing this for COVID reasons, they are in fact making the fixture more broadcaster friendly, and less about the fans.

Broadcasters are not locked into the fixture from round 7 onwards, and can lobby the AFL for what Friday and Saturday night games they want. This puts less equity in the free-to-air coverage for teams. Great for the broadcasters, but what about the fans.

I remember working at Fox Sports when the NRL had a floating fixture. the NRL executives at that time would obviously make their decisions based on the highest rating match-ups, with no consideration at all for the fan interests.

For me, this is another indicator the AFL is acquiescing to the broadcasters when it comes to the fixture, which serves their bottom line more than the fans attending the games, or even watching on television, especially those of the under represented clubs.

I appreciate that the AFL may need to create value for the broadcaster in the fixture over the next few years to compensate for a loss of revenues during COVID, but once this decision has been made, I think it's very unlikely it will ever go back to the way it was.

With a full fixture locked in for the season, I could plan a weekend to Melbourne months in advance, when I knew there might be three or four games on there in a particular weekend.

Can't help but feel this decision is not made in the fans interest.

Participant Observations 14/12/20 - Chromecast Ultra

 So after battling with my 1st generation chromecast and trying to get it to work with Kayo, over the weekend I decided to bite the bullet and buy a better version that is supported by Kayo.

The Chromecast Ultra was $79 and supports 4K and HDR streaming.

I have to say, first impressions are pretty good. It installed easily and on the first go. It has not experienced any noticeable lag or pixilation, and it streams Kayo seamlessly.

I bought the Ultra instead of the 3rd Gen model ($50), because I wanted the 4K and HDR capabilities,  but on reflection, I'm unlikely to stream anything in this format. Most of the content I watch in that format comes through the Netflix and YouTube apps installed on my smart TV, so possibly should've gone with the cheaper option, but my last chromecast lasted for over 4 years, so if I can get the same amount of time out of this one, I will have no reason to complain.

I plan on giving my old chromecast to mum for Xmas.

I've already noticed that I'm watching less FTA because of the Chromecast dongle. Basically, Kayo now is the go-to option a lot more often, It loads faster than the old chromecast, and it's pretty easy to switch channels via the iPad tablet that I stream from.

My iPad will also become the media center in the living room now. There is less need for me to stream any content through the gaming PC anymore, except maybe Twitch, but I'd be surprised if there's not an app for that that I can't install on the iPad as well.

Side note: I also purchased a new HDMI cable for the gaming PC-Smart TV connection, after the old one was dropping out all the time. The new cable works perfectly. 

All set for Summer now (Hopefully!!)

Participant Observations 8/12/20 - Kayo subscription renewed

 On Friday night, I renewed my subscription with Kayo streaming service, and there were a few things to take away from the decision behind it, and the performance of the service since I last had it.

Firstly, having exclusive ownership over rights works! I wanted to watch the T20 between Australian and India on Friday night, and the only way to (legally) watch the game was via Kayo, as there is no free-to-air coverage of the T20 or ODIs, thanks Cricket Australia's last rights agreement. So I signed up, and now have it back on.

Secondly, the performance of the app still has not improved much since I last had it. Chromecasting from the app on my iPad is ok for about 5-10 minutes, before becoming almost unwatchable. The signal is more stable when I watch it throguh the gaming PC, which is connected to the big TV, but when the signal fails, the whole stream collapses, requiring a refresh of the stream.

All my other apps stream fine from the iPad - Netflix, Amazon, and all the FTA apps, even when they are 'live' streams from the FTA channels.

Perhaps the Kayo app is still trying to deliver the picture in a higher resolution than those other linear apps, or perhaps the app is just rubbish.

Another alternative reason for the poor performance may be the fact that I am using an older Chromecast dongle, and I think a friends newer version ran much smoother with the newer version. Actually, that's exactly what they say on the Kayo Help page:

For the optimal streaming experience, Kayo recommends Chromecast Ultra models or later (including Chromecast with Google and Chromecast 3rd Generation) and similar capability Android TVs.

Note: Chromecast 1st Generation is no longer supported by Kayo. 

Anyways, it's good to have it back, and I will almost definitely get it back for next AFL season. However, I may drop it for a few months over the summer, as I probably won't need it after the T20 series is over, as most of the other games are Tests, which means they will be on FTA.

They do have a lot of good docos and other similar content that could come in handy over the summer, however!!

Participant Observations 8/12/20 - Swans new marketing video

 A few weeks ago, the Sydney Swans unveiled their new marketing video for 2021:

Our Club was born from hard work, grit and a relentless drive for success.

Today the next chapter begins.

Everyone who is proud to call themselves part of the Bloods has reason to be excited about the future. pic.twitter.com/rLGccVpTS2

— Sydney Swans (@sydneyswans) November 18, 2020

Firstly, I like the video. It's well made, and I don't think it's too naff.

I also like how the Swans are trying to change the narrative about themselves. I think there is a perception that the Swans fans, and to a lesser degree the players and the club, are seen as being the theatre-going, champagne set, who don't know anything about the history of the club, and are only interested in following the fortunes of the team as long as they are winning.

I also find it uncanny how the Swans, in attempting to shift the narrative in this direction, are a lot more closely aligned with my own value system, and what I choose to see in the club, which can then be reflected back onto myself through my fandom.

It's very close to what I discussed about Sandvoss's look at fandom, and my own experiement where I attempted to identify the value system I wanted relfected back to me through my own fandom of the Swans. What I found was that I identify with particular types of paleyers, specifically those players:

“such as Jarred McVeigh, Brett Kirk, and especially Paul Kelly. I would categorise these players as tough, gritty, hard workers who are humble and do not seek admiration. This is what I like to try and think about myself. And when the Swans have been most successful, this is what they have been known for – unrelenting tackle pressure, team before individual, no 'dickheads' policy.”

Amazing! The Swans have tried to build a narrative in this direction - well, that's the reading I get from the video anyway.

Participant Observations 2/11/20 - The Impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 AFL Season

 The AFL Season finished about two weeks ago, and since then I've had time to reflect on how the season unfolded in the context on COVID-19, and the impact it had on my consumption of the game:

I really missed the sport for the 10-12 weeks of lockdown. During this time, I survived on video games, binge watching Netflix series, writing the PhD, and weekly kicks of footy with a mate. The AFL tried to fill this void with replays of old games online, but I can't remember watching a single one of these.

I continued to pay my Sydney Swans membership, even though I couldn't see my team play. It's only $20-odd each month, so not an exorbitant amount, and I wanted to help my team through the crisis.

Probably a highlight during the lockdown was the simultaneous co-watching of the 1989 Grand Final with Benny Douglas. The game is on YouTube, and we started watching at the same time, while also communicating via Facebook video messaging. It was awesome.

When the footy did return, and I may have mentioned this previously, but I did not like the shortened quarters. Completely understandable why they did it, and I think we may go back to 18-minutes next year and not the full 20, but 16 is way too short. If a team has a strong quarter, it can be difficult to make that ground back.

Obviously low crowds wasn't great, but the production innovations that were introduced were great, such as the fake crowd noise, and hub remote production.

The AFL being played in Brisbane was the only reasonable outcome, given the hard border in place in WA, and how much support the Queensland government had given to the AFL during the season. Unfortunately the grand final was wet, so it wasn't a great spectacle, but I'm also not a fan of the night grand final. The day seemed to drag on, and it was hard to know when to start getting excited.

Unfortunately with restrictions on public gatherings in place, we could only book a table of 10 for the game at the pub. It worked out ok though, because we had a good group of people there and it was a great night. There was even a couple of Swans at the pub we were in - Sam Reid and Luke Parker. Didn't chat to them though...

In an effort to get the season in, the AFL compressed the fixture, with some teams playing multiple games in a short period of time. this created games on every night of the week effectively, which was awesome, although the free-to-air coverage was still mostly limited to Thursday to Monday nights, with the mid-week games broadcast on Foxtel.

It was interesting to see the AFL and the clubs doing some quite interesting thing to keep their fans engaged. This was especially impressive, given that clubs stood down quite a lot of staff during the lockdown.

No doubt some of the changes made this year will stay with us for next year. I hope we don't go to a night grand final. Remote production hubs will be more common. Video conferencing will become a stable in coverage. Thursday night games should become more common.

Some questions remain unanswered though - will crowds be able to get back into venues? How long will quarter be? When will the season start, and how big will playing lists be? Will there be another quarantine situation with Hubs next year. How will the fixture work? Will it be a day or night grand final? What will happen to AFL community initiatives like AusKick? How big is the debt hole the AFL is in?

However, I am so grateful that an AFL season was able to be played this year. I remember talking to friends during the lockdown, and they weren't confident that a season would be played at all. But during the lockdown, I also realised what a massive part of my week it makes up, and the hole left behind without it. So much stuff to talk about with people and such a focus of my consumption behaviour.

I also realise how much I miss some of the pay television coverage. I don't know if I miss it enough to go back to it - hopefully I will be able to afford Kayo again when the season rolls around next year. 

Already can't wait for it to return next year.

Participant Observations 2/11/20 - Free-to-Air Experiment Results

 At the start of the 2020 AFL season, I cancelled my Kayo subscription. The reason for doing this was to see if and how my viewership of AFL would change over the course of a season with no pay television coverage, meaning I relied only on free content to get information about the league.

On reflection, I had the following observations:

• I miss AFL360 the most. This is clearly the best news source for AFL on television. Obviously I also missed a lot of the other pay-television content, such as Open Mike, and some of the other shoulder content. But 360 is finger-on-the-pulse stuff.
• In it's absence, I relied most heavily on Footy Classified on Channel 9. This was the preferred replacement because it is on twice a week, and features Caroline Wilson, Eddie McGuide, and Craig Hutcheson. While I detest Craig and Eddie as people, they are really informative. I also grew appreciation for Matt Lloyd and Ross Lyon, the other regulars on the show.
• I noticed a small uptick in watching The Front Bar, but not much. I probably should have watched this more. It's like the Before the Bounce, a show on Channel 10 that I used to love. It's easily the funniest AFL show on television. I think I normally had other stuff on Thursday night I was doing.
• I also watched highlights packages on YouTube way more. These highlights packages - about 6-9 minutes long, would be available on the platform normally about 12 hours after the game. It didn't give a huge oversight of the games that were on pay television that I didn't see, but you could see how the game unfolded, who might have played well etc, as the highlights often included key moments and injuries, etc.
• I didn't watch much Channel 7 coverage at all. I think they cancelled Talking Footy or their regular panel show early in the season, and their other coverage didn't reach me. However, obviously I watched more of their pre- and post-game coverage, although thankfully, there was no Roaming Brian this year, because of quarantine conditions around players.
• My overall online consumption probably increased marginally. I probably paid more attention to my own clubs websites, and the AFL app as well, although the app is not very good.

On the whole, I definitely did not get the quality or quantity of information that I did last year, but the quality of coverage on pay television may not have been as good this year either, because of all the hurdles that COVID-19 put on everything. For example, on the rare occasions when I did get to see 360 coverage, the guests usually appeared via Zoom, so the experience of watching may not have been as rich this year.

Participant Observations 2/11/2020 - AFL Evolution 2

 About six weeks ago I purchased AFL Evolution 2, a video game of the competition.

I've now spent over 10 hours playing it, and had the following observations:

• The game is not remarkably different to the first version, which came out about 18 months ago. Similar graphics, similar gameplay, similar look and feel.
• There are some slight improvements. The graphics are slightly better, and there is the ability to download updated playing lists. There are more 'trick' options like tapping the ball along the ground and the fend tackle.
• They have added a coaching function, where you recruit and train players, set team strategy, manage the salary cap etc. It looks interesting but very complicated. Will probably need to spend some time investigating.
• The online match function still does not have any players that I can find. I haven't explored this option too much just yet, as I've mostly been focused on career mode.

Ultimately, it is a superior game to the first version, but I don't think it will sustain me as long as the first version, because it is not different enough to make me want to paly it more.

Having said that, I'm also really happy that we have a game at all. AFL is such a small competition in terms of global market size, so to be able to get a game like this made and out to players is something I don't take for granted.

Clearly, without the same size market and resources as the NBA and FIFA, the game is never going to be as good as the video game versions of those competitions, but I still get up for a nice goal.

I started my career as an 18-year-old playing for the Sydney Swans in the NEAFL. The team won the grand final, and I won the MVP and Rookie of the Year, and was offered a contract by Carlton. Unfortunately no contract offers by the Swans, but Carlton have Patrick Cripps and Matthew Kreuzer, and they feature on a lot of the in-game art, suggesting they are a feature team. I've been dropped to the VFA once, but since bounced back and we're on top of the table half-way through the season.

My player attributes are currently at 80. My player is 7'2" I think, and huge.

Participant Observations 23/06/20 - Consuming AFL only via FTA

There's now been two rounds since the season resumed following the lockdown, and here are my observations on my viewing practices now that I no longer have a Foxtel or Kayo subscription, and are relying on free access to consume games:

1) I've been reduced to watching some games on my iPad. This is because I can watch them through the AFL Live app, and because I am a Telstra customer. The first week I watched it, I could fool the technology into making the image the full screen size of the iPad by skipping in and out of the app, however it appears this was addressed by round 2, or I couldn't repeat it at least.

2) I've been watching highlights clips on YouTube for the games I don't watch. The AFL publishes 4-6 minute highlight packages shortly after each game, and these are nice bite-size videos to watch the games, although you don't really get a feel for how the teams perform, other than who kicked the goals.

3) I'm now super reliant on Footy Classified and online sources for information. Channel 7 canned some of their mid-week panel shows, and for some reason I still haven't gotten into the Front Bar, which I really should, but most of my regular info comes from a twice-weekly show on Channel 9 - who don't have the rights - and social media and websites, such as afl.com.au, and foxsports.com.au.

Also, here are some observations about the altered format since the games returned:

1) Firstly, I wasn't a fan of the shortened quarters, but after Essendon were forced to postpone a game when a player tested positive to COVID-19, it seems the AFL will need to play at least one make-up game, which will likely be mid-week sometime, and so the shortened quarters now look smart again.

2) The scoring will be a little lower, so all the haters who bitch about the low scores in the AFLW can shut the fuck up.

3) With 12 weeks between round 1 and 2, and players isolated during lockdown, the skills are not going to be great out of the gate, also limiting the quality of the games.

Also, Gold Coast look good, Carlton beat Geelong, the Tigers lost two in a row, and the Eagles hate being in the Queensland hub! This year is throwing up something different, that's for sure!!

Participant Observation 2/6/20 - The Hall of Fame Awards and the Free-to-Air Knowledge Deficit

Really quick post today about my first observation that not having subscription television is impacting my access to information about what is happening in the league.

The Australian Football Hall of Fame is being held over three nights, starting yesterday, and I didn't realise this until I saw some posts on social media this morning.

This is peculiar, because when I have had subscription television previously, I would have been aware of the ceremony, and probably watched some of it as well.

It definitely would have been covered on AFL 360 in the lead up, and their coverage would extend into today as well.

Because I no longer have Foxtel, I didn't know this was happening. Obviously, with no games on at the moment, I haven't noticed this knowledge deficit much, but it also seems clear this is liable to happen more in the future as games come back and my access will be limited to the free-to-air coverage of games and programming.

I'm watching a lot of Footy Classified on Channel 9, but I know there is more coverage out there I could be engaging with, especially Channel 7's Front Bar and panel shows, and the Channel 9 Sunday Footy Show.

I don't feel as compelled to watch these because of the number of commercials in the coverage, and they are on at less convenient times compared to AFL 360, which was 7pm every night.

The Hall of Fame observation probably also indicates the amount of information I get from social media, and how that has become important as I've left Foxtel coverage.

Participant Observations 1/6/20 - AFL Re-Booted and Bye Foxtel. Again

A few things to mark off this post, as it's been a while since I last wrote anything:

Bye Foxtel. Again
About a week after season 3 of Westworld ended, I cancelled my subscription with Foxtel Go, as this was really the only reason I signed up in the first place. I again filled out all the surveys they have now when you cancel a subscription, telling them why I left (price is too high, Westworld had ended...)

I also had just paid for another month, so I got about 3-4 weeks to watch any other shows I wanted on there. As it turns out, there weren't that many. Most I had already plowed through during the Westworld season.

However, I gave the login credentials to mum, and she was able to watch a bunch 
of shows I recommended to her, such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock. So it was good she got some value out of it.

I also didn't need it because at that time, the AFL season was still suspended due to the caronavirus, and I want to stick to the free-to-air AFL experience this year anyway.

Binge Launch
In other News-related news, Foxtel launched their drama-only streaming service Binge recently. At only $10 or so a month, it seems well priced, but it obviously doesn't offer any sport, and it doesn't offer live broadcasts either - not that I expect that's much of a draw-card anyway.

Live broadcasts remain on Foxtel Go, which I think is the main differentiation between the two services. Foxtel Go is still way more expensive than Binge however, and the live content does not seem to justify the difference in price, unless Binge content is really old.

For example, I don't watch Westworld live, preferring to sit down at the end of the night and watch and replay it really intently. I would watch it on Binge if it's a lot cheaper, but if Binge doesn't provide access to the episodes shortly after they air (i.e., if they don't have replay rights) then I would still go to Foxtel Go. Liveness is a factor, even with some forms of drama!

We'll wait and see what happens by the next time Westworld season 4 rolls around. It probably won't be for a couple of years, and a lot can change between now and then.

AFL Re-Booted
The AFL announced the fixture for rounds 2-5 recently. The AFL plan to relaunch the competition also involves relocating four interstate teams to the Gold Coast (ie., Adelaide, Port Adelaide, West Coast and Fremantle) because of border and self-isolation restrictions in those states.

This compromises some of the fixture, because I think Brisbane play four straight games in Queensland, while all four of those relocated teams play 'home' games at Metricon stadium. 

Sydney meanwhile have a pretty good draw, with three games in Sydney and one game in Melbourne, against North Melbourne. The other games are against Essendon, Melbourne and the Bulldogs.

The broadcast fixture has not been fully finalised yet, but it looks like some Saturdays or Sundays might be completely without free-to-air coverage. 

Also lots of scuttlebutt around at the moment about the AFL rights deal with Channel 7 and Foxtel. Apparently the AFL are seeking an extension with both broadcasters for at least two years, and I think Foxtel is looking for a three year extension.

Both broadcasters are looking for a discount in rights fees however, because of the drop in the number of games this year and shortened quarters, and because of the lack of atmosphere with no crowds.

However, apparently the AFL is emboldened enough to demand they don't provide too much of a discount. After seeing how much the NRL compromised on their fees, the AFL think they don't have to give so much away.

Clearly there is an interest in keeping your broadcast partner financial and not demand something that will drive them broke, but there is also obviously pressure on the AFL to maximise their rights and pay back some of the debt they have incurred in keeping the competition afloat.

Participant Observations 23/4/20 - Better the devil you know...

It's been over a month since I posted anything, and even though there is no actually football happening, I thought it would still be worth providing an update.

Firstly, it appears the AFL is very close to announcing a plan to return to football, with either hubs of six teams or one hub of 18 teams the most likely options.

I'm really conflicted about this. On the one hand, I'm obviously super excited for the football to return. The weekends are so boring without it, and I miss all the usual discussion and news that comes with it. I miss playing it, and I miss being able to talk about it and watch it with friends and family. The game also need to get going so it can get some revenue coming into the game from sponsors and broadcasters. I think it also gives the community something to be distracted by.

On the other hand, I'm apprehensive because it may send the wrong message to the community about the need to remain vigilant during the crisis. It may put the health and safety of some players at risk. And it may draw important resources away from the community, such as medical staff and testing kits.

On the whole, I'd be in favour of the game returning, provided that the health authorities and government approve it, and it can be done without compromising resources for the community.

Otherwise, the crisis has shown how heavily the industry relies on revenues from broadcasting to sustain itself. Staff and players have taken extraordinary pay cuts, and a number of media organisations, such as crocmedia, are teetering on insolvency and voluntary administration due to the loss of revenues with no games being shown.

It has worsened the prospects of Kayo, which relied extensively on live sport to attract customers. It has starved Channel 7 and Foxtel of revenues from advertising and subscriptions.

It has tightened the bond between the code and incumbent broadcasters, with the code looking to renew its existing deals as soon as possible. I find that interesting, because the emergent media platforms have actually improved their business position during the crisis, and would seem to have better long term prospects, and appear to be a better broadcast partner accordingly. I guess better the devil you know...

Some comments also on my viewing habits during the crisis. Firstly, I've taken to watching a lot of old Swans games on weekends, especially from 86 & 87, when I remember the dominant Swans teams of my childhood. I'm also seeking out highlight packages of particular players and moments I remember as well. YouTube has turned into a godsend.

A friend and I hatched a plan to watch a game together while on video chat. It was the 1989 Grand Final between Hawthorn and Geelong. They wanted to watch it, and fortunately the whole game is online, albeit with commentary from 3AW radio. It was awesome. There's a few issues, like not hearing all of the comms and trying to match up the vision so we're both watching the same thing at the same time, but overall it was awesome.

I'm also playing a lot more video games during the crisis. I've finished Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and I've almost finished Half Life 2. I've been playing AFL Evolution as well, and while they've released AFL Evo 2, it's not available on PC yet unfortunately.

I'm also watching lots of television as well. I've re-watched Westworld, finished Devs and Curb Your Enthusiasm on Foxtel, watched The Test on Amazon, and watched a bunch of stuff on Netflix as well. There's still plenty of stuff to get through, which is good. Not sure how much longer I will keep the Foxtel subscription however - Westworld has two episodes left in season 3, so as soon as that is over, I will probably get rid of the service. They announced that it's been renewed for another season, but it took two years for season 3 to land...

Participant Observations 20/3/20 - Caronavirus, Crowds, Community Footy, and Kayo

So this caronavirus has changed everything for football*, on so many levels...

(*I know caronavirus is about more than football, but that's what this blog is for...)

Firstly, the AFL looks like it is shortening the season to 17 games and will possibly introduce mid-week games. Quarters are shortened to 16 minutes in anticipation of games being playes with shorter day breaks.

It's also going to play games behind closed doors with no crowds, to try and shield players from exposure to the virus.

The change in fixturing will massively throw out the free-to-air total numbers coverage per club for my data this year, but I'm still happy the footy is going ahead. It structures my week, gives me a sense of community and identity, and gives me something to cheer about.

However, some people think the AFL should have cancelled the season altogether, over safety concerns, and because they see it as a cash grab.

I understand these criticisms, but I think the benefits to playing outweigh the negatives. For example, cancelling the season would put literally thousands of people out of a job. Furthermore, clubs need the game to go ahead. Many of them are already anticipating taking a hit because of there being no crowds, but they can continue to engage their fans and sponsors while the game continues.

The broadcasters also need the games to help them attract audiences. without this content, the broadcasters will suffer, and an unhealthy broadcaster is not good for the sport. Interestingly, the news this morning is the AFL rated the highest it has for about 10 years I think!

Finally, I think people stuck at home need sport to improve their overall health and well-being. So I posted the following tweet last night while watching the game:

Ok, a bit weird watching the @AFL without a crowd, but you know what? 1) The footy is still ok, and 2) at the end of this season, I think we'll look back and see how important it was to get these games in when we did.

— Ed Reddin (@ed_reddin) March 19, 2020

From a community football perspective, our season has been shut down until at least June as well. This has really left me a bit rudderless as far as what to do on the weekends, and what to look forward to as far as other things like the Chop and Bones show goes. We did get one game in, but that was all.

Hopefully the season gets back on track - not just for the Hornets, but also for the National Carnival in September. There's a bunch of things working against it - the issues with air travel, people losing their jobs and not being able to afford it, the fact its an older age bracket...

Finally, it's also interesting that Kayo are offering heavily discounted subscriptions to AFL members, as low as $5 a week I think. They are desperate to try and capture this market while crowds are not allowed to attend. It's a good idea I think, and hopefully they can turn many of those subscribers into longer term customers after the virus is over.

Strange days.

Participant Observations 9/3/20 - Foxtel Now, Westworld & AFL 360

Today I reactivated by Foxtel Now account in anticipation of Westworld Season 3 starting next monday.

The reason I activated it a week out is so I can catch up on season 2 (and season 1), and of course, there are some other shows on HBO I want to watch as well, such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Mr Robot.

Fortunately, in order to preserve my non-Fox Footy experiment this year, I only had to select the most basic package to get Fox Showcase, which is where the HBO content is on Foxtel. I don't think I would have been able to stay off Fox Footy if it was on the package with Showcase. It's about $25 a month, so not too bad -  pretty much what I was paying for Kayo before I cancelled that subscription.

Unfortunately, it also happens to be the return to air of my favourite AFL program on Fox Footy tonight as well - AFL 360. Obviously, I'm not going to get to see it this year with the non-Fox Footy rule, and so I'm searching around to see what AFL panel shows there are on free-to-air. On Fox Footy it was easy to find them, because they are always on one channel, and the search function was covered one platform. On free-to-air, they may be on different channels, and not all search functions will find them (except maybe Freeview).

One new program I will watch this year is the new panel show on NITV. Unfortunately they cancelled The Marngrook Footy Show over the summer, but they have replaced it with another one I can't remember the name of.

Still not seeing AFL 360 every night will be a massive loss. Not only was it on every night (whereas free-to-air programs tend to be on once a week), but it was also renowned as a news-breaker, having one several awards for its production. The guests there were also high quality and I liked the banter and balance between Gerard Whateley and Mark Robinson.

Anyways, that is what this experiment is all about!! Seeing how my information gathering and views on football adapt and evolve with only having access to free-to-air television.

Participant Observations 18/2/20 - Rugby Australia media rights and the NHL

Rugby Australia's renegotiation of their broadcasting rights is currently attracting plenty of attention in the media.

Firstly, the governing body turned down a renewal of rights with the incumbent rights holder Foxtel, instead opting to take the rights to a competitive tender process, in an assumed effort to try and garner more revenue from the content.

It has been reported that RA has attempted to court Optus into buying the rights, and RA are also reportedly keen on getting some content on free-to-air on a weekly basis, and so are engaging Channel 10 and Channel 7, while there are also anti-siphoning restrictions in place for the Wallabies games (as if those protections mean anything anymore).

Secondly, they took back control of the rights to the NSW Shute Sheild and Queensland Premier Rugby competitions, in an effort to gather up all their rights and take them to market in a single package.

However, this strategy has some potential flaws. Firstly, while Optus have expressed some interest in the RA rights, they have never paid for the production of sport, preferring instead to buy digital rights to content that is being produced by a traditional broadcast company, such as the EPL or World Cup. They may also be still smiting from the World Cup streaming debacle.

Foxtel are also looking to cut their spend on rights and production, while the ratings for the sport have been in a steady decline for about 10 years as well as the Folau issue. RA had the opportunity to renew rights with Foxtel in a deal that would have seen them maintain their current level of yearly revenue from the News Corp-based company.

However, RA's strategy of gathering up all of their rights and trying to sell them to a single bidder in a competitive tendering process also reminds me of that undertaken by the NHL when their rights came up for auction in Canada in 2013. At that time, CBC had held the free-to-air rights for 40-odd years, while Bell Canada/TSN had the subscription rights. Digital rights were split among a number of broadcasters.

However, the NHL bucked the CBC and Bell during negotiations, instead giving all rights exclusively to Rogers in what is known as a 'Gatekeeper' model of rights tendering. Rogers paid an incredible amount for the rights for 12 years, but they have exclusive rights across all platforms.

The story of the sale of the NHL rights in Canada at this time is expertly told in Hockey Fight in Canada by David Shoalts. Good read.

Is RA attempting their own Gatekeeper sale of rights to a single media organsiation, who will control all the right exclusively, but carry the burden of monetising those rights and can parcel them out to anyone they want?

Participant Observations 18/2/20 - AFLW and the Freeview App

It's now been a month or so since cancelling my Kayo subscription, but in that time, I have not missed a game of AFLW, despite not all games being on free-to-air television where I live.

This has taken some manipulation of technology, but firstly, it should be pointed out that the AFLW has a different set of broadcasting rights to the AFL.

For example, while Foxtel and Channel 7 split the production of games in a way similar to the AFL (i.e., Foxtel producing about 4 games per round, and Channel 7 producing 3 games), and the coverage on free-to-air and subscription television is similar to the AFL (i.e., Foxtel broadcast all 7 games per round, while Channel 7 broadcast 3 to 4 games per round, including the games of each team into their state, such as all GWS Games being broadcast into NSW regardless of who produces it), the main difference is in the digital rights.

In the AFL, Telstra and Foxtel/Kayo share the mobile streaming rights, while the digital streaming rights are exclusively with Foxtel/Kayo.

However, in the AFLW, the AFL retains some control of the mobile and digital streaming rights, so that all games of AFLW are streamed onto the AFLW website and app. AFLW games can also be seen on the Foxtel/Kayo mobile and digital platforms, and on the Channel 7 app as well.

So I can watch all games of AFLW via the AFLW app or website for free.

Obviously, I watch any of the games that are shown on Channel 7 in NSW, as I've found the stream on the AFLW website is prone to crashing. Additionally, the AFLW App does not allow chromecasting to larger screens, limiting the viewing to mobile screens.

However, because I wanted to watch the games that were not being shown on free-to-air television in NSW, and because I didn't want to use the AFLW website or app to watch games, I began to look for ways to watch games of AFLW that did not use the AFLW website or app.

The Freeview App is an app created and developed by the free-to-air industry in Australia, to try and act as a simple point of access for all the free-to-air streaming platforms. It essentially acts as a one-stop-shop for all the free-to-air streaming platforms, rather than having to skip in and out of each Channel's streaming portal. It also features a TV guide, and other features such as program reminders. The app generates it's TV guide and viewing options based on the location service in the app, so that if it detects you are in NSW, the TV guide and viewing options in the app reflect the NSW television offerings.

However, the app can be tricked into thinking you are anywhere in Australia. When the app is first installed, it prompts you to enable the location service in the app, which will geo-locate you based on the GPS function of the device. However, if you don't allow the location service function, the app will instead ask you to enter your current postcode so that it can generate the relevant TV guide and viewing options.

As such, if there is a game of AFLW in Victoria, or SA, or WA that I want to watch, but is not being shown in NSW, I delete the app, download it again (effectively resetting the app), and then don't allow the location service function when prompted on start-up. Then when asked to enter my 'current' postcode, I simply choose one from the state where the game is taking place, or from a market where I know the game is being broadcast, and voila! Up comes the TV guide, and there is the game being shown on free-to-air television on the app.

What is even better about the Freeview app is that it allows Chromecasting, so the stream can be sent to my television. The signal is not as good as the SD free-to-air signal, but it is only marginally poorer in quality, with some minor flickering of the ball when it is travelling through the air. The Freeview app is also very stable, and I can only think of one or two instances where it has frozen or fallen over.

I originally discovered this 'flaw' in the app when I wanted to watch some VFL games at the end of the 2018 season that were only being shown in Victoria.

Unfortunately, I don't think this will continue when the AFL starts, because I don't think Channel 7 has the streaming rights to any AFL games. However, it has proven to be a great way to get every game of AFLW for free so far this year.

Participant Observations 07/01/20 - The free-to-air experiment begins

On January 4th, I cancelled my Kayo subscription.

This is the only remaining subscription I have to paid sport, meaning all consumption of broadcast sport in 2020 will be via free-to-air television, unless I'm at a venue where a subscription broadcast exists.

The reason for cancelling the subscription is to run an "experiment" - that is, to see if and how my consumption behaviours and motivations change without having any access to a paid service.

Moreover, this experiment is to try and replicate the viewing conditions of those less fortunate, who can't afford a paid subscription, and solely rely on free-to-air television to access sports content.

The main "research" questions will be:

1. Will I become more motivated to pirate games or sports that are not available on free-to-air?
2. Will I become motivated to attend pubs and clubs where games only available on pay-TV are available?
3. How will free-to-air consumption affect the sports watching experience, such as the reduction in fidelity when games are on an SD channel, or interrupted by commercials? Conversely, will it be improved by the loss of lag? (i.e., texting with Benny D during games and after goals will become normal again!)
4. How will free-to-air consumption affect my information gathering process (i.e., by being restricted to free-to-air panel shows and supplemental content)?
5. How will my engagement with user interfaces change, such as the EPG on the television, and the FTV app on the tablet at home?
6. Will 'legal' alternative routes to content be identified and exploited? (For example, a few years ago, I 'tricked' the FTV app into thinking I was in Victoria, thereby accessing a VFL game that was not being shown at that time in NSW, and will I return to the Watch AFL/VPN combo to access games?)
7. Will I be motivated to get away from the television altogether, or increase the amount of video games I play, as a result of watching, not only less AFL, but less sport overall?
8. Will it increase my consumption of content online or on social media, where highlights and match packages may also be found from the games that are not available on free-to-air?

A real downside to the experiment will be the end of some of my favourite shows on Fox Footy, such as AFL 360, Bounce, and The Beep Test. These shows, especially AFL360 are at the core of my fandom, as they are highly relevant and up-to-date news programs.

Another downside is that by no longer supporting the broadcaster who buys the rights to AFLW, I am in effect withdrawing some support from that particular league.

I'll also be without many other sports that I enjoy on pat-TV throughout the year, such as golf, Formula 1, and international cricket.

Another potential negative is the increase in commercials being watched. This is already being realised over the last few weeks. I've been watching most of my cricket and NFL via Channel 7, which obviously has many commercials. What is also an issue is that some sports, such as the NFL, are shown almost exclusively on 7mate, which is only available in SD at the moment. I think I read somewhere that 7mate may be switching to HD this year, but it certainly is a lesser experience watching spectacular games like the NFL in SD.

As a result of watching cricket mainly on Channel 7 already, I've noticed I'm already tending to watch a lot more news, such as the Channel 7 6pm bulletin, and local ads and updates. 

I'm also having to explore and familiarise myself with what sports content is available already on free-to-air, such as the NBL and NBA games on SBS Viceland, tennis on Channel 9, and motorsport on Channel 10.

A benefit is that there is no immediate need for me to consider getting a Chomecast Ultra. This device is needed to stream Kayo from the iPad without the buffering issues and lag experienced with a standard Chromecast. Now, most content will be watched via terrestrial antenna reception, or streamed via an FTA app when available, which in the past has not been subject to the same degrees of buffering and lagging.

Another upside is the cost savings that will be made. $25 per month will not be spent on Kayo as a result of ending the subscription.

The downsides would appear to outweigh the positives at the moment, but I think this is the only legitimate way I can try to understand or experience what it is like to be an AFL fan without pay-TV.

This is also the end of the login-sharing arrangement I have with Joey F, as he had given me the login credentials for Netflix while I gave him my Foxtel/Kayo login details. However, I have tried to compensate for this my giving him my details for Amazon Prime Video, although this service does not have the same amount or quality of content that Netflix does.

The subscription is paid up until the 26th of January, meaning there is a small amount of time to watch some cricket and other sports that may not be available on free-to-air, but the subscription will be over by the time the AFLW season starts on February 7th.

I imagine this will only be a 12-month (or less) proposition, and should Kayo still have the rights to the AFL in 2021, I see no reason to not be on the service, especially if the shoulder programming such as AFL360 still exists on the platform, and provided I can afford it.

I'm also acutely aware that simply switching off Kayo is in no way a fair reflection of what life is like for those who are unable to afford the service as a matter of circumstance - I live a relatively comfortable lower middle-class lifestyle, and this 'experiment' can in no way replicate the structural and socioeconomic issues those in less affluent classes experience, and the outcomes resulting from those issues.

It should be an interesting little period coming up, and I look forward to seeing the changes, while also being apprehensive about the potential loss in content that will be experienced.

😬😬😬

Participant Observations 06/01/2020 - Stan Ads on Channel 7

Just a quick blog post today, before a big one tomorrow, about the appearance of Stan advertisements on Channel 7 during the cricket coverage.

Stan is a streaming service co-owned by Channel 9 and Fairfax, who merged together a few years ago.

Accordingly, it is a little surprising to see a competitors streaming service appear on a rival network.

I think there may be a couple of possible reasons for it:

1) Stan have independently bought advertising time from Channel 7, who are happy to sell it to them as they don't really see them as an immediate rival in their marketplace.

2) This ad placement has been facilitated knowingly between the two companies, as they are both aware of the larger battles they face against online and streaming platforms. Accordingly, the ad may be some kind of in-kind ad placement, with Channel 7 assets placing ads on Channel 9 during the tennis (I don't watch enough tennis to know if this is happening or not).

This second outcome may have been pioneered by someone like Free TV Australia.

It also reminds me of a few years ago, when Channel 9 promos for the cricket were appearing on Foxtel.

This type of thing doesn't happen all that often, so it's interesting to note it when it does.