Participant Observations 25/2/21 - Becoming an AFLW Giants Member

Unfortunately, with no Sydney Swans team in the AFLW competition yet, I've had to cross into rival territory and take up a membership with the GWS Giants...

Fortunately, it's an AFLW membership, as this was the best way I could think of to support the AFLW.

It's also a lot cheaper than a full AFL membership (about $360) or country membership (about $120), and on a payment plan it's only about $7 a month.

I also get the benefits of being a member, such as discount merch and sponsor offers, although I don't see myself using the merchandise at all!

It's also encouraging that the Sydney Swans academy women played some games this week, meaning a full AFW side for the Swans is (hopefully) only a few years away.

I'm not sure if I'll go to any Giants AFLW games this year. There are only 5 rounds left I think, and they play away this weak, meaning there are only 4 rounds remining for games at Blacktown.

The Giants have also already played 3 games at home as well, which means they should only get 2 more games at home at best, and as the fixture if fully floating this year, who knows how many there will be.

But going to games was never really the motivation for getting the membership. It was always about finding a way to support women's football, and if I'm serious about doing that, in a neoliberal society I need to put my money where my mouth is.

Participant Observations 5/2/21 - Anti-siphoning expiration

Every few years the anti-siphoning legislation comes up for renewal, and the current version of the legislation is set to expire in April:

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/free-to-air-sport-anti-siphoning-2021-2

This is a potential issue for many problems.

Firstly, as a sports fan, if the scheme isn't renewed, it could see more sport going behind a paywall, which means having to pay more to access the content. Not ideal when you are on a part time wage.

As an academic, this could emaciate Australian culture, as less people have access to sport, which is a large part of our culture.

As a researcher, this is a massive problem for my thesis, because large parts of the data are based on the anti-siphoning scheme, meaning the data will become obsolete if the scheme is abandoned.

Given the neoliberal disposition of the Liberal government, I have no confidence they will renew anti-siphoning, as it’s a market protection. They will also argue that consumers are now comfortable paying for content (i.e., look at the market penetration of Netflix! etc.), and that competition in the market place benefits sports.

Sports organisations are also likely to support the scheme not being renewed, as it allows them to realise true value for their rights.

Ughh...

Participant Observatins 5/2/21 - $5 Kayo

This week Telstra relinquished their digital streaming rights for the AFL, handing them to Kayo, the sport-based streaming service owned by Foxtel:

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/telstra-to-quit-nrl-afl-streaming-apps-in-sports-strategy-shift-20210202-p56ysc.html

This development is interesting for several reasons.

Foxtel itself is owned by News Corp (65%) and Telstra (35%), so before handing the rights to Kayo, Telstra was effectively competing against itself, as it had a stake in both Kayo and AFL Live Pass, where Telstra streamed their digital rights. So by handing these rights to Kayo, Telstra drives the audience towards a purpose built streaming service, which aggregates the potential audience and makes sense from a business perspective.

For example, if a consumer only wants AFL, the Live Pass option could prevent them from getting Kayo. However, with the Live Pass option removed, the Kayo subscriber base will increase.

However, if you only want AFL and not all the other sports, you are now left with no option but to get Kayo, and this involves an additional cost for many people, as the Live Pass came free if you were a Telstra customer. An important difference here however, is that Live Pass only worked on screens 7-inches or less, while Kayo is available on screens of any size.

To soften the impact of having to pay more to get AFL, Foxtel have made the kayo subscription available to Telstra customers for only $5 per month, which is a significant reduction from the base subscription of $25. However, this discount only lasts for 12-months, after which time it reverts to the basic $25 per month.

However, I'm a Telstra customer, and I like AFL, meaning I was eligible for the $5 discount subscription. However, I was also a Kayo subscriber paying $25 per month. Accordingly, I cancelled my existing $25 per month Kayo subscription and waited for it to lapse. Then, I signed up for the $5 discount subscription through my Telstra account, and hey presto, I'm now saving $20 per month for the next 12 months on my Kayo subscription.

This is important because it shows how consumers will act according to commercial self-interest to get the content they want.

The news also suggests Telstra are moving out of sports rights as part of their media strategy. They have already moved away from NRL, and they will no longer stream Netball after 2021. Foxtel has also just acquired the rights to Netball, and they will offer two games a week in front of the paywall for free on Kayo. I think the only rights Telstra have left are the A-League.