Seven West Media : stars get behind free sport

Monday, 4 March 2024

Seven's stars get behind free sport

New campaign calls for changes to anti-siphoning bill

The stars of Seven Network have come together in a new campaign calling on the Federal Government to amend its proposed changes to the anti-siphoning regime to protect Australians' access to free sport content across broadcast and digital technologies.

The "We are Aussies, of course I want free sport" campaign launches today and is running across all major social media platforms. It highlights that the current Bill before parliament only protects Australians' access to free sport via broadcast TV but not if they watch TV through the internet via an app like 7plus.

Seven's campaign supports the broader industry campaign from industry group Free TV Australia that is seeking some important changes to the prominence and anti-siphoning Bill to stop free TV content from disappearing behind paywalls.

Created by Seven's in-house creative agency Red Engine, Seven's campaign includes Bruce McAvaney, Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Matthew Richardson, Abbey Holmes, Mel McLaughlin, Matt Evans, Jason Richardson, Juliet Godwin, Emma Freedman and Mark Beretta.

Australia's pre-eminent sports broadcaster, Bruce McAvaney, said: "Australians shouldn't be denied access to free sport just because they don't have an aerial. If you want to stream sport over the internet, the anti-siphoning scheme should ensure internet delivered sport is also free."

Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton, said: "Seven supports most parts of the Communications Legislation Amendment (Prominence and Anti-Siphoning) Bill 2023, but there is a major omission from the Bill.

"It only guarantees free sport content for Australians that have an aerial. It does not guarantee people will get free sport if they choose to stream it over the internet or don't have an aerial. No aerial means no guarantee that Australians will have access to free sport in the future.

"As the Bill is drafted now, there is nothing stopping Amazon, Kayo, Prime and Netflix from buying all the digital rights to Australians' favourite sports and making them pay if they want to stream sport over the internet," he said.

Seven Network (Operations) Limited / 8 Central Avenue, Eveleigh NSW 2015 Australia / PO Box 7077, Alexandria NSW 2015 Australia

1. [phone] / ABN 62 052 845 262

"The Albanese Government needs to amend the Bill to include the free digital stream alongside the free broadcast stream so that all Australians can access free sport, regardless of whether they have a TV aerial or not."

Please click hereto watch the campaign.

More information can be found hereon the Seven West Media website and at Free TV Australia's Free For Everyone.

For more information, please contact:

Neil Shoebridge

M: 0417 511 012

1. [e-mail]

Andrew Knowles

M: 0449 510 357

1. [e-mail]

About the Seven Network

The Seven Network is part of Seven West Media (ASX: SWM), one of Australia's most prominent media companies, with a market-leading presence in content production across broadcast television, publishing and digital. The Seven Network alone reaches about 17 million people a month.

The company owns some of Australia's most renowned media businesses, including the Seven Network and its affiliate channels 7two, 7mate, 7flix and 7Bravo; the digital platform 7plus;7NEWS.com.au;The West Australian; The Sunday Times; and The Nightly. The Seven Network is home to Australia's most loved news, sport and entertainment programming, including 7NEWS, 7NEWS Spotlight, Sunrise, The Morning Show, The Voice, Home and Away, Australian Idol, My Kitchen Rules, SAS Australia, Farmer Wants A Wife, The Chase Australia, Better Homes and Gardens, RFDS, The 1% Club and the TV WEEK Logie Awards. Seven Network is also the broadcast partner of the AFL, Cricket Australia and Supercars.

Seven Network (Operations) Limited / 8 Central Avenue, Eveleigh NSW 2015 Australia / PO Box 7077, Alexandria NSW 2015 Australia

1. [phone] / ABN 62 052 845 262