The Albanese government has been accused of doing the “dirty work” of giant streaming companies such as Amazon and Netflix and failing dozens of Australians after Parliament passed anti-diversion laws.
The Greens, who are fighting for sport to be free for all to watch, whether via antenna or on smart devices and televisions, said this was a death blow for sports viewers as there was still a legal loophole that meant some events remained behind a paywall.
“We could have designed this sports streaming bill to protect free access to major events like the Matildas, rugby, soccer and the Olympics in our digital age. Now Australians have to whip out their credit cards and pay … for the privilege of cheering on their own team,” said Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
“This government has no connection to the cost of living, no connection to young people and no connection to rural Australia. They are technological cavemen.”
The bill prevents streaming services such as Amazon, Apple and Disney from acquiring exclusive “broadcast rights” for major sporting events such as the American Football League or the Olympic Games.
But streamers can now acquire exclusive digital rights – leaving millions of viewers who watch free sports on services such as 7plus, 9Now and 10Play out.
Free TV, the lobby group for commercial television broadcasters, said that without the digital sports rights change, Parliament had “failed to ensure that every Australian can share the unforgettable sporting moments that unite us”.
“Free-to-air broadcasting is intended to be a universally accessible destination that brings all Australians together. Unfortunately, with the passing of this law, we will now see a nation of haves and have-nots when it comes to accessing the broadcasts and online services of our beloved commercial and national networks. How could this be allowed in a country that has always celebrated equality for all?” Chief Executive Bridget Fair said.
“We know that more and more Australians are using their free TV services online, but these laws do not guarantee free sport for these people. Research shows that 69 per cent of Australians get their TV via the internet, so it is difficult to understand why these laws do not take their interests into account and guarantee free sport for the millions who watch TV online.
“The laws contain significant loopholes that will ultimately undermine the entire anti-television diversion framework and force Australians to pay thousands of dollars to streaming services to access sporting events they want to watch for free.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland welcomed the passing of the bill, saying the government had “delivered on its commitment to support access to local television and free sports coverage in the streaming era”.
“These reforms will improve access to free-to-air TV services on new connected TVs by ensuring that local services are not crowded out by global streamers,” she said.
“The inclusion of streaming companies in the anti-siphoning program for the first time will help prevent iconic sporting events from disappearing behind online paywalls.
“These important reforms represent an important step in bringing Australia’s media laws into the 21st century.”