‘The world’s changed – Australia needs to keep up’: Foxtel’s Patrick Delany rails against broadcasting law
Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany speaks to Mumbrella from the gambling capital of the world, where he reflects on this weekend’s NRL Vegas showcase, the eventual death of advertising gambling, and Australia’s outmoded anti-siphoning rules.
Foxtel’s CEO Patrick Delany has only been in Las Vegas for a few hours when he speaks to Mumbrella, but it’s already evident to him that this year’s rugby league showcase in the glittering city is a lot bigger than last year’s launch.
“I can already tell,” he says. “In the hotel where I’m staying, there seem to be more Australians, more English, walking around. It’ll be interesting to see on the street whether there’s more [NRL] jerseys. If you look at all the billboards and everything in Vegas this year, it seems to be double last year.”
While Delany was en route to the gambling capital of the world, Sportsbet yielded to “stakeholder and community sentiment” and announced it would no longer screen live odds updates during match breaks. Although he admits he isn’t across the finer points of Sportsbet’s declaration, Delaney doubts it will move the needle much for Foxtel Group’s sporting broadcasts.
Delany is delusional. SOME aussies are used to paying for sport. But MANY rely on FTA broadcasters each and every week. What’s a NRL or AFL game rate on average across Total TV?
Delany might understand why people are opposed to intrusive gambling promotion. But he doesn’t care. Nor should the public care if broadcasters make less profit. In fact many if us would be pleased if the whole Murdoch organization was bankrupt (instead of merely lacking in any morality).
All sport should be free to air that includes all ICC Cricket matches, can’t wait for betting commercials to be banned they so annoying. I would just like go on you tube and word without seeing any commercials, when I’m on Google and there’s a news paper article don’t see why I should pay to read it should be like the guardian free.
Don’t worry Delaney, Albanese will make sure he looks after his NRL mates to go along with his streaming rights loophole and $650 mill tax payers dollars to the them in 2024. He won’t want them to get a smaller broadcast deal, so will kick the can down the road another 4 years if re-elected.
I find it funny though that Delaney thinks he can renegotiate the cricket and afl deal, since when can you renege on a contract? surely they knew this was a possibility at the time of signing those deals.
Only one more month and I can banish Binge to the shadow realm.
Max for HBO/WB content and with ESPN hitting Disney+ there’s absolutely no need for it anymore.