bosustowİ
10-12-2003, 01:25 PM
Telecasts to go interactive
By Caroline Wilson
December 10, 2003
AFL fans will be able to bet on games through their televisions and keep
track of individual players during live telecasts as part of a revolutionary
digital service to be launched by Foxtel at the start of the 2004 football
season.
Fox Footy Channel subscribers will also be able to call up instant replays,
choose between commentaries and buy football merchandise during games under
the proposed system, which until now has been a closely guarded secret.
In preparation for the launch, Fox has been working in recent months with
Rupert Murdoch's Sky Channel in Britain, which for several years has
provided interactive soccer to Premier League fans, who use a remote control
to switch camera angles.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he was aware of the broad outline
of Foxtel's plans, which he said would revolutionise football coverage.
"Should they go down that track then it will be tremendous for the game,"
Demetriou said.
Subscribers with the necessary equipment will be able to split their screens
four ways and choose between a variety of camera angles, such as
behind-the-goals and wide shots. A "player-cam" facility will allow viewers
to follow the progress of individual stars.
The Footy Channel will cost subscribers $99.40 next year for a 12-month
advance pass and $75 for a season pass. The multicasting is not expected to
cost extra, but will require the purchase of a high-definition box to
transfer TV screens to the digital platform.
The Footy Channel hosts three exclusive home-and-away games each week during
the season and replays all other AFL games after they have been shown on
Channel Nine or Ten.
The AFL has been lobbying the Federal Government for years to soften its
anti-siphoning legislation, which restricts the number of games shown
exclusively on pay TV. In a recent proposal, the AFL sought a potential four
finals each year to be shown exclusively on pay TV.
By Caroline Wilson
December 10, 2003
AFL fans will be able to bet on games through their televisions and keep
track of individual players during live telecasts as part of a revolutionary
digital service to be launched by Foxtel at the start of the 2004 football
season.
Fox Footy Channel subscribers will also be able to call up instant replays,
choose between commentaries and buy football merchandise during games under
the proposed system, which until now has been a closely guarded secret.
In preparation for the launch, Fox has been working in recent months with
Rupert Murdoch's Sky Channel in Britain, which for several years has
provided interactive soccer to Premier League fans, who use a remote control
to switch camera angles.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he was aware of the broad outline
of Foxtel's plans, which he said would revolutionise football coverage.
"Should they go down that track then it will be tremendous for the game,"
Demetriou said.
Subscribers with the necessary equipment will be able to split their screens
four ways and choose between a variety of camera angles, such as
behind-the-goals and wide shots. A "player-cam" facility will allow viewers
to follow the progress of individual stars.
The Footy Channel will cost subscribers $99.40 next year for a 12-month
advance pass and $75 for a season pass. The multicasting is not expected to
cost extra, but will require the purchase of a high-definition box to
transfer TV screens to the digital platform.
The Footy Channel hosts three exclusive home-and-away games each week during
the season and replays all other AFL games after they have been shown on
Channel Nine or Ten.
The AFL has been lobbying the Federal Government for years to soften its
anti-siphoning legislation, which restricts the number of games shown
exclusively on pay TV. In a recent proposal, the AFL sought a potential four
finals each year to be shown exclusively on pay TV.