The cost of being a sports fan just got higher, and a deal to show major cricket tournaments on another streaming service has been slammed by Australia's peak industry body for commercial television.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
In a blow to the hip pockets of cricket fans, Amazon Prime Video has snapped up the rights to a handful of major tournaments and events over the next four years.
The streaming giant has exclusive rights to the Test world championships in 2025 and 2027, the men's and women's one-day and Twenty20 World Cups, and the men's and women's Champions Trophies in 2025 and 2027.
It adds another layer of confusion for cricketing fans trying to schedule their time on the couch. They already have to divide their time between Fox Sports, Kayo, Channel Nine and Channel Seven across a variety of formats and competitions.
Now they will have to fork out to watch the International Cricket Council's marquee events, adding financial pain to already stretched sporting fans.
There has been an explosion of streaming services offering sports content over the past decade, breaking Foxtel's stranglehold on content and forcing free-to-air services to up their game in showing more live matches.
But how much does it cost to be the ultimate sporting fan? There is no longer a one-stop shop for viewers, with sports like soccer spread across four different services.
Fans wanting to watch rugby league, union, soccer, Australian rules, cricket and American sports would have to fork out up to $163 per month to cover everything, although that number could be reduced by some double ups if they were willing to sacrifice certain games.
It takes the cost of being an elite fan to almost $2000 per year if you subscribe to nine different services, including Kayo, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Optus Sports, BeIn Sports, Paramount+, ESPN, NBA League Pass and NFL TV. But that amount can be offset by only subscribing to certain services at specific times of the year.
The most expensive packages are Kayo, Stan and Optus, which come in at $25 per month each. Amazon Prime and Paramount+ are $9.99 per month.
The dilution of sports content has been both good and bad. There is more live sport available to watch than in the history of sports broadcasting, but access depends on how much you're willing to pay and which services you choose to sign up to.
There is still some content available on free-to-air channels and those matches generally attract the biggest audiences, but the nature of sports telecasts continues to evolve.
Sports are often wooed by the highest bidder for their television rights, but it has an immediate impact on who can watch.
"For some it's opening up more possibilities with greater portability and accessibility, but for casual fans who just want to sit down and and flick on the footy, they are slightly limited now," senior lecturer in screen media at Victoria University Marc C-Scott said earlier this year.
"It's a bit of a double-edged sword, because the codes want to get the most amount of money they possibly can and then hopefully reinvest that into the game.
"The codes are really trying to work out - how are we not going to upset the fans, but also how are we going to get the most amount of money to bring the best game possible to the fans? So it's really tricky.
"With streaming services as a viewer, you do get to the point where you say, I want to watch something, but how do I find it? - and it changes where it is too."
Fans were divided when news emerged of Australia's World Test Championship and ODI World Cup defences will be screened exclusively behind a paywall following a new four-year partnership between the ICC and Amazon.
The fact Optus Sports secured exclusive rights to the women's soccer World Cup earlier this year caused uproar, but some games were shown on Channel Seven as well.
Others have accepted their fate and the need to subscribe to multiple services, or switching services on and off during certain seasons.
Prime Video has secured the exclusive broadcast rights in Australia for all men's and women's ICC tournaments until 2027.
Foxtel-Kayo broadcast the entire recent ODI World Cup, while the Nine Network also screened Australia's games, including their famous win over India in the final, and some other major matches.
Industry group Free TV Australia has called for changes to the nation's anti-siphoning rules to be fast tracked.
"We have been saying for years that streaming giants would be coming for our sports rights here in Australia and the acquisition of World Cup cricket by Amazon just proves the point," Free TV Australia chief executive Bridget Fair said
"All Australians deserve the right to share our great sporting moments for free, and that right is in serious jeopardy.
"There is a real risk that more of our iconic sports events could be exclusively acquired by subscription streaming platforms that aren't currently covered by the anti-siphoning rules.
"With cost-of-living pressures in overdrive, we cannot allow access to key sporting events to be dictated by what subscription services Australians can afford.
"It might also be time to look at whether the limitation of cricket games on the list to those played in Australia or New Zealand is working for the Australian public.
"We should be able to watch our national team play no matter where the game is taking place."
Communications minister Michelle Rowland last week introduced laws to parliament updating anti-siphoning measures that would require free-to-air services to be offered first refusal for what are deemed important sporting events.
"All Australians, regardless of where they live or what they earn, should have the opportunity to enjoy free TV coverage of iconic sporting events," Rowland said.
Rowland's office has been contacted multiple times for comment on the ICC-Amazon deal.