The Australian anti-siphoning scheme – will the latest Government review lead to the long-overdue reform?

Last week the new Labor Government released a consultation paper to initiate their review of the anti-siphoning scheme in Australia. Many will be hoping that this review is different to previous reviews and leads to the significant reforms that have long been overdue. The consultation paper is comprehensive summary of the history of the anti-siphoning scheme since it was first introduced in 1994 and the significant changes to the sports media landscape since then. It also raises a number of interesting questions, including the central question of whether the scheme achieves its objective of free access to televised coverage of important sports events.