The Gillard Government's move to ban live odds spruiking during sports broadcasts could have unintended consequences. TV companies will work out a way to keep big spending clients happy and their $50m category alive and well. It could mean we see more of Tom Waterhouse and chums on TV.
That's one industry view.
While the ruling will have an impact on all betting firms, Tom Waterhouse's outfit will have to make the most adjustments to the proposals issued yesterday. Channel Nine would not comment on how those conversations might pan out. But one media agency boss said that there was enough competition in the sector to stop big players exerting too much pressure in any renegotiations that might arise.
TV stations are confident that the category will not be entirely flattened by political intervention. Media agencies have suggested it could go the other way. Another media agency boss said that if in-programme integration was to become less attractive without the live odds element, that Nine would "work out a way to look after Waterhouse ... He will get more value out of this."
That could mean more traditional ads during scheduled breaks, he added. That could result in "ad fatigue" which created an opportunity for creative and media agencies to "mix it up a bit".
Henry Tajer, head of Mediabrands, said that while "operators in the category will have to comply with the regulations" he did not think the intervention would have a "huge impact on the broader market".
Tajer said there had been an element of "hype" in the aftermath of ongoing Tom Waterhouse media coverage compounded by the public spat between his mother, Gai Waterhouse, and John Singleton, over a horse.
He said that, as things currently stand, the spot market was relatively saturated around sport. "If they can't do as much integration, I don't think there is that much room for more spots. Demand might outweigh what is available."
That, he said, gave broadcasters a degree of protection against whatever detail might unfold when the new ACMA codes arrive.
Industry has been given two weeks to get the new codes in order. Andrew Lamb, MD at independent media agency TMS, said that was a tight turnaround but that it "probably needs to be fairly swift in light of the current public sentiment".
While the NSW government wants to go even further and ban betting advertising in live sport entirely, Lamb thought that possibility was now more remote.
"It will be interesting to see if the NSW government's call for banning advertising completely in live sport gains any traction. My guess is probably not as the main concerns in relation to this issue appear to have been addressed in the Federal governments ruling."
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