| Sportsplay | |
| Launch Date: | 1985 |
| Closed Date: | 1987 |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
Sportsplay was an Australian satellite television service that operated from 1985 to 1987.
Sportsplay was one of three Australian satellite hotel television channels that emerged following the launch of the Aussat A1 satellite, and was owned by Powerplay International, then-owners of football league team Sydney Swans. Sportsplay commenced transmissions from their Sydney studios on the 1st of December 1986, with programming consisting largely of harness racing and greyhound racing from around Australia, distributed exclusively to hotels and clubs.[1] [2]
In 1987, Sportsplay attempted to purchase satellite rights for Victorian Football League matches from rightsholder Broadcom, with plans to show in subscribing venues nationwide, outside metropolitan Melbourne. This resulted in a dispute with the VFL and the Victorian Country Football League, with the VFL planning to enforce its existing statewide ban on screening its Saturday afternoon games live on television in Victoria.[3]
This setback with the VFL, along with financial troubles and losing the hotel market share to rivals Sky Channel, saw the station reporting losses of up to $1 million per month in 1987.[4] [5] After a failed attempt to float the company coupled with the stock market crash of 1987, Sportsplay was bought by Alan Bond and Bond Media, and was thus absorbed into Bond's Sky Channel in November 1987.[6] [7]