Australia's anti-siphoning scheme aims to ensure events of national importance and cultural significance can be made available to audiences to watch for free.
The scheme prevents subscription TV broadcasters and streaming services from acquiring rights to listed events unless a free-to-air broadcaster has a right to televise the event.
The anti-siphoning list is made under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and includes events the Minister for Communications believes should be televised free to the public.
Events are automatically removed from the anti-siphoning list 26 weeks before the event is due to start, unless the Minister decides a free-to-air broadcaster has not had a reasonable chance to buy the rights.
Free-to-air broadcasters are not required to buy the rights or show events on the anti-siphoning list. If they do buy the rights, they may show the event live, later, or not at all.
Any media provider can acquire rights to televise or otherwise provide coverage of an event on the list if:
- the event is automatically removed from the anti-siphoning list
- the Minister removes the event from the list
- a national broadcaster (ABC or SBS) or commercial television broadcasters with a combined audience of more than half of the Australian population have purchased the right to televise the event
- 7 days have passed since the end of the event.
Reform of the anti-siphoning scheme and list
On 4 July 2024, Parliament passed the Communications Legislation Amendment (Prominence and Anti-siphoning) Bill 2024, which strengthened the anti-siphoning scheme by extending it to regulate online streaming services.
The reformed scheme commenced on 17 December 2024 and is contained in Part 10B of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
A new anti-siphoning list—the Broadcasting Services (Anti-Siphoning List) Instrument 2024—also commenced on 17 December 2024. The list better reflects the modern media landscape and expands the range of nationally important and culturally significant events. Importantly, the new list includes additional women's sporting events and Para-sports events.
Resources
- Bill and Explanatory Memorandum
- Broadcasting Services Act 1992
- Broadcasting Services (Anti-Siphoning List) Instrument 2024
- Communications Legislation Amendment (Prominence and Anti-siphoning) Commencement Proclamation 2024
Last reviewed: 30 September 2026