Source: AFL 2000 Annual Report pg. 27
In March 2000, the Carlton Football Club took the Seven network to court to prove they had the right to deny Seven access to then Optus Oval.
The Football Club also took action against the AFL seeking an order that the club wasnt in breach of its license agreement with the league by denying the broadcaster entry to the oval.
A settlement was agreed to in September 2000 which found the following:
- The AFL was entitled to consider the interests of its Free to air and Pay Tv broadcasters as paramount. The right of the Carlton football club to access any vision of AFL matches in which Carlton competes will be subject to there being no prejudice or dimunition in the value of the free to air and/or paytv rights or revenue of the AFL.
- Webcasting of Carlton matches will be restricted to people who have purchased a Carlton membership.
- Webcasting of matches involving the Carlton football club will only be available to the Carlton members via the Carlton football club website at locations where there is no live or delayed broadcast of any such match by any free to air or pay tv broadcaster authorised by the AFL,.
- In order to ensure that Carlton Football Club webcasting is specifically limited to the locations permitted, the Carlton football club shall ensure that all Carlton webcasting is encrypted or otherwise confined to an area where there is no broadcast of any such match by an free to air or pay tv broadcaster authorised by the AFL.
- Carlton football club will be entitled to engage in Carlton webcasting to a location where such match was broadcast by a free to air or pay tv broadcaster after a sufficient period of delay following completion of the relevant broadcast so as not to prejudice or diminish the value of free to air/or pay television.
- Carlton shall pay a fee to the AFL for the right to engage in Carlton webcasting in accordance with the agreement.
- Carlton football club agreed to be bound by the terms of the AFLs ground occupancy agreement as may be proscribed from time to time including the provision of unconditional and unrestricted access, free of charge, to all authorised content service providers, and other media personnel authorised by the AFL and not allow access to any unauthorised content service as long as the AFL procures rights for audio and vision for Carlton under the terms of the agreement until 2006 and thereafter on terms which are no less favourable than those governing the provision of audio and vision to any AFL club.
- The AFL agreed to allow the Carlton football club to charge a development levy of $2 to each non concession adult attendee and Carlton member attending each AFl match at Optus Oval up to and including the 2006 season.