Sportsplay
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite television |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Fate | Purchased by Bond Media and merged into Sky Channel |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Hotels and clubs in Australia |
| Owner | Powerplay International (until acquisition) |
Sportsplay was an Australian satellite TV provider that operated between 1985 and 1987.
The service, owned by Powerplay International—who also owned the Sydney Swans football club at the time—began broadcasting from studios in Sydney on 1 December 1986. Its content primarily featured harness and greyhound racing events from across Australia, with distribution limited exclusively to hotels and clubs.
In 1987, Sportsplay attempted to secure satellite broadcasting rights for Victorian Football League (VFL) matches from the rights holder Broadcom, intending to air games in venues throughout Australia outside metropolitan Melbourne. This move sparked conflicts with both the VFL and the Victorian Country Football League, as the VFL imposed a statewide prohibition on live broadcasts of Saturday afternoon matches within Victoria.
Confronted with this obstacle, mounting financial strain, and a decline in hotel clientele to competitor Sky Channel, Sportsplay experienced monthly losses reaching as high as $1 million during 1987. Following an unsuccessful effort to take the company public amid the 1987 stock market downturn, Sportsplay was ultimately purchased by Alan Bond’s Bond Media and merged into Sky Channel in November 1987.