On the surface, the idea of major sports events being free-to-air would benefit the majority, so long as that majority is comprised of viewers, but New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has reservations regarding the scheme.
The most obvious threat, according to Key, is that Kiwi sports stars would jump to greener pastures in search of bigger paychecks at much earlier stages of their careers.
With thousands of years of precedent, it is odd that no one has made the connection betwixt government involvement in any endeavour and the resultant scarcity or increased price of whatever is concerned. Or, if they have made the connection, they seemingly seem reluctant to acknowledge that they will not escape the inevitable outcome.
Key wonders what would happen if major sporting events were broadcast by state entities. If those agencies did not generate the same revenue as private industry, the cost of staging those events would make them prohibitive.
The primary implication for New Zealand, of course, would be that key members of the All Blacks would go to Europe, France in particular, where pay-per-view and sponsored broadcasts can dangle large sums of cash in front of players, giving them no incentive to play at discounted rates in the name of national pride.