A CrownBet spokesman said the stream was taken down once the company became aware the app wasn't functioning as expected. The CrownBet app's technical generousity has become a problem for the AFL. Credit:Getty Images "Our technical teams are working hard to minimise the disruption for our customers and we'll align with Telstra and the AFL to restore streaming as soon as possible," he said. Telstra and the AFL have an agreement for CrownBet to access Telstra's digital live feed, but CrownBet's AFL Live Vision App also allows fans to stream the game in high definition onto their television using smart TV devices like Apple TV and ChromeCast. The only company with full rights to show all games on televisions is Foxtel, which is jointly owned by Telstra and NewsCorp.

This technical leap to televisions is not available on Telstra's own AFL Official Live App, which costs up to $100 per season, because Telstra only has the rights to "hand-held devices" under the five-year deal lasting from 2017-2022. Telstra's AFL vision is also limited to a smaller-than-full-screen size on iPads under the new deal. Under the $2.5 billion deal struck in 2015, Foxtel has rights to all live games except the grand final, while Seven West Media has exclusive rights to free-to-air broadcast games including the grand final. However, it is well known among AFL fans and online forums that the high definition CrownBet stream can be 'bumped' onto a television using techniques known as "mirroring" through Apple TV, which operates with iPhones, or a ChromeCast device for Android phones. This gives them free access to all matches, as long as they deposit some money in a CrownBet account and can tolerate a barrage of marketing.

Telstra was unaware that CrownBet's app allowed television streaming until contacted by Fairfax Media. "We note that CrownBet has acknowledged that its app is not functioning as expected and that the stream was taken down," a Telstra spokesman said. "Crownbet is keeping us across its work to restore the proper service." A spokesman for the AFL said CrownBet has a sub-licence agreement and "they get no more than is available to Telstra customers through the AFL app". CrownBet is a three-year-old joint venture between James Packer's Crown Resorts and Matthew Tripp, who previously ran BetEzy. Crown Resorts owns about 67 per cent of CrownBet. CrownBet is the official wagering partner of the AFL and is the only betting agency with a commercial agreement to re-stream Telstra's digital stream.