Word of caution for those who want a RL channel on Fox

[Moffo]

Word around at the moment is that Fox are going to chop their AFL channel due to the huge losses that they have made on the service over the first two years

A few stats:

The Financial Review Article (15/8/03) referred to made the following main points.

* Fox Footy is losing an estimated $20 million a year.
* Fox Footy targeted 250,000 subscribers, but at this time only have 120,000.
* Foxtel have offered no comment to the rumour that the Fox Footy channels will close at the end of this year.
* Fox Sports are not happy to take on the full burden of the costs of the AFL rights.
* Fox Sports would need to establish a new channel to carry the AFL.


In short, i think paying for normal season NRL games will never work. Anyone elses thoughts?

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[Dogs Of War]

Only should have a exclusive footy channel if it comes as part of the basic pay tv package. You want the game exposed to as many people as possible, I'm pretty sure that was one of the requirements the NRL had with the pay tv operators when they entered into the contract.

 

[Southernsaint]

Why would people want to pay for something they already get for, ahem, free??

Fox already has solid coverage of footy on its basic packages, what could they possibly offer that's exclusive that would get extra money out of exisiting subscribers?? They need the content that the NRL provides just to fill their current airtime on Fox Sports...

Cheers,
Ben S.

 

[Alan Shore]

The only thing I'd like an RL channel for is replays of classic matches like the 1973 Grand Final, more ESL and Euro Cup matches etc.

 

[JK]

ESL should get much better coverage than it currently does. 2 games a week late??? :roll:

I also wanted better Challenge Cup coverage and why not put some of the international games on (Victory Cup, etc) instead of endless PGA events after midnight?

They play some real crap on Fox Sports - why not show League crap instead??? :shock:

 

[The Observer]

If the AFL Footy channel gets cancelled, would an elite football channel work? By this I mean one dedicated to the three elite AUstralian football codes (RL, RU and AFL)?

 

[Dogs Of War]

If the AFL Footy channel gets cancelled, would an elite football channel work? By this I mean one dedicated to the three elite AUstralian football codes (RL, RU and AFL)?

Problem is with that is who get precedance when matches conflict when live?

 

[Simo]

I agree with Dogs of War.

As long as its free, because the NRL knows its main money comes from TV and as long as, as many homes, pubs n clubs can have Rugby League showing the more people will watch it and the bigger slice of the Money pie the NRL gets.

A dedicated channel showing classics would be great, as long as its 100% free with the basic minimum package as the coverage is now.

 

[Special K]

I'm happy with what we have. But I'd love to see another channel like AFL has. They have shows for each team(don't they?) and shows about players and stuff. It would be hella better than half the shit I watch on Foxtel

 

[El Diablo]

I wonder how they make money out of Austar as I get the Fox Footy channel but only because it comes with a bunch of other channels like FOX 8, Fx, Hallmark, UK-TV and ESPN.

I've never watched it and would never pay for it like those who have Foxtel have to.

 

[yappy]

* Fox Sports are not happy to take on the full burden of the costs of the AFL rights.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

poor fricn didums. Why are they bearing this burden? Because they paided way overs to get the rights of C7 and so destroy their pay TV competition.

Of course there should be a League Channel. One that you can get without having to pay for all the other sh*t on pay TV, but no of course Uncle Rupert likes the situation just as it is. Destroy your competiton and then once you have a monopoly reduce your level of service and bleed the punters dry with monopoly pricing. Sadly unless some competiton magically appears in the pay TV market we are going to get screwed.

 

[olympic park]

Of course there should be a League Channel. One that you can get without having to pay for all the other sh*t on pay TV, but no of course Uncle Rupert likes the situation just as it is. Destroy your competiton and then once you have a monopoly reduce your level of service and bleed the punters dry with monopoly pricing. Sadly unless some competiton magically appears in the pay TV market we are going to get screwed.

hear hear!!!

hopefully NRL remains on fox sports the way it is. whilst its not perfect its still much better than nothing - fans of the NSL have to either go to the match or thats it cos they get no coverage whatsoever!

 

[The Observer]

If the AFL Footy channel gets cancelled, would an elite football channel work? By this I mean one dedicated to the three elite AUstralian football codes (RL, RU and AFL)?

Problem is with that is who get precedance when matches conflict when live?

Well, live games could be shown in the same manner as present - Union on Fox Sports 1, League on Fox Sports 2 and Fox 8, AFL on Channel 14 or whatever it is. During the weekdays, the station would be dedicated to replays/discussion of the three football codes rather than just AFL. At that time Fox Sports 1 & 2 could be dedicated to all the other sports.

 

[syphon]

Word around at the moment is that Fox are going to chop their AFL channel due to the huge losses that they have made on the service over the first two years

A few stats:

The Financial Review Article (15/8/03) referred to made the following main points.

* Fox Footy is losing an estimated $20 million a year.
* Fox Footy targeted 250,000 subscribers, but at this time only have 120,000.
* Foxtel have offered no comment to the rumour that the Fox Footy channels will close at the end of this year.
* Fox Sports are not happy to take on the full burden of the costs of the AFL rights.
* Fox Sports would need to establish a new channel to carry the AFL.


In short, i think paying for normal season NRL games will never work. Anyone elses thoughts?

Cheers,
Moffo

of course paying extra for a new NRL channel would never work, the sport doesnt have nearly enough passionate support to warrant it.

the great news to come out of it is that there will now be AFL featured programming on FS1 and FS2, which means that those fringe supporters will now get AFL as part of their basic sports package.

 

[Canterbury]

* Fox Sports are not happy to take on the full burden of the costs of the AFL rights.

Cheers,
Moffo

NOOO! Fox Sports was so good.

Fox Footy was so great from the perspective that it got rid of all AFL things shown on the standard Fox channels.

 

[Alan Shore]

Word around at the moment is that Fox are going to chop their AFL channel due to the huge losses that they have made on the service over the first two years

A few stats:

The Financial Review Article (15/8/03) referred to made the following main points.

* Fox Footy is losing an estimated $20 million a year.
* Fox Footy targeted 250,000 subscribers, but at this time only have 120,000.
* Foxtel have offered no comment to the rumour that the Fox Footy channels will close at the end of this year.
* Fox Sports are not happy to take on the full burden of the costs of the AFL rights.
* Fox Sports would need to establish a new channel to carry the AFL.


In short, i think paying for normal season NRL games will never work. Anyone elses thoughts?

Cheers,
Moffo

of course paying extra for a new NRL channel would never work, the sport doesnt have nearly enough passionate support to warrant it.

the great news to come out of it is that there will now be AFL featured programming on FS1 and FS2, which means that those fringe supporters will now get AFL as part of their basic sports package.

Most people watch NRL on TV. People would pay for it, but we don't want to lose the fringe.

I think FS1 & 2 should be dedicated to all other sports, with a "Footy Channel" broadcasting both NRL & AFL.

 

[Simo]

Word around at the moment is that Fox are going to chop their AFL channel due to the huge losses that they have made on the service over the first two years

A few stats:

The Financial Review Article (15/8/03) referred to made the following main points.

* Fox Footy is losing an estimated $20 million a year.
* Fox Footy targeted 250,000 subscribers, but at this time only have 120,000.
* Foxtel have offered no comment to the rumour that the Fox Footy channels will close at the end of this year.
* Fox Sports are not happy to take on the full burden of the costs of the AFL rights.
* Fox Sports would need to establish a new channel to carry the AFL.


In short, i think paying for normal season NRL games will never work. Anyone elses thoughts?

Cheers,
Moffo

of course paying extra for a new NRL channel would never work, the sport doesnt have nearly enough passionate support to warrant it.

the great news to come out of it is that there will now be AFL featured programming on FS1 and FS2, which means that those fringe supporters will now get AFL as part of their basic sports package.

I think you will find Syphon that many league fans may not get to the game but they sure as heck put there big arses on the couch and watch it. TV ratings is one of leagues biggest strengths.

 

[Razor]

I think FS1 & 2 should be dedicated to all other sports, with a "Footy Channel" broadcasting both NRL & AFL.

They'll need two as both the AFL & NRL play matches at the same time.

 

[Moffo]

Word around at the moment is that Fox are going to chop their AFL channel due to the huge losses that they have made on the service over the first two years

A few stats:

The Financial Review Article (15/8/03) referred to made the following main points.

* Fox Footy is losing an estimated $20 million a year.
* Fox Footy targeted 250,000 subscribers, but at this time only have 120,000.
* Foxtel have offered no comment to the rumour that the Fox Footy channels will close at the end of this year.
* Fox Sports are not happy to take on the full burden of the costs of the AFL rights.
* Fox Sports would need to establish a new channel to carry the AFL.


In short, i think paying for normal season NRL games will never work. Anyone elses thoughts?

Cheers,
Moffo

of course paying extra for a new NRL channel would never work, the sport doesnt have nearly enough passionate support to warrant it.

the great news to come out of it is that there will now be AFL featured programming on FS1 and FS2, which means that those fringe supporters will now get AFL as part of their basic sports package.

I think you will find Syphon that many league fans may not get to the game but they sure as heck put there big arses on the couch and watch it. TV ratings is one of leagues biggest strengths.

Do u do anything but troll on here? Poor troll, perhaps you should try talking about AFL on the AFL board ;-)

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[Merlin]

For those of you who think the current Fox coverage is OK, you are very easliy pleased.

I am a league supporter currently living in Melbourne and because there is little to no coverage of the games on commercial TV, we rely on fox to see our team each week.

So far this year we have Friday night games at any time between 10 and 11pm. On two occassions we have waited till 11:30 to get a 40minute highlight package. There is one game every week that is not replayed till Monday, usually around 2pm.

State of Origin at midnight and Test matches at 1am, I think that is crap.

I am not sure what the deal is between fox and the NRL, but I cannot understand why fox can't show live any game that is not on commercial TV.

Another thing to consider is if the AFL channels are dropped, fox will show AFL games on Foxsports 1 or 2, this has the potential of pushing fox's rugby league coverage even later. The effect on the leagues efforts to promote the game in states like Vic, SA and WA will be devestating.