NRL faces massive challenge after TV rights coup by AFL
by Damien Stannard From: The Courier-Mail April 29, 201
THE NRL
will not demand that their next television deal mirrors the blanket free-to-air coverage achieved by the AFL.
In a major coup for rugby league's rival, games in key timeslots will be telecast live on Seven's second free-to-air channel, while all premierships game will also be carried live on Foxtel and Austar.
It's the apparent answer to Queensland AFL prayers for the next five seasons under a monster TV and internet rights package worth $1.253 billion.
Friday night games will be shown live on 7Mate, a Seven digital channel.
All Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns fixtures will be aired live on Channel 7 or another free-to-air network, with Seven looking to on-sell at least one timeslot to a free-to-air rival.
The NRL, who are negotiating over their rights from 2013 and also want a $1 billion bonanza, face a massive challenge to replicate the clean sweep being celebrated by AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick and chief executive Andrew Demetriou.
Rugby league, which currently has one game live on Channel 9 and two more on delay, has all but conceded it will not include live coverage of every game.
"But it's fair to say the NRL will push for as many live matches as possible," an NRL insider said.
Telstra has won the AFL online rights, with all games available live on mobile phones for the first time.
The commitment from free-to-air and subscription TV has been significantly increased from the 2007-11 contract that was worth $780 million and did not contain the same guarantee of live coverage.
"This is an important agreement for supporters across the country," Demetriou said. "More people now have more access to more games in more places and delivered by more media platforms than ever before.
"Also I am happy to say that this agreement will also deliver greater financial security to the football industry than ever before."
NRL boss David Gallop insisted Channel 7 and Foxtel's partnership with the AFL would not affect his code's plans.
"This underlines the values of sport when it comes to television rights and augurs well for rugby league," he said.
Nine will now concentrate on retaining the jewels of league telecasting, but paid big money for Olympic Games broadcast rights.
Seven's AFL splurge will not stop it from making a lucrative bid of many millions for the three annual State of Origin league games, which will drive upward league's income.
Seven chief executive David Leckie described the AFL rights saga as two years of "an all-in brawl" every day.
If Seven, Foxtel and Telstra were the victors, Channel 9 was AFL's hero. In the lengthy contract negotiations, Nine was the spanner in Seven's works, pushing to better its rival's every offer.