Rank the Brisbane bids

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

If you’re in Brisbane you either support the broncos or another nrl team. Why would you drop your team for some brand new team. The only way I’d see is a bid like the easts tigers one so if there was a Cronulla supporter who also happened to be a tigers supporter they’d more likely become a firehawks fan

Those of us old enough still remember the BRL and what it meant to the city. The Broncos took that away from us. Then they took the Crushers and Chargers. They tried to take the entire game in 1995. We may not make up all RL fans in Brisbane, but there are plenty of us around and we will never support the Broncos.

If a second Brisbane team came along, a BRL club with decades of history, I'd adopt it as my second club.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Those of us old enough still remember the BRL and what it meant to the city. The Broncos took that away from us. Then they took the Crushers and Chargers. They tried to take the entire game in 1995. We may not make up all RL fans in Brisbane, but there are plenty of us around and we will never support the Broncos.

If a second Brisbane team came along, a BRL club with decades of history, I'd adopt it as my second club.

The BRL was on its knees before the Broncos came along. The main reason being the cashed up clubs in Sydney were backed by poker machines (pokies were still illegal in QLD in the 80's) were buying up the best QLD talent which had a flow on effect with crowds and viewership.

Fast forward 30+ years and RL is bigger than ever with three (and hopefully soon 4) clubs in the NRL, one of them is the biggest RL club in the world.

 

[Perth Red]

You're assuming that there's no clause for expansion in the NRL's deal with Fox.

The amount has been announced, why would Fox pay more for no more content?

 

[Nqcowboy]

one of them is the biggest RL club in the world.

Where’s the fact to back that up

 

[The Great Dane]

Where’s the fact to back that up

Highest average attendance, highest average ratings, almost certainly have the largest amount of season ticket holders, huge share of merchandising sales, and the most profitable RL club in the world.

It's really no contest, the Broncos are far and away the biggest RL club in the world.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Where’s the fact to back that up

Revenue
Membership
Average attendance
TV ratings

All the metrics that matter

 

[The Great Dane]

The amount has been announced, why would Fox pay more for no more content?

None of that means that there isn't a clause in the contract for expansion.

In fact I'd be surprised if there isn't a clause pertaining to what happens if the competition expands, in other sports it's pretty standard practice to have one just in case, even if they have no plans to expand whatsoever.

 

[Perth Red]

None of that means that there isn't a clause in the contract for expansion.

In fact I'd be surprised if there isn't a clause pertaining to what happens if the competition expands, in other sports it's pretty standard practice to have one just in case, even if they have no plans to expand whatsoever.

I fully expect that there is a clause that says the NRL can go beyond 16 clubs if it chooses. I very much doubt there is anything in that that says Fox will pay more money if the NRL adds another team. There is nothing much in it for them. A second Brisbane club doesnt add many new subscribers to fox

 

[greenBV4]

I fully expect that there is a clause that says the NRL can go beyond 16 clubs if it chooses. I very much doubt there is anything in that that says Fox will pay more money if the NRL adds another team. There is nothing much in it for them. A second Brisbane club doesnt add many new subscribers to fox

yeah 17 teams will mean squat all for foxtel, 18 teams would be a different story

 

[The Great Dane]

I fully expect that there is a clause that says the NRL can go beyond 16 clubs if it chooses. I very much doubt there is anything in that that says Fox will pay more money if the NRL adds another team. There is nothing much in it for them.

There'd be requirements in the clause as to what Fox would accept and what they'd do for it. It's hard to know what those are without reading the contract, but it'd be very strange for them to offer no value for extra content from such a popular and successful product.

I can't be bothered to look it up so I might butcher the numbers, but Fox's expansion clause in their last contract with the A-league was well publicised.
It was something like Fox offered x-amount more per season for two new clubs plus a bonus of $5-10mil per club if they were from Sydney or Melbourne. The NRL would have something similar in their contract.

 

[Perth Red]

There'd be requirements in the clause as to what Fox would accept and what they'd do for it. It's hard to know what those are without reading the contract, but it'd be very strange for them to offer no value for extra content from such a popular and successful product.

I can't be bothered to look it up so I might butcher the numbers, but Fox's expansion clause in their last contract with the A-league was well publicised.
It was something like Fox offered x-amount more per season for two new clubs plus a bonus of $5-10mil per club if they were from Sydney or Melbourne. The NRL would have something similar in their contract.

Adding one club doesnt give them anymore content. It doesn't even really give them much of a Brisbane subscriber boost given it is likely the second Brisbane club will feature largely on FTA. It would make sense that there would be value in a 9th game that was exclusive to Fox but that requires two new clubs and the NRL doesnt seem to have that on its radar.

NRL's only hope of recouping the $14mill expansion will cost is that FTA value a second Brisbane team to show in its slots, but if an extra 50-100k Brisbane viewers a week is worth $14mill, especially in the current climate, is doubtful.

 

[The Great Dane]

yeah 17 teams will mean squat all for foxtel, 18 teams would be a different story

Which is why Fox would have offered something for 18 teams and not 17, and probably why talk of expansion has died down again in the last month.

I have no clue why recently there's been talk of only adding a 17th club, but it's not feasible to run 17 teams long term and there's not much added value in it either. So if they do expand to 17 its inevitable that 18 will follow soon behind, even if there truly is no plans for an 18th team.

 

[The Great Dane]

Adding one club doesnt give them anymore content. It doesn't even really give them much of a Brisbane subscriber boost given it is likely the second Brisbane club will feature largely on FTA. It would make sense that there would be value in a 9th game that was exclusive to Fox but that requires two new clubs and the NRL doesnt seem to have that on its radar.

Which is why Fox is almost certainly only interested in expanding to 18 teams, and the clause probably incentivises 18 teams.

None of what you've said changes the fact they'd almost certainly have a clause in the contract for expansion.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

The Brisbane Bombers CEO Nick Livermore stated recently on the Chasing Kangaroos podcast that based on conversations he's had with the NRL he is confident that 17 will happen in the next few years, that the 17th club will be in Brisbane and that following that the NRL is more likely to return to 16 teams than expand further to 18.

That really only means one thing, a Sydney team will be relegated to NSW Cup or two Sydney clubs will be merged. The only thing that will avoid that scenario is if a club like the Titans go under, but whilst the AFL is in town, the NRL won't let that happen.

 

[Perth Red]

Which is why Fox would have offered something for 18 teams and not 17, and probably why talk of expansion has died down again in the last month.

I have no clue why recently there's been talk of only adding a 17th club, but it's not feasible to run 17 teams long term and there's not much added value in it either. So if they do expand to 17 its inevitable that 18 will follow soon behind, even if there truly is no plans for an 18th team.

Thats why I don't believe we will see any expansion at all. There is no value in 1 more team and the NRL isnt in a position to add 2. If it was a genuine intent they would have included it in the negotiations with Fox for this new 7 year deal. Its not there so wont happen. COVID will offer them a convenient excuse to do nothing, again.

Id love to see the NRL get some innovative leadership and use the 9th game to launch an NRL subscriber service in preparation for the future but Vlandys/Abdo are not the leaders the game needs to take such a bold move. Vlandys has locked us into a PTV contract that pretty much sets expansion back until around 2025-27

 

[Nqcowboy]

This might be on a different tangent, but tv as in both fta and Foxtel seems like a dying medium, I haven’t watched fta except for rugby league in 8 years almost, I’m 32 and most of my friends sit between 23 and mid thirties and none of us watch tv, everything we watch is on a streaming service. I’m at hospital at the moment and they have a tv in the common area and the show that was on was bachelor in paradise followed by rbt. fta seems today to be filler for ads directed at baby boomers. And streaming services have all but rendered Foxtel obsolete because you can choose which episode you want to watch. I grew up on fta and stuff like the footy show and waiting till 7:30 for the simpsons but I feel
like blockbuster streaming has rendered the concept of tv dead. I honestly think the nrl should look to invest into Kayo, maybe not next rights deal but once you can get decent internet to stream in woop woop ditch the deadweight that is fta and cable tv

 

[greenBV4]

I have no clue why recently there's been talk of only adding a 17th club, but it's not feasible to run 17 teams long term and there's not much added value in it either.

but, but, vlandy's is a genius, and he said only 17 is best

 

[The Great Dane]

The whole "we're only interested in a 17th team" thing sounds like appeasement to me.

By saying that there're just trying to keep people happy.

 

[Perth Red]

The Brisbane Bombers CEO Nick Livermore stated recently on the Chasing Kangaroos podcast that based on conversations he's had with the NRL he is confident that 17 will happen in the next few years, that the 17th club will be in Brisbane and that following that the NRL is more likely to return to 16 teams than expand further to 18.

That really only means one thing, a Sydney team will be relegated to NSW Cup or two Sydney clubs will be merged. The only thing that will avoid that scenario is if a club like the Titans go under, but whilst the AFL is in town, the NRL won't let that happen.

haha, we were confident in 2012 that WA would get a team, and again in 2016 lol.
Hes talking it up, there is little confidence and what there is is based on some throw away lines from Vlandys that has absolutely no strategy, planning or business case behind them.

 

[Perth Red]

but, but, vlandy's is a genius, and he said only 17 is best

Would be a waste of money on AFL rusted on states lol
He wants a return to suburban NSWRL comp with a couple of others invited to play.