AFL to launch 2nd sydney team in 2012

[Brutus]

Marcel Marceau would do a better job than Mr Gallop as NRL CEO.

 

[El Diablo]

Marcel Marceau would do a better job than Mr Gallop as NRL CEO.

in his current state too

 

[meltiger]

edit My apologies. Realised what you are talking about now EL-D

 

[Slackboy72]

Soccer is an even bigger threat.

I recall some of us said this during the 2006 world cup.
Basically the reasoning was thus:
Good Socceroo performances leads to European football clubs taking Australian talent more seriously (and I think we've already seen this happening).
This leads to more chance of good Australian talent getting poached at an early age for VERY lucrative contracts overseas.
This would lead talented kids and parents to consider soccer as a better career option than league, union, aussie rules or cricket.
Hence diminished talent in the playing stocks.

How big this will be is an unknown at this stage.

 

[Slackboy72]

Gallop is like Neville Chamberlain - and we need a Winston Churchill.

Maybe we should start an online petition to sack Gallop?

I'd gladly be the first to sign up.

 

[El Diablo]

You applaud them BECAUSE they have never done any such thing. Would be a completely different situation if they had ...

nope

Are you talking about the respective home pages of the newspapers or the sport section?


The "Sport" link on both homepages takes you to the main sports page, which is where the banner changes and you can go straight to the respective sections, using the links in the drop down menu activated on that page. Including the highlighted one liar ...

that is not a banner link

these are the banner links from the SMH

this is from The Age

What i said was 110% correct

no League HQ

 

[El Diablo]

someone should tell The Age the Aus open is over

 

[Dogs Of War]

someone should tell The Age the Aus open is over

Mate, haven't you heard. Melbourne is the sports captial of Australia, thats why they have so many links in the Age to all sports. Even sports that have finished in Melbourne so they can relive the glory

 

[LeagueXIII]

From http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/ne...1203190742787.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

A billion reasons the AFL's going west
Michael Gleeson and Caroline Wilson | February 19, 2008

The AFL's push into western Sydney is expected to help land the sport a massive $1 billion television-rights deal in return for its investment, according to industry experts.

The AFL is committed to delivering an 18-team competition by 2012 which will include a team based at Blacktown. An Australian football industry source has told the Herald that will translate into at least a 20 per cent increase in the value of the next broadcast-rights agreement. The latest TV deal, which runs until 2011, is for $780m, but the extra games and the huge new market being opened up to the sport would give the AFL even more clout next time at the negotiating table.

"It is not a linear increase - but two more teams and an extra game a week, you would have to think it is about 20 per cent more," the source said after the AFL's chief executive, Andrew Demetriou, yesterday confirmed the plan to expand the competition, as revealed in Saturday's Herald.

"You are not just increasing the number of games, you are pushing into markets that are not currently well serviced and you are servicing pay television, which has grown enormously on the back of sport. The free-to-air market is fairly well saturated with the games coverage of a weekend now, so you would expect the additional games would fall to pay television, which makes that commodity more valuable. So I think it would be at least that 20 per cent figure. That is before allowing for any other natural price growth."

That prediction was supported by influential media buyer Harold Mitchell, who said the AFL would reap the rewards not only of a bigger competition but the appetite for content of new media, such as mobile phones and the internet. "I would expect the next broadcast-rights deal will be about a billion over five years," Mitchell said.
"The next time the rights are up the media will be quite different to now because of the change in the range of outlets, including mobile phones' greater use and need for content by the internet, high-definition television, syndicated television and the emergence of new media technologies.

"Live sport is one of the most valuable forms of content for new media, and the AFL is responding to that market by keeping up with new technology. The 18 teams will increase the amount of content available."

The AFL has declared it will have teams based on the Gold Coast and in western Sydney within five years and will expand the competition to do so if it cannot convince a struggling Victorian team to relocate.

While the western Sydney team has not yet got beyond the planning stages, the AFL's 17th team could make its debut as early as next season via the Queensland AFL competition.

The creation of the new team will move one step closer to reality this week when Demetriou and an executive team to include football operations chief Adrian Anderson meet for the first time to launch a recruitment plan.

While Demetriou yesterday denied the league was planning an all-out raid on leading players from the 16 existing clubs, it is understood the AFL will look at methods of choosing players through the draft, rookie draft and teenaged academy system.

The tender process for the 17th AFL licence will be announced next month, with the Gold Coast-based Southport Sharks certain to put forward a bid.

Demetriou denied the AFL had declared war on rugby league by bringing forward its plans to launch a team in western Sydney. He said the AFL had learnt from the mistakes of the Brisbane Bears and that the game was wealthier, better resourced and had no choice but to speed up the process.

"We discussed at length our desire to push on into the Gold Coast and western Sydney," he said. "It's not a bluff or a scare tactic. We are deadly serious about expanding our competition."

NSW Rugby League general manager Geoff Carr said it would not give up the west without a fight. "The western Sydney region is one of rugby league's strongest areas and we intend to keep it that way," Carr said.

■ Demetriou expects a response from West Coast within a week over the Gillard report into the club's off-field problems, AAP reports. Eagles chairman Mark Barnaba will receive the report today and the West Coast board will then consider the findings.

"Any response plays a part [in the AFL's final deliberations]. A lack of a response wouldn't be helpful," Demetriou said.

West Coast said they would co-operate with the league.

So by growing their game by an extra match and into 2 new markets they can expect a 20% increase, that simple. Didn't we expand into SE Qld what did we get for that? What about a night GF, what did we get for that?

So what do the NRL do? The guardians of our game, that's right sweet FA.

Another thing is how the hell AFL gets so much more than us when they only beat us in Adelaide, Perth, Tassie and Melbourne?

Is it possible to call an enquiry. News Ltd are bleeding us dry. Fingers crossed that they get their money back by 2012 then f*** off. My only hope is after that we make the bastards pay. Somehow I doubt that will happen too as they will place into power lackies.

 

[LeagueXIII]

From http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/ne...1203190742787.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

A billion reasons the AFL's going west
Michael Gleeson and Caroline Wilson | February 19, 2008

The AFL's push into western Sydney is expected to help land the sport a massive $1 billion television-rights deal in return for its investment, according to industry experts.

The AFL is committed to delivering an 18-team competition by 2012 which will include a team based at Blacktown. An Australian football industry source has told the Herald that will translate into at least a 20 per cent increase in the value of the next broadcast-rights agreement. The latest TV deal, which runs until 2011, is for $780m, but the extra games and the huge new market being opened up to the sport would give the AFL even more clout next time at the negotiating table.

"It is not a linear increase - but two more teams and an extra game a week, you would have to think it is about 20 per cent more," the source said after the AFL's chief executive, Andrew Demetriou, yesterday confirmed the plan to expand the competition, as revealed in Saturday's Herald.

"You are not just increasing the number of games, you are pushing into markets that are not currently well serviced and you are servicing pay television, which has grown enormously on the back of sport. The free-to-air market is fairly well saturated with the games coverage of a weekend now, so you would expect the additional games would fall to pay television, which makes that commodity more valuable. So I think it would be at least that 20 per cent figure. That is before allowing for any other natural price growth."

That prediction was supported by influential media buyer Harold Mitchell, who said the AFL would reap the rewards not only of a bigger competition but the appetite for content of new media, such as mobile phones and the internet. "I would expect the next broadcast-rights deal will be about a billion over five years," Mitchell said.
"The next time the rights are up the media will be quite different to now because of the change in the range of outlets, including mobile phones' greater use and need for content by the internet, high-definition television, syndicated television and the emergence of new media technologies.

"Live sport is one of the most valuable forms of content for new media, and the AFL is responding to that market by keeping up with new technology. The 18 teams will increase the amount of content available."

The AFL has declared it will have teams based on the Gold Coast and in western Sydney within five years and will expand the competition to do so if it cannot convince a struggling Victorian team to relocate.

While the western Sydney team has not yet got beyond the planning stages, the AFL's 17th team could make its debut as early as next season via the Queensland AFL competition.

The creation of the new team will move one step closer to reality this week when Demetriou and an executive team to include football operations chief Adrian Anderson meet for the first time to launch a recruitment plan.

While Demetriou yesterday denied the league was planning an all-out raid on leading players from the 16 existing clubs, it is understood the AFL will look at methods of choosing players through the draft, rookie draft and teenaged academy system.

The tender process for the 17th AFL licence will be announced next month, with the Gold Coast-based Southport Sharks certain to put forward a bid.

Demetriou denied the AFL had declared war on rugby league by bringing forward its plans to launch a team in western Sydney. He said the AFL had learnt from the mistakes of the Brisbane Bears and that the game was wealthier, better resourced and had no choice but to speed up the process.

"We discussed at length our desire to push on into the Gold Coast and western Sydney," he said. "It's not a bluff or a scare tactic. We are deadly serious about expanding our competition."

NSW Rugby League general manager Geoff Carr said it would not give up the west without a fight. "The western Sydney region is one of rugby league's strongest areas and we intend to keep it that way," Carr said.

■ Demetriou expects a response from West Coast within a week over the Gillard report into the club's off-field problems, AAP reports. Eagles chairman Mark Barnaba will receive the report today and the West Coast board will then consider the findings.

"Any response plays a part [in the AFL's final deliberations]. A lack of a response wouldn't be helpful," Demetriou said.

West Coast said they would co-operate with the league.

So by growing their game by an extra match and into 2 new markets they can expect a 20% increase, that simple. Didn't we expand into SE Qld what did we get for that? What about a night GF, what did we get for that?

So what do the NRL do? The guardians of our game, that's right sweet FA.

Another thing is how the hell AFL gets so much more than us when they only beat us in Adelaide, Perth, Tassie and Melbourne?

Is it possible to call an enquiry. News Ltd are bleeding us dry. Fingers crossed that they get their money back by 2012 then f*** off. My only hope is after that we make the bastards pay. Somehow I doubt that will happen too as they will place into power lackies.

 

[LeagueXIII]

From http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/ne...1203190742787.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

A billion reasons the AFL's going west
Michael Gleeson and Caroline Wilson | February 19, 2008

The AFL's push into western Sydney is expected to help land the sport a massive $1 billion television-rights deal in return for its investment, according to industry experts.

The AFL is committed to delivering an 18-team competition by 2012 which will include a team based at Blacktown. An Australian football industry source has told the Herald that will translate into at least a 20 per cent increase in the value of the next broadcast-rights agreement. The latest TV deal, which runs until 2011, is for $780m, but the extra games and the huge new market being opened up to the sport would give the AFL even more clout next time at the negotiating table.

"It is not a linear increase - but two more teams and an extra game a week, you would have to think it is about 20 per cent more," the source said after the AFL's chief executive, Andrew Demetriou, yesterday confirmed the plan to expand the competition, as revealed in Saturday's Herald.

"You are not just increasing the number of games, you are pushing into markets that are not currently well serviced and you are servicing pay television, which has grown enormously on the back of sport. The free-to-air market is fairly well saturated with the games coverage of a weekend now, so you would expect the additional games would fall to pay television, which makes that commodity more valuable. So I think it would be at least that 20 per cent figure. That is before allowing for any other natural price growth."

That prediction was supported by influential media buyer Harold Mitchell, who said the AFL would reap the rewards not only of a bigger competition but the appetite for content of new media, such as mobile phones and the internet. "I would expect the next broadcast-rights deal will be about a billion over five years," Mitchell said.
"The next time the rights are up the media will be quite different to now because of the change in the range of outlets, including mobile phones' greater use and need for content by the internet, high-definition television, syndicated television and the emergence of new media technologies.

"Live sport is one of the most valuable forms of content for new media, and the AFL is responding to that market by keeping up with new technology. The 18 teams will increase the amount of content available."

The AFL has declared it will have teams based on the Gold Coast and in western Sydney within five years and will expand the competition to do so if it cannot convince a struggling Victorian team to relocate.

While the western Sydney team has not yet got beyond the planning stages, the AFL's 17th team could make its debut as early as next season via the Queensland AFL competition.

The creation of the new team will move one step closer to reality this week when Demetriou and an executive team to include football operations chief Adrian Anderson meet for the first time to launch a recruitment plan.

While Demetriou yesterday denied the league was planning an all-out raid on leading players from the 16 existing clubs, it is understood the AFL will look at methods of choosing players through the draft, rookie draft and teenaged academy system.

The tender process for the 17th AFL licence will be announced next month, with the Gold Coast-based Southport Sharks certain to put forward a bid.

Demetriou denied the AFL had declared war on rugby league by bringing forward its plans to launch a team in western Sydney. He said the AFL had learnt from the mistakes of the Brisbane Bears and that the game was wealthier, better resourced and had no choice but to speed up the process.

"We discussed at length our desire to push on into the Gold Coast and western Sydney," he said. "It's not a bluff or a scare tactic. We are deadly serious about expanding our competition."

NSW Rugby League general manager Geoff Carr said it would not give up the west without a fight. "The western Sydney region is one of rugby league's strongest areas and we intend to keep it that way," Carr said.

■ Demetriou expects a response from West Coast within a week over the Gillard report into the club's off-field problems, AAP reports. Eagles chairman Mark Barnaba will receive the report today and the West Coast board will then consider the findings.

"Any response plays a part [in the AFL's final deliberations]. A lack of a response wouldn't be helpful," Demetriou said.

West Coast said they would co-operate with the league.

So by growing their game by an extra match and into 2 new markets they can expect a 20% increase, that simple. Didn't we expand into SE Qld what did we get for that? What about a night GF, what did we get for that?

So what do the NRL do? The guardians of our game, that's right sweet FA.

Another thing is how the hell AFL gets so much more than us when they only beat us in Adelaide, Perth, Tassie and Melbourne?

Is it possible to call an enquiry. News Ltd are bleeding us dry. Fingers crossed that they get their money back by 2012 then f*** off. My only hope is after that we make the bastards pay. Somehow I doubt that will happen too as they will place into power lackies.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Whoops!!

 

[McCrud]

What about selling the NRL, State of Origin and Internationals as stand alone products? I read Gallop talking that one up before the last rights agreement but clearly it was all hot air.

This next TV rights agreement has got to be the most important in our game's history. If the AFL get $1 billion and we end up some paltry figure half of that - Rugby League will turn into a 2nd-tier sport. We will be f**ked. We will never recover. We won't be able to match the AFL offer but we have to stay competitive and in touch.

Let's just hope that media like the Fairfax press keep the blokes in charge of our game accountable. Someone has got to put the blowtorch to Gallop i.e If the AFL can generate that much TV revenue growth out of expansion why can't we?

 

[LeagueXIII]

Because the hidden agenda is for us to become a 2nd tier game (cheaper) for the corporates. AFL is the chosen one. Why else aren't News Ltd doing anything?

 

[McCrud]

Not a peep out of Gallop in today's papers.

He can't hide forever.

 

[Dogs Of War]

Not a peep out of Gallop in today's papers.

He can't hide forever.

Why not? He is pretty good at hiding, he has been doing it for a few years now.

 

[Noa]

Just heard the grubby little mayor of Blacktown on the radio saying how little League does for the area i.e. him and how the AFL does so much for blacktown.

 

[The Engineers Room]

Problem is Blacktown is Penrith District and that district isn't as strong as the Parramatta District. Just down the road from Blacktown in Seven Hills & The Hills there are two very stong clubs that do alot for the local community.

 

[The Engineers Room]

Just heard the grubby little mayor of Blacktown on the radio saying how little League does for the area i.e. him and how the AFL does so much for blacktown.

When are the next council elections? I won't be voting for him or any of the current council.

 

[Ziggy the God]

Here is the Crikey Article:

Not so fast AFL. Who will pay for (or watch) this northern expansion? (Glenn Dyer)

In all their enthusiasm for the AFL northern invasion story, Fairfax media and the AFL seem to be studiously ignoring the realties of TV advertising and viewing patterns in NSW and Queensland. The stories paid no heed to several other developments that will change television not too far down the track; most significantly the advent of all-digital Free To Air TV around 2012 and 2013, a development that will coincide with the end of the current AFL broadcast contract.

Foxtel (or rather Fox Sports) will not necessarily be the other broadcaster competing with the free to air networks. By 2011-2012 there will be 15 free to air channels: 10 high definition digital and five standard definition digital. Foxtel will be in the process of expanding the use of its IQ2 high definition broadband service.

The anti-siphoning rules that prevent the free to air networks from broadcasting sport such as the AFL on their second and third channels only, will probably not exist in their present form. With 15 free to air channels and deep pockets the networks might be interested in using their second and third channels for sport. But because audiences will be lower, the fees the networks can afford to pay will also be lower, which means the days of record AFL rights agreements may be over.
Then there are some conflicts of interest for the Nine Network and News Ltd/Fox Sports to resolve. The AFL has blithely looked through those, but the NRL is well aware. Nine broadcasts the NRL and will until around 2012. It rates well on Friday nights in Sydney and Brisbane (and in NSW and Queensland regional areas).

The AFL can't delivery the ratings and revenues in those markets that the NRL does on Friday nights, or Sunday afternoons for that matter. The Seven Network won Friday nights in Sydney and Brisbane last winter on a regular basis by not showing AFL games and programming non-sport entertainment. If the AFL and its coterie of football writers in Melbourne can't understand that, then the second Sydney team has no hope.
Like it or not Sydney and Brisbane (and the regional areas along the coast north of Sydney) are now the biggest TV markets in the country (Brisbane is the fastest growing). Sydney alone generates 37% of commercial TV revenue in the country. Melbourne accounts for around 25%. Brisbane is almost 18%. That makes Sydney and Brisbane responsible for around 55% of TV ad revenues in metro markets. If you add in the regional areas, the share is even bigger.
The two states are NRL strongholds. Soccer can't reach these markets because it’s exclusively on Fox Sports for the next five years. Rugby Union is struggling and the AFL just battles to make any headway with viewers.
Advertisers do not want to know about AFL in these markets on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons.

That's why claims by Caroline Wilson in the weekend Fairfax papers that a new team in Sydney would be seen on TV every Friday night is hot air. Ten won't screen non-Swans games live in Sydney on Saturday nights, preferring to show them on delay from 10.30pm onwards. Seven shows the Friday night AFL games late in the evening. They are not in the business of losing revenue for the benefit of the AFL.

News Ltd owns half the NRL (and won't be selling for at least 10 years because of the huge losses). It owns the Melbourne Storm and part owns the Brisbane Broncos. It half owns Fox Sports with Cons Media (the media rump of PBL), which Lachlan Murdoch and James Packer want to buy.

The Fairfax story ignored the conflict that News has: does it get Fox Sports to buy the extra games envisaged under the new AFL contract, even if that cuts revenue and viewing numbers to NRL games?

Both the NRL and AFL should have tuned into SBS late yesterday when Frank Lowy, the chairman of the Football Federation Australia, revealed that he wanted to see an extra club in Sydney and Melbourne next year and another two in two to three years time.
And he confirmed that if crowds at A-League games continue to grow at the current rate, the A-League will have more people watching per game than the NRL.

If I was a betting man the real story is that the AFL and Fox Sports are quietly working on a deal that will see an AFL Pay TV network established to be run and marketed by Fox Sports in a profit sharing deal, just as the NFL is trying to do in the US without much success.

Seven, Ten and Nine know they can't commit to any demands from the AFL until they know the shape of the media landscape with an analogue turn-off date confirmed and updated operating rules for their three free to air channels.
Fox Sports/Foxtel is the only broadcaster that can offer the AFL a deal it can't refuse because the Pay TV businesses know what they will be doing in 2013 and beyond because they are all digital and growing.

_____________________________________________

When you think about it, multi-channelling will be more advantageous to the NRL, because for the first time, viewers in the Southern States will be able to watch League on FTA for the first time (ie before midnight).

The AFL is already on our FTA screens in NSW and QLD.

Bring it on.