Angry Gallop's threat to Nine: use it or lose it

[Ant]

Firstly like others I have been very annoyed at the apparent disparity between the AFL and NRL TV deals. The AFL deal was second, and it has changed how deals will be done in the future.
Many complain that TV dictates what happens in the NRL and they are right, but there is quite a bit of it in the AFL. Foxtel demanded a number of high profile games in particular a lot of local derbies in the AFL.

I think people complaining about the stoppages, well we have been demanding live games for years and the simple fact is that the money for the sport comes from the ads 9 can sell during the game. There must be ads. So you either have the old option which happened each year with origin and you miss the first 3 tackles in a set. Or the new option. Anyone who remembers the origin game where aflie kicked a field goal to win, will know a lot can happen in 30 seconds. And we all nearly missed that.

Gallop is right getting games on foxsports is fine, but the real deal is free to air. Even really good fox ratings nationally amount to only half a decent sydney friday night free to air figure. The prospect of sbs or abc broadcasting into melb/per/adel is great. A crap figure across those 3 cities on free to air would probably match the foxtel figure.

I clearly think the NRL get too much dictated to them by TV, but it does happen elsewhere. Here is a key next time let the afl fo their negotiation first then improve on theirs, perhaps nit in dollars but in terms.

But others are right, you don't know how lucky you are. In most other western countries pay TV has all the major sports events. Even in NZ I couldn't believe it last time I was there, all blacks games are all on pay live and on 1 - 2 hours delay on free to air.

 

[LeagueXIII]

League will never get full value for money whilst News Ltd is in both camps. Why would the peoplw who own the sport rip themselves off? It's blatant self interest, it's purely dictated to what is the best deal for News. Fullstop. We can hope and wish, but nothing will change whilst these parasites are involved in our game.
It's no coincidence that AFL got a better deal than us.

 

[LeagueXIII]

And what's about the ABC or SBS getting the coverage, sweet FA, Gallop's word's are empty as usual. If he wanted to do it he would, just like playing a GF at night.

 

[Brutus]

Last night in Sydney you could get the Swans v Kangaroos game live on 10 and Fox Sports 1 plus another AFL game live on Main Event.

The league was on the much maligned Fox Sports 3.

Some really great media deals done by the NRL it seems.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/fox-sports-gives-afl-a-mark/2007/05/18/1178995418201.html

Fox Sports gives AFL a mark

Roy Masters | May 19, 2007

AFL ratings on pay TV have doubled, while NRL ratings have increased minimally, following a decision by Fox Sports to swap the channels on which both codes are telecast.

NRL ratings are up only 1 per cent, while AFL matches on the sports channel once reserved for rugby league have increased almost 100 per cent.

Although the figures are based on the first two months in both leagues, NRL officials are concerned it will reflect poorly on the next TV contract, while AFL executives are already anticipating another pay day. "We'll have no added value on our next contract while they are looking at a bonanza," one NRL club official lamented.

AFL games are now on Fox Sports 1, an established channel with strong viewership, while live NRL games are on the newly created Fox Sports 3, a channel unavailable in many hotels, clubs and rural areas.

The figures validate NRL chief executive David Gallop's concern the code is "being taken for granted" by Fox Sports, which is half-owned by News Ltd which, in turn, half owns the NRL.

A News Ltd executive has said the media company is furious with the decision to swap channels, claiming it was not consulted by Fox Sports chief executive David Malone. Foxtel, one-quarter owned by News Ltd, is funding nearly half the AFL's rich TV contract and sought an existing sports channel to attract subscribers in order to defray the rights cost.

Although the total reach of NRL games has increased 12 per cent, this is largely off the back of Monday night football which was not played last year. After nine rounds, six Monday night matches rate in the NRL's top 10 pay TV programs. Overall, says a Fox Sports spokesman, ratings are up only 1 per cent, partly because of two Friday night matches shown on Channel Nine.

The average audience is 158,000, with 235,000 watching Saturday night matches, which has increased 4 per cent. Last year, rugby league produced 73 of the top 100 rated programs on pay TV. AFL had only two matches in the top 100 - two Geelong matches with 210,000 and 189,000 viewers.

This year, according to reports, AFL on Fox Sports 1 has had five matches attract more than 200,000, with an average audience of live matches of 160,000. In other words, NRL and AFL ratings on Fox Sports are drawing closer, despite the enormous disparity of last season.

A club official said Gallop told club delegates to this week's conference that relationships between himself and Malone were "at an all-time low".

When Malone told the Herald the reason Fox Sports did not carry Friday night matches into Melbourne was simply because the NRL had not asked, Gallop arranged such a request.

Channel Nine offered Friday night matches, particularly those involving the Storm, be shown on Foxtel, provided Broncos matches shown on Fox Sports could be replayed in Brisbane on Nine on Sunday afternoons. Malone subsequently said this was not possible. Given that Channel Nine owns the other half of Fox Sports and News Ltd owns the Storm, this is a curious outcome.

Nine boss Eddie McGuire, who will leave his post on June 30, told rugby league fans on Melbourne radio recently his executives had met Gallop to enhance coverage in Victoria. Confirming this, Gallop said: "There was an undertaking given to try and put games on in Melbourne earlier and give the Storm more exposure in news bulletins."

However, Nine's telecast of last night's St George Illawarra versus Titans match was due to begin at 1.10am, following the movie Election, a flick about a girl bribing classmates with muffins to be elected school captain. The after-midnight start is in breach of the existing NRL contract, which says Nine must televise games in Melbourne before midnight.

Gallop said: "It goes against the indications of an improved start time and we formally raised it with Nine on Thursday."

Still, Storm chief executive Brian Waldron, is hopeful, saying, "Channel Nine in Melbourne is working with the Storm to improve coverage, to the extent they are prepared to share coverage with Fox Sports."

Apart from the switch to Fox Sports 1, AFL ratings have also been boosted by an allocation of better quality games, an additional match per week and removing the blackout in the host city of the fixture.

As Waldron said: "Last Saturday, Fox had the Carlton-Collingwood game at 2pm. Two-thirds of Melbourne would have been watching."

 

[McCrud]

Jesus Christ I am really starting to hate ALL of the people running and broadcasting the NRL.

All of them.

Kick 'em all out and start again.

 

[Brutus]

What a shocking situation. Our sport is being treated like total sh*t and Gallop wonders why.

 

[Timmah]

Bone the entire Channel 9 programming department and start again.

Do they SERIOUSLY think movies like Election will rate higher than NRL?

 

[Brutus]

In Sydney tonight you can watch AFL live on FTA and live on Fox Sports 1.

League's presence is confined to just Fox Sports 3.

What a disgrace.

 

[LeagueXIII]

I can't believe people are shocked by this. Remember it was the News Ltd media that told us a short time ago what a good deal we got, and how rugby league was going gang busters. Look behind the rhetoric people, we are dealing with corporate scum.

 

[Brutus]

I can't believe people are shocked by this. Remember it was the News Ltd media that told us a short time ago what a good deal we got, and how rugby league was going gang busters. Look behind the rhetoric people, we are dealing with corporate scum.

VERY GOOD POINT

 

[El Diablo]

David Malone should never be forgiven

 

[C.P]

It's obviously a deliberate act by Fox Sports and in particular the waste of oxygen that is David Malone to diminish the reach of NRL by condemning it to Fox 3 while pushing the AFL barrow otherwise the simple solution of swapping NRL games to Fox Sports 2 would be done the second that they became aware that it was causing a problem.

 

[dallymessenger]

hey guys, this is a s**t situation, but lets remember the positives here. RL ratings are still up.

the figure of only 1% up for Fox is exaggerated downwards because of the 2 friday night replays shown now.

the live games are still up 4%.

and the ratings for the additional game on Ch 9 have been pretty good as well.

Monday night ratings have been huge as have crowds.

the sport is going really well.

of course it could be going much better, but we are travelling quite allright.

as origin approaches, remember we have an event which every other sport dreams they had. at least on the AFL footy show they were honest enough to admit it.

enjoy origin guys for the spectacle it gives us. but in the back of your minds, remember, this is an event which every other sport drools over. that makes me enjoy origin even more. any time i watch an origin game, i think of union and afl fans watching and drooling, wishing they had something which can match it. it makes me enjoy origin even more.

as long as origin remains competitive between nsw and queensland, we will always be the number 1 footy code. other sports can not match it

 

[bobmar28]

League must go back to Fox 1 where it belongs. Can anyone tell me how to add an attachment?

 

[Brutus]

hey guys, this is a s**t situation, but lets remember the positives here. RL ratings are still up.

the figure of only 1% up for Fox is exaggerated downwards because of the 2 friday night replays shown now.

the live games are still up 4%.

and the ratings for the additional game on Ch 9 have been pretty good as well.

Monday night ratings have been huge as have crowds.

Sorry but this Monday night huge ratings thing doesn't wash with me. A figure of 200,000 nationwide is nothing when you compare it to the reach of FTA. Sure, it may be the most watch PAY TV show of the week, but the product is not getting out to the mainstream population.

Putting the NRL on Fox Sports 3 is an absolute joke and even further restricts the amount of people who can view the game.

 

[Time for another Siro]

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200507/s1405200.htm

NRL secures $500m rights deal

David Gallop ... says deal big vote of confidence in rugby league


A new television rights deal struck by the National Rugby League (NRL) may reduce Channel Nine's ability to make a competitive bid for the AFL rights.

The NRL's deal with Nine and Fox Sports is worth $500 million over six years and represents a 60 per cent annual increase on the exisiting arrangements.

The agreement, which includes two games on free-to-air television on Friday nights and the return of Monday night football, runs until the end of 2012.

NRL chief executive David Gallop says the deal is a big vote of confidence in rugby league.

"Obviously [we're] very excited about being able to secure such a fantastic deal for the game's future," he said.:lol:

"Our existing agreements expire at the end of 2006 and 2007 but in negotiating an early renewal we have ensured financial growth both in the short and long-term."

Channel Nine's Lynton Taylor says possible AFL time-spots were considered when the NRL deal was negotiated.

"We believe that our relationship with the NRL and the slots we've agreed is such that we'll be able to meet any requirements of the AFL if we were fortunate to end up with those rights," he said.

The station's executive director, Sam Chisholm, said the renewal continued a long-standing partnership.

"The contract will see Nine complete 21 consecutive seasons of broadcasting the premiership and continues a State of Origin tradition that dates back to 1983," he said in a statement released by the NRL.

"Nine and rugby league have together set new standards for sporting broadcasts and we will continue to do so in the years ahead.

"An extra free to air game each week from 2007 and the addition of the Gold Coast should significantly increase network exposure for Queensland teams and indeed the opportunities for Melbourne."

Fox Sports chief executive David Malone said its contract renewal confirmed rugby league's popularity on pay television.

"Monday night football will be an extremely exciting opportunity for the code and a great opportunity to further expose the code on a national basis," he said in a statement released by the NRL.

"Since 2001 Fox Sports has turned Saturday into something super for sports fans at home while promoting the games in a way that has also seen attendances rise.

"In securing the rights until 2012 we are convinced we can generate the same enthusiasm around Monday night from 2007.

"Monday night is a timeslot that has proven a success the world over."

Among the key components of the deal:

• A 50 per cent increase in free to air matches with the introduction of a Friday night double header on the Nine Network;

• At least one live Friday night broadcast each week;

• Live Monday night football nationally on Fox Sports;

• Commitment to maintain Fox Sports 'Super Saturday' format;

• Advance scheduling of matches for up to 11 weeks during the year with 17 rounds scheduled at six weeks or more;

• A 25-round Premiership with each club receiving one 'bye';

• A 65 per cent increase in the game's direct television income;

• Revenue to begin increasing from 2007 (before the termination of existing contracts).;

• An increased commitment to the promotion of Test matches;

• A guarantee of live grand final coverage in Melbourne with a commitment to work with the NRL to improve scheduling of major events in Victoria and other states.:roll:

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-180224.html

Gallop secures $500m TV deal
Brent Read and Stuart Honeysett
July 02, 2005

YESTERDAY's $500 million television windfall was a show of confidence in the game, according to ……….

The new deal will result in more games being shown on free-to-air, including a live game on Friday night.

Monday night football will also make a return on Fox Sports.

The NRL has also indicated it will reduce the competition by one week to 25 rounds, with each club to receive a bye.

In a positive move for rugby league in Victoria, Channel Nine has committed to beam the grand final live into Melbourne. :lol:

South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson said it was a historic day for both the NRL and Gallop.

"I think that David Gallop's ability to negotiate this deal will go down in history as the biggest thing he's done - including the Bulldogs salary cap scandal," Richardson said.

"It's the first time the game stood up and has been paid what it's actually worth and it's the first time the game has an opportunity going forward to stand on its own two feet."

Richardson said the increase in the NRL's…………..

"I think today was a good result and we've just got to make sure we fine tune it for the satisfaction of everybody."

International rugby league will also benefit, with money to be put aside for overseas tours.

Bend over

 

[dallymessenger]

Sorry but this Monday night huge ratings thing doesn't wash with me. A figure of 200,000 nationwide is nothing when you compare it to the reach of FTA. Sure, it may be the most watch PAY TV show of the week, but the product is not getting out to the mainstream population.

Putting the NRL on Fox Sports 3 is an absolute joke and even further restricts the amount of people who can view the game.

i see what you are getting at, but it does put us in a strong position on Foxsports.

7 out of the top 10 programs so far on fox are all monday night games

it think they will get much bigger over time

 

[El Diablo]

David, nothing has changed. What are you doing???

 

[Brutus]

i see what you are getting at, but it does put us in a strong position on Foxsports.

Yeah a real strong position...on Fox Sports 3 to help pay for the large AFL deal.

Monday night footy's reach is very limited both on radio and tv, but obviously the NRL doesn't give a sh*t as long as those pay TV subscriptions are going up.

No Broncos game on FTA in Brisbane this week - how times have changed up there.