Coach Robinson advocates 20game season

[Danish]

The NRL would be bonkers to start their own production house. The market is not big enough to justify it and from a business perspective it’s not a core competency.

Also, Foxtel and channel 9 utilise their equipment and talent in other areas during the off season, something I doubt the NRL could do.

They don’t need to. Optus or Telstra will do it for them.

More likely though just the threat of those guys doing it would be enough to ensure Foxtel continues to pay whatever the NRL asks for coverage, even if they reduced the rounds.

Let’s not forget most non-Aussie internationals and rep games tend to rate about as well as your average random NRL Saturday night clash on Pay TV. So reduces NRL games replaces with more rep fixtures would actually work for Fox. Fox also cares much less about ratings than they do about subscriptions, and losing the NRL would cost them a shit tonne in lost subscribers

 

[typicalfan]

Granted. For me,I can't see how the 24 week season affects the quality of the product.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating when you see that most finals series are played at an amazing magnitude.

Players don't look tired from a long season when they are playing for a spot in the Grand Final.

25 weeks over 24 rounds. If you cut it back to 22 rounds 22 games you lose 16 games of content (2 first rounds to go are the half rounds which are the worst 2 anyway) even if you expand one team that’s more content than what is there now plus the opportunity to play more international games to grow the game and add even more value.

 

[typicalfan]

But there will still be a heap of bad games because we need to then find 100 extra players for four more first grade squads. We have five sides playing park footy standard as is with only 16 teams.

Add to that we'll have to have games in more undesirable timeslots because in order for your logic to hold up there can't be games in overlapping timeslots. The viewing numbers will drop. Only absolute diehards watch all eight games each round - I dare say the average fan would watch closer to three or four. Who is going to watch ten games per round?

Lets examine the 1998 NRL season when there were last 20 teams. I know fans had been turned off by the war, but even so - who in their right f**king mind would've watched the Magpies play the Chargers? Or the Rabbitohs play the Rams? You think people are going to watch these games for enjoyment? I've had trips to the dentist more fun than watching the bottom 6 sides in a 20 team competition run around.

20 teams is pie in the sky stuff, long term ideals rather than let’s go and do it next season.

Reducing to 22 and adding 2 teams is not out of the reach of imagination. Bulldogs have screwed their cap royally and Parra are going poorly but to suggest their park footy standard is a bit much and not an argument for a lack of talent. The Parra roster is good on paper with international players. Cowboys and Parra were among the preseason favs. There is plenty of talent in the ESL and coming through but having more 2 more teams will improve the pathways to NRL which will make things better for the competition over time.

22 rounds and adding 2 extra teams would add more games to what we have now. The slot obviously would be Sunday nights which would rate better than a few we have already. Add to that it leaves more room to add content. Tahiti is not what people seriously have in mind. What about 3 match series between Aus and Eng or NZ and Tonga or a competition. These are just examples of course.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Is Amazon not starting to get into sports rights overseas, who's to say it won't happen here, Fox is not holding the upper hand anymore.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Hopefully not Optus Sport....

In reality, leagues should be investing in streaming services themselves. NBA does it, the MLB does it, the NHL used to do it (now it's done by the MLB team). If the Telstra streaming service was improved, it'd definitely be an option I'd look at.

Hasn't the NRL invested $150 million in setting up something like this?
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...s/news-story/956788c93fe3d01a45ce5762d3502bbb

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Hasn't the NRL invested $150 million in setting up something like this?
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...s/news-story/956788c93fe3d01a45ce5762d3502bbb

Yeh, my guess is the current app is "toe in the water" stuff...

The big gamble will be if they go exclusive streaming. I think that will come down to the quality of the streaming services leading into the next rights deal.

As for the question about cameras/crew is the tv stations are jumped: im fairly sure the stations just employ 3rd-party companies to do it and pay a lump sum. If it is financially viable, the NRL could cut out the middle man and just deal with the production companies directly.

 

[Perth Red]

logical thing would be to pay the fta provider to film and produce the content nrl would sell direct via digital as they would have the infrastructure to do so.

Numbers don’t add up for me though. At best 300k willing to pay $30 a month is only $108mill a year before production costs which is way less than nrl is getting from fox.

More likely is fox still get the games but nrl either keeps one or two back or gets access and sells club membership deals where you get to watch your team every game plus bonus content from ycur club. I just can’t see how they can make more money cutting out fox and selling direct?

 

[LeagueXIII]

logical thing would be to pay the fta provider to film and produce the content nrl would sell direct via digital as they would have the infrastructure to do so.

Numbers don’t add up for me though. At best 300k willing to pay $30 a month is only $108mill a year before production costs which is way less than nrl is getting from fox.

More likely is fox still get the games but nrl either keeps one or two back or gets access and sells club membership deals where you get to watch your team every game plus bonus content from ycur club. I just can’t see how they can make more money cutting out fox and selling direct?

Would they not get the advertising dollars?

 

[siv]

Is Amazon not starting to get into sports rights overseas, who's to say it won't happen here, Fox is not holding the upper hand anymore.

World Cup soccer live streaming was a absolute disaster

Your PC is your set top box

But internet speeds are very poor for rural Australians

Most people want to watch high definition TV on their 60 inch plasma TV. Or record it and watch later. Not that many PCs hooked to TVs

Someone stepping in and gave all games to SBS after a few days

 

[GongPanther]

It doesn’t matter what you’re paying for, if they drop the number of rounds Foxtel and the commercial networks will say ‘you are giving us fewer weeks of content and fewer opportunities to sell ads - we are paying less for this’ and all the NSW Cup knockouts and Fiji vs Vanuatu test matches in the universe will not be enough to compensate.

If people can cancel their Foxtel a month earlier because the season is over, that is a big hit for Foxtel. They aren’t just going to take it they’ll pay less money.

If you think the commercial broadcasters will then step into the breach to cover the shortfall, then I have a bridge to sell you.

Thourougly agree.

And like I tried to explained before:

"Will Foxtel reduce their sports subscription from $25 per month?...highly unlikely.(which would lead to a large customer backlash and therefore unsubscribe)

Will the NRL value in contract negotations drop?...of course."

 

[LeagueXIII]

World Cup soccer live streaming was a absolute disaster

Your PC is your set top box

But internet speeds are very poor for rural Australians

Most people want to watch high definition TV on their 60 inch plasma TV. Or record it and watch later. Not that many PCs hooked to TVs

Someone stepping in and gave all games to SBS after a few days

I would suggest things won't stay as they are today but will improve over the coming years.

 

[siv]

I would suggest things won't stay as they are today but will improve over the coming years.

But will prople pay to buy a different set too box

You already have to pay for multiple TV hosting environments if you want to watch TV shows

We are fast approaching a process where its one show per major player

Its a turn off for casual tv watchers