New Zealand 2 will deal a massive blow to NZ rugby

[Matiunz]

Rugby for sure, but it's a moot point currently because Sky is the only game in town (pardon the pun).

FTA tv is broke - Discovery (TV3) and TVNZ have been in a cost cutting frenzy, Spark has ended it's sports coverage ambitions & no other streaming service has stepped forward (Sky's entertainment tv rights deals have prevented the likes of Paramount+ starting here - so far..).. maybe NZR might try broadening its own direct-to-consumer offering, but I don't think they're there yet.

The lack of options is a blessing and a curse, I need Kayo, Stan and Paramount to get what I could see on sky alone in NZ.
If NRL were confident enough in their product going it alone they could always not sell to sky and use a subscription service like watch NRL

 

[Wb1234]

NRL boss Andrew Abdo believes the Pacific Championships will grow into the “biggest sporting tournament in our region”, as international rugby league proves to be a ratings bonanza.

This masthead can reveal that all three Kangaroos matches out-rated the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup against the All Blacks this year.

While Australia’s two clashes against Tonga, including Sunday’s final, attracted a total of 2 million viewers across free-to-air and Fox Sports, overall ratings were also up 13.5 per cent on last year’s tournament.

“We’re seeing a great response from the fans through attendance and viewership. With a meaningful calendar and some consistency, this is something I think can grow into the biggest sporting tournament in our region,” NRL chief executive Abdo said.

“To get over a million people watching consistently shows it can be a big part of our calendar.

“We also had hundreds of thousands of people streaming it in Papua New Guinea.”

Abdo said the governing body was committed to playing the three-week championships after the NRL grand final after scrapping mid-season Test matches in 2022.

“It is in the right place, playing rugby league in late October early November is the sweet spot,” Abdo said.

“The beauty is, there is not too much other sport. It’s a chance for us to really own this period and win over new fans across the region.

Australia will tour England in 2025 with Samoa to replace the Kangaroos in the Championships. It is anticipated that a clash between Tonga and Samoa, who also have a large community in western Sydney, would draw a crowd of 50,000 people - the biggest Test crowd in Australia in almost 50 years.

It’s understood New Zealand will host both of their Test matches against island nations next year.

It’s understood New Zealand will host both of their Test matches against island nations next year.

The success of the Pacific Championships has also once again raised the possibility of a Pasifika NRL team as part of the game’s plans to expand to a 20-team competition.

Perth and PNG are set to be introduced in 2027 and 2028, respectively, as the 18th and 19th teams, while New Zealand and a fifth team in Queensland are options for further expansion.

But some of the NRL’s biggest Pacific Islander stars like Jarome Luai and Junior Paulo have backed the introduction of a Pasifika outfit.

Abdo said the game’s expansion strategy favoured franchises that had a home base rather than one that represented a geographical region.

“It’s a decision that would have to be carefully considered by the Commission,” Abdo said.

“There is real strength in a franchise being clear about its identity and its home, real strength in having a home stadium and centre of excellence as a opposed to a travelling connection of different regions.”

But the NRL will consider taking more games to island nations like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

“We want to reach as many people as possible,” Abdo said.

“Our region is important to us, we want the game to grow in New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and PNG. So we have a top to bottom strategy from getting kids to play to taking elite games there. But we can’t be taking one-off games into the region, we want to connect with those communities.”

Pacific Islander communities in Australia are also vital to the game’s growth into the future. Over 45 per cent of NRL players are now of Pacific Islander or Maori decent.

Abdo believes that diversity, which was on full-display in the stands of CommBank Stadium on Sunday, sets rugby league apart from other sports in the country.

“The celebration of the different cultures in the NRL and NRLW, it happens in such a moving way,” Abdo said.

“The singing and the celebrations, the uniqueness of the cultural performances … it was a sea of red and white, it felt like a Tongan home game. Everyone, regardless of the country they were supporting, was enjoying the football.”

I posted this on the pacific cup threads. You can see the nrls focus on dominating areas which were all union strongholds

 

[Matiunz]

Picture a nice little town with around 3 coffee shops..then imagine what happens when they get a Starbucks.
The Nrl in Christchurch will be just that, it will blow RU out of the water.

Odd analogy- didn’t Starbucks essentially fail in Australia because locals liked their local product better and rejected the foreign invader?

 

[Matiunz]

Nz went professional because of the threat of Auckland warriors joining the nrl

Heck the whole sport of union went pro as well

The whole sport went professional not because of the Warriors.
High profile All Blacks players were talking of leaving to join a rebel professional union comp (similar to say superleague) which was more of a catalyst.
Which goes back to the original question- League in this part of the world has always paid more, if it were simply a money thing why haven’t we seen the steady flow of players before now?
In hindsight the ARL supporting (financially) the lion red cup back in the mid 90s probably would have paid dividends by now

 

[Wb1234]

The whole sport went professional not because of the Warriors.
High profile All Blacks players were talking of leaving to join a rebel professional union comp (similar to say superleague) which was more of a catalyst.
Which goes back to the original question- League in this part of the world has always paid more, if it were simply a money thing why haven’t we seen the steady flow of players before now?
In hindsight the ARL supporting (financially) the lion red cup back in the mid 90s probably would have paid dividends by now

Pre super league wages for league players weren’t that high

80s would’ve been around 100k

Back then most players were part time or had a day job

The flow increased as the money increased

Suaali didn’t go to union for a challenge he went cause it’s double what’s he’s on now. Money is largely the reason people switch

 

[Matt_CBY]

“It’s a decision that would have to be carefully considered by the Commission,” Abdo said.

“There is real strength in a franchise being clear about its identity and its home, real strength in having a home stadium and centre of excellence as an opposed to a travelling connection of different regions.”

Whose going to be the first person that replies “but but but “The” Dolphins?

 

[BuffaloRules]

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The lack of options is a blessing and a curse, I need Kayo, Stan and Paramount to get what I could see on sky alone in NZ.
If NRL were confident enough in their product going it alone they could always not sell to sky and use a subscription service like watch NRL

And this might be on the table next TV deal ….which will commence negotiations in 2025 when they finally get their crap together with expansion …although most likely Sky NZ will still remain heavily involved ( maybe not maintaining exclusive NZ rights to ALL games )

We are being told that the NRL wants to maximise revenue next time …they will do so by spreading their games across multiple platforms most likely

 

[Wb1234]

ARL, Sky New Zealand agree to long-term TV deal

State of Origin fixtures and a selection of premium NRL matches be available on free-to-air TV in New Zealand for the first time as a part of a new broadcast rights deal between the ARL Commission and Sky New Zealand.

www.nrl.com

Sky give rugby league unprecedented coverage on Skyopen and also helps support growing rugby league


“The enhanced agreement involves a new level of collaboration with both the ARLC and Sky NZ working closely alongside New Zealand Rugby League to co-invest in initiatives to grow rugby league.”

 

[Wb1234]

Big rise in viewership numbers on Sky platforms

NRL shows impressive growth in viewership audiences on Sky throughout the 2024 season.

www.warriors.kiwi

Nrl ratings up 14 percent in nz last year

 

[BuffaloRules]

ARL, Sky New Zealand agree to long-term TV deal

State of Origin fixtures and a selection of premium NRL matches be available on free-to-air TV in New Zealand for the first time as a part of a new broadcast rights deal between the ARL Commission and Sky New Zealand.

www.nrl.com

Sky give rugby league unprecedented coverage on Skyopen and also helps support growing rugby league


“The enhanced agreement involves a new level of collaboration with both the ARLC and Sky NZ working closely alongside New Zealand Rugby League to co-invest in initiatives to grow rugby league

PVL wants to beat the AFL deal doesn’t he ? Now that might be a bit of a pipe dream …. But I’m pretty convinced that Sky NZ will need to up their current deal by some margin if they want to maintain exclusive rights

Big rise in viewership numbers on Sky platforms

NRL shows impressive growth in viewership audiences on Sky throughout the 2024 season.

www.warriors.kiwi

Nrl ratings up 14 percent in nz last year

Would have thought it was higher …what is the increase in Aust ?

 

[Wb1234]

League Ratings surge in NZ, but Rugby hanging on - Sports Industry AU

Figures released by Sky NZ show the NRL enjoying a big bump in tv ratings on Sky in NZ, but Rugby is maintaining a small lead as it hangs on. The data shows that while Rugby Union leads in linear television, its League that hold the front position in streaming. In both cases, not by...

www.footyindustry.com

5 nz suoer rugby sides get similar numbers to one nz nrl side and many of the Aussie games are at bad times for nz unlike super rugby

 

[Wb1234]

PVL wants to beat the AFL deal doesn’t he ? Now that might be a bit of a pipe dream …. But I’m pretty convinced that Sky NZ will need to up their current deal by some margin if they want to maintain exclusive rights




Would have thought it was higher …what is the increase in Aust ?

Beat afl in total but not in wa Mel or sa where we are a minor sport

Aussie ratings up maybe 5 to 6 percent ?


Sky are showing many games on sky open (a free to air platform) so it’s not just about money

Sky nz has no comp so maybe 40 million next time for 2 teams (32 million now)

 

[BuffaloRules]

League Ratings surge in NZ, but Rugby hanging on - Sports Industry AU

Figures released by Sky NZ show the NRL enjoying a big bump in tv ratings on Sky in NZ, but Rugby is maintaining a small lead as it hangs on. The data shows that while Rugby Union leads in linear television, its League that hold the front position in streaming. In both cases, not by...

www.footyindustry.com

5 nz suoer rugby sides get similar numbers to one nz nrl side and many of the Aussie games are at bad times for nz unlike super rugby

I don’t know the answer to this …are the Super Rugby games on FTA in NZ ?

 

[Wb1234]

I don’t know the answer to this …are the Super Rugby games on FTA in NZ ?

Yep they got increased exposure too

Don’t forget nrl season is longer so more viewers from that

 

[BuffaloRules]

Beat afl in total but not in wa Mel or sa where we are a minor sport

Aussie ratings up maybe 5 to 6 percent ?


Sky are showing many games on sky open (a free to air platform) so it’s not just about money

Sky nz has no comp so maybe 40 million next time for 2 teams (32 million now)

If there are two teams then it should be more ..

 

[BuffaloRules]

Yep they got increased exposure too

So I’m assuming the Sky comparison isn’t including the FTA figures for Super Rugby ?

 

[Wb1234]

If there are two teams then it should be more ..

The kiwi experts on here said it would go down even with two teams so I’m being conservative lol

 

[Wb1234]

So I’m assuming the Sky comparison isn’t including the FTA figures for Super Rugby ?

It is

Sky is both the pay tv bit and their free to air bit (sky open)

 

[BuffaloRules]

It is

Sky is both the pay tv bit and their free to air bit (sky open)

Yeah ..I see that now …

These numbers look terrible for Super Rugby …even with less games … how much are they getting paid by Sky …any idea?

 

[Wb1234]

Yeah ..I see that now …

These numbers look terrible for Super Rugby …even with less games … how much are they getting paid by Sky …any idea?

Can’t remember exactly but it’s around 95 million but that’s including npc and all blacks test matches. They were given 5 percent shares in sky nz too but those tanked in value

Nrl gets around 32 million in comparison from sky nz