Next TV deal discussion 2028 -

[storm1999]

Go to the states where you'll have some kind of major league sports game on most nights of the week, including week nights.

There is no point comparing the USA, which has 50+ metro markets of at least 1 million people to Australia which has 5 metro markets.

 

[Colk]

Says who? Go to the states where you'll have some kind of major league sports game on most nights of the week, including week nights. By comparison having NRL games on both Monday and Thursday is quaint.

Having games five days a week allows the NRL to dominate the sports media cycle. Guys like PVL know this.

You’re talking about baseball and basketball mainly. Not the most physical games on earth. Gridiron maybe but their season is a lot shorter. Unless you want to cut the league season by plenty that’s a pretty big physical toll on players.

The other thing is you can just know that certain teams won’t have five day turnarounds (Broncos in particular). It is going to create another round of inequity.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Sorry but this would be an unmitigated disaster. Nobody watches 10 on Fridays, and the 6pm game would be slaughtered by the well established 6pm News services on 7 and 9.

They won’t show a game at 6pm .. that will remain exclusive to the Streamer..

The idea of 10 acquiring the rights of the most watched sport in the country would have a lot to do with changing viewing habits and lifting their profile

 

[stratocaster]

Sorry but this would be an unmitigated disaster. Nobody watches 10 on Fridays, and the 6pm game would be slaughtered by the well established 6pm News services on 7 and 9.

Nobody watches 10 on Fridays because there's nothing interesting on currently. There's no reason why the viewers who watch NRL on 9 at 8pm on Fridays simply won't switch over to 10 and do the exact same thing.

For what it's worth, we already have a 6pm game on Foxtel going up again 7 & 9 news every week. 10 usually rates 100-250k in the 6pm-8pm block depending on what's on. It's on par with what 6pm game on Foxtel already rates and that would only increase on FTA.

You're also acting like the audience 7 & 9 News is 100% the same for the NRL. Between 6-7pm there are about 2 million people watching either 7 or 9 news. That means 25 million Australians are doing something else.

I hate to break it to you but go have a look at the 7 & 9 News demo breakdowns. 70% of the audience is over 60 years old. A lot of those switch off FTA after 7 or A Current Affair anyway.

 

[stratocaster]

There is scope for a bye weekend to include three Origin games,.eg.
Fri N: SA v Vic
Sat: WA v Qld
Sun: NSW v Tas

Yes, some of the teams wouldn't be as strong but my point is all states are included, while in the NRL model 4 out of 6 states are always excluded.

NSW vs Tasmania Fumble of Origin - the game that stops the nation!

 

[stratocaster]

You’re talking about baseball and basketball mainly. Not the most physical games on earth. Gridiron maybe but their season is a lot shorter. Unless you want to cut the league season by plenty that’s a pretty big physical toll on players.

The other thing is you can just know that certain teams won’t have five day turnarounds (Broncos in particular). It is going to create another round of inequity.

You do realise the NRL players wouldn't be playing extra games right? They'd play exactly what they'd play now. Potentially even less - as PVL has said himself, by increasing the number of teams, you can maintain the total amount of games played per season whilst reducing how many each individual players/clubs play (e.g. more byes).

 

[storm1999]

NSW vs Tasmania Fumble of Origin - the game that stops the nation!

It's a secondary game, like the NRL has Fiji v Tonga. Also if any of SA, WA, VIC, Tas were playing NRL Origin, the audience wouldn't be huge.

 

[BuffaloRules]

NSW vs Tasmania Fumble of Origin - the game that stops the nation!

We might only be a few years away from WA v VIC Rugby League Origin

 

[storm1999]

We might only be a few years away from WA v VIC Rugby League Origin

I'm pretty sure this has happened before although the players were only amateur level.

 

[BuffaloRules]

I'm pretty sure this has happened before although the players were only amateur level.

I’m talking about NRL players

 

[stratocaster]

It's a secondary game, like the NRL has Fiji v Tonga. Also if any of SA, WA, VIC, Tas were playing NRL Origin, the audience wouldn't be huge.

Fiji has a 38% win rate against Tonga. It's a competitive game. People in those countries are interested in the result, hence why the Fijian government has backed a proposal for an NRL club. Expat Tongans can sell out games in Australia too.

The only people in NSW who care if NSW beats Tasmania at fumbleball are former expats from Victoria and Tasmania, and a handful of niche fumbleball supporters. You're going to get an idea of the potential NSW vs TAS Fumble of Origin ratings when GWS starts playing the Devils in the future.

 

[i0Nic]

I think a WA vs VIC origin is possible but not within the next 5-10 years. Maybe by 2035.

 

[BuffaloRules]

I think a WA vs VIC origin is possible but not within the next 5-10 years. Maybe by 2035.

Yes it will likely take that long … VIC is doing a lot better in recent years …. Won the U/21 Jersey Flegg competition against NSW teams last year with i understand a healthy number of locals in the team …apparently they have benefited from the Rebels demise

 

[Colk]

You do realise the NRL players wouldn't be playing extra games right? They'd play exactly what they'd play now. Potentially even less - as PVL has said himself, by increasing the number of teams, you can maintain the total amount of games played per season whilst reducing how many each individual players/clubs play (e.g. more byes).

You seem to be missing the crux: you know as well as I do that only certain teams will be playing this and be subjected to a five day turnaround. It wouldn’t be an issue if every team was subjected to a five day turnaround but you know that won’t happen.

 

[stratocaster]

I think a WA vs VIC origin is possible but not within the next 5-10 years. Maybe by 2035.

They'll be able to play Kangaroos matches in Perth and Melbourne featuring Victorian and Western Australian players. Granted, AFL have the NSW vs TAS Fumble of Origin with its dozens of viewers, but they'll never have meaningful internationals involving an Australian team. If you're a kid playing fumbles in Perth, you can aspire to represent the Dockers but that's about it. Kids playing rugby league can aspire to represent their local NRL club, their state, their country and their culture (if they're Indigenous) - and play in actual meaningful games.

 

[stratocaster]

Yes it will likely take that long … VIC is doing a lot better in recent years …. Won the U/21 Jersey Flegg competition against NSW teams last year with i understand a healthy number of locals in the team …apparently they have benefited from the Rebels demise

The Bears and WA NRL will also benefit when the Force inevitably collapse too.

 

[Maximus]

Says who? Go to the states where you'll have some kind of major league sports game on most nights of the week, including week nights. By comparison having NRL games on both Monday and Thursday is quaint.

Having games five days a week allows the NRL to dominate the sports media cycle. Guys like PVL know this.

And their NBA games are getting about 1% of the population watching. NHL and MLB less. Would you be happy with 270k watching NRL games on FTA?

The country with 340 million people had 700k watching their nationally televised NHL game on a Sunday night. Oversaturation has a clear and obvious impact.

 

[storm1999]

but they'll never have meaningful internationals involving an Australian team.

Incorrect. Australia and Ireland are resurrecting the International Rules series.

 

[insert.pause]

Incorrect. Australia and Ireland are resurrecting the International Rules series.

How does that contradict what he said?

 

[insert.pause]

The AFL has Origin too, and can include all six states.

No it doesn’t. The NRLW origin series comfortably outrated your preseason tickle fight.