Next TV rights deal part 2

[Twatface Magee]

I would love someone from the NRL to explain how they came to 6pm Friday games and why this is better for fans than any other option. As you said the crowds will be atrocious, people will be commuting at that time to the TV ratings will be terrible as well. It will surely be one of the lower quality games as well since Thursday/Friday/Saturday 7:30/Sunday 4pm will be the four biggest games.

I am just at a loss as to how you could look at the times available for other games and come up with this ridiculous timeslot.

I wonder how long it would take for 3-4k crowds before they moved away from it.

It will also be a game lots of people will be watching in a pub. So in any standard pub instead of 50 people watching individually at home they'll be watching it together. That's going to have a hugely negative affect on ratings.

 

[Brutus]

Pathetic deal.

So much for wanting to increase crowds. 6pm Fridays is a massive slap in the face of fans. Monday and Thurs night games next year is laughable.

News LTD get what they want yet again when it comes to RL.

David Smith was on the right track and was punted.

Disgraceful.

 

[insert.pause]

But Fox have gained simulcasting...

They haven't lost Monday night because it was replaced with Friday night.

They are also giving up 5 sat night games, if they are paying more it would be to Nine, not the NRL, Nine owned those games for the next 2 years, not the NRL.

 

[Incorrect]

It will also be a game lots of people will be watching in a pub. So in any standard pub instead of 50 people watching individually at home they'll be watching it together. That's going to have a hugely negative affect on ratings.

Can see a massive spike in DUI charges when this comes in to effect... Tradies going to the pub after work, instead of having a couple of schooners and then going home for dinner and then the normal Friday night footy at 7:30pm, they'll be watching the 6pm game, downing 10 schooners and then fanging it at fulltime to try and get home before the 8pm game starts....

This might have been orchestrated by channel 9 as a way to get a heap of footage for their RBT show !!!!

 

[Desert Qlder]

Three years ago we could point to the substantial dollar increase that put us on par with AFL, and the riddance of F&L as successful outcomes.

Now...what?

 

[t-ba]

Uggh, can not believe I thought something good would come of this.

 

[docbrown]

August Offer (according to News Corp):
3 matches live on F2A
5 exclusive on Fox + other 3 simulcast
Thursday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Total Australian F2A, Subscription, Streaming & Naming Rights = $1.7 billion approx*
*This figure would be reduced if Monday night was removed

November Deal:
3 matches live on F2A
5 exclusive on Fox + other 3 simulcast
Thursday Night Football (plus two extra years for 2016 & 2017)
Monday Night Football (in 2016 only)
Friday 6pm Football (from 2017 onwards)
Total Australian F2A, Subscription, Streaming & Naming Rights = $1.8 billion approx

Pros:
Extra $100 million+ min
All games live & simulcast ad free
Increase F2A live games from previous deal
No more Monday Night Football in 2017
5 Saturday Night games on F2A
Control of scheduling
Season reduction by 1 week - TBC

Neutral:
The NRL Channel is low cost it should have been a given to begin with

Con:
Money increase from August offer only marginal
F2A coverage not as big as promised in 9 deal
Instead of Monday Night at 7pm we have Friday at 6pm which will be worse for crowds
5 days a week in 2016
It seems little additional financial compensation given for revising last 2 years of previous deal
Naming rights sponsorship undersold
The handling of the announcement was poor

Vague:
No comment on Sunday Origin & the Season length reduction by one round - assume it still is
Seems like little compensation for 2016 & 2017 changes
Expansion vague
How much of the total is contra
As above with 'contra' - the News Corp promotion 'globally' is light on details. These are the people that just spent last 4 months hammering the NRL & last 20 years sucking the game dry


My rating:
First half of the broadcast negotiations: A-
Second half of the broadcast negotiations: C-

It seems that they've dropped the ball on this one.

 

[DiegoNT]

Ok correct me if I'm wrong, but the nrl are currently recieving $250m per year as a part of the current deal that goes through until 2017

So if the last 2 years of the current deal are combined equals $500m
Add that to the deal for 2018-2022 making it close to $2b after international rights are sold.

So a 7 year deal from 2016-2022 is $2.5b dollars.
If the rumoured $300m compensation for the changes to the 2016/2017 deal are true that takes it to $2.8 b over 7 years

 

[Incorrect]

Pathetic deal.

So much for wanting to increase crowds. 6pm Fridays is a massive slap in the face of fans. Monday and Thurs night games next year is laughable.

News LTD get what they want yet again when it comes to RL.

David Smith was on the right track and was punted.

Disgraceful.

I said as much on the day Smith resigned that I reckon Newscorp were willing to sit down and negotiate after they initially had their noses out of joint when Smith left them out of the initial negotiations, but only on the proviso that Smith was punted...

And the ARLC and NRL can say it until they're blue in the face, but crowds are NOT what they interested in. It's money and money only that dictates their decision making - or the decisions that get made for them by 9 and Newscorp as it the case may be...

 

[Desert Qlder]

Pros:
Extra $100 million
All games live & simulcast ad free
Increase F2A live games from previous deal
No more Monday Night Football in 2018
5 Saturday Night games on F2A

That is a sparse column.

I am astonished that Foxtel will get simulcasting for two years at no monetary cost.

 

[insert.pause]

That is a sparse column.

I am astonished that Foxtel will get simulcasting for two years at no monetary cost.

Nine own the games under the current contract signed 4 years ago, fox are probably just reducing Nine's financial liability for the remaining 2years of that contract.

 

[flamin]

Ok correct me if I'm wrong, but the nrl are currently recieving $250m per year as a part of the current deal that goes through until 2017

So if the last 2 years of the current deal are combined equals $500m
Add that to the deal for 2018-2022 making it close to $2b after international rights are sold.

So a 7 year deal from 2016-2022 is $2.5b dollars.
If the rumoured $300m compensation for the changes to the 2016/2017 deal are true that takes it to $2.8 b over 7 years

Don't you think they would have announced the extra 300 million if it existed?
Also I believe the current deal is closer to 200 million per year than 250.

With your maths you've got the game earning 400 million a year for the next 2 years, which is more per year than the new contract.

 

[insert.pause]

Ok correct me if I'm wrong, but the nrl are currently recieving $250m per year as a part of the current deal that goes through until 2017

So if the last 2 years of the current deal are combined equals $500m
Add that to the deal for 2018-2022 making it close to $2b after international rights are sold.

So a 7 year deal from 2016-2022 is $2.5b dollars.
If the rumoured $300m compensation for the changes to the 2016/2017 deal are true that takes it to $2.8 b over 7 years

broadcast revenue is more like 224m pa under current deal, frm 2018 it will jump to ~$390m pa.

 

[docbrown]

That is a sparse column.

I am astonished that Foxtel will get simulcasting for two years at no monetary cost.

I should add the season reduction & control of schedule.

But I think they're at least $100m MINIMUM off where they shoud have been - or - the Friday 6pm should have been flicked to Sunday evenings for a similar price.

 

[undertaker]

Pathetic deal.

News LTD get what they want yet again when it comes to RL.

David Smith was on the right track and was punted.

Disgraceful.

As I've mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, I believe the ARLC should've held out for at least another 12 months to see how much the television landscape may have developed, especially with the recent rise of Netflix, Optus getting EPL rights, suggestions of maybe even Google coming to the party etc. IMO, a mistake to rush this deal, which is a massive win for Foxtel as Dave Smith had them sweating like pigs after the FTA deal with Ch9 was announced. And as you said, the more I reflect on the developments which have arisen since Smith's departure, it looks like he was punted.

So much for wanting to increase crowds. 6pm Fridays is a massive slap in the face of fans. Monday and Thurs night games next year is laughable.

This, this, THIS!

I thought it was just an April Fools joke that was told a few months early when this Friday 6pm timeslot was first mentioned in the media. Now that it has come to fruition, I'm extremely disappointed the ARLC agreed to this. Like you said, I thought the delay in the announcement was to do with some disputation over the agreement and I was hoping that the Friday 6pm timeslot was one of the clauses. NZ Warriors won't be getting all the Friday 6pm matches as that will give them the same unfair advantage that the Broncos have had with Friday night football in recent years. It was clearly stated that Warriors and QLD teams (i.e. Broncos/Cowboys/Titans) would be the teams most likely to play in that timeslot. If so, those QLD teams' home crowds are going to suffer. Given how pathetic the Titans crowds have been in recent times, I'd hate to see how they're going to look like now.
6pm Friday is no different from 6pm on Monday-Thursday. To think this is not going to have an impact on club memberships is ludicrous.

Would've much preferred to have seen Sunday 6/6:30pm, or even Sunday 12pm.

 

[Captain Apollo]

The 6pm Friday game timeslot just seems ridiculous. Do Foxtel really think they will get big ratings with that game? I think the reverse will happen as either people will be commuting home, or watching it at a pub/club if they do. Seems a dumb expense to pay solely to get a lead in for the 8pm game.

I've already had my say how it will negatively effect the competition "fairness" between teams, and the impact on crowds already. One thing though, it may mean I downgrade my memberships for 2017. Why pay for top notch membership levels when you get treated like a 3rd world citizen and may have to miss games you would otherwise have been able to make just so Foxtel can have a game to televise at 6.00pm on a Friday?

 

[Chief_Chujo]

Nine absolutely cleaned up. They're the big winners out of this deal.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Nine own the games under the current contract signed 4 years ago, fox are probably just reducing Nine's financial liability for the remaining 2years of that contract.

That's all very nice, but the NRL should have upped the price of of the 18-22 period knowing the significant advantage this gives them over the next two years

First rule of negotiation is being prepared to walk away. The NRL couldn't wait to make a deal and it has cost them dearly.

Point out one significant positive to convince me otherwise.

 

[magpie_man]

Dave Smith sets up the match-winning play only for Grant to fumble it over the line.

 

[insert.pause]

Three years ago we could point to the substantial dollar increase that put us on par with AFL, and the riddance of F&L as successful outcomes.

Now...what?

The AFL will get about $27m pa more in their deal with an extra game, the financial value of the deals are pretty similar.