not really the point dickhead
you said we didn't get 1.8 billion
as per usual
you're wrong
Have been visiting the site for awhile but have never posted before (so be nice). My thoughts on the deal are that while there are some things I would have liked to see, such as the 4th FTA game, it is ultimately a good deal that will grow the game significantly. As much as I would love to see a big FU sent to News Ltd following the crap written in their publications over the last few months, at this current time they have the best platform and the best talent to deliver the coverage rugby league deserves. Optus or other ISPs would have been a huge risk and jump into the unknown. Imagine the damage that would have been caused if they could not deliver the seamless broadcast that Foxtel usually provides. How many less households would possibly have resulted if it wasn't on fox. You would get the diehards signing up, but the casual spectator may not have. Rugby League would have also picked a fight with the biggest news company in Australia and one of the largest in the world. We may scoff at the value of promotion in the deal from News Ltd but the alternative of constant negative coverage or indifference would have a large money value placed on it as well. NRL ran the risk of the sport being in a worse position at the start of the next negotiations. Instead, with the new media deal and the growth of the international game, NRL will only go from strength to strength.
In terms of the Friday 6pm game, I can see how it won't suit a lot of people, but for a lot of others it could be a lot better received than the Monday night game or a Sunday night game. There is normally nothing worth watching at that time of night on a Friday. It will get good traction at the pubs and clubs and for a lot of people who can finish a bit early or don't live far from work it will be great thing to watch and unwind to after a busy week. In trying to get people to the game, you have New Zealand where it will be 8pm. In Melbourne you can get the after work CBD crowd. In Canberra, it would actually be feasible with the large public sector workforce who would be lucky to be at work after 3pm on a Friday (I spent 12 years working there unfortunately). If they eventually build the stadium in the CBD it would be even better. If a lot of Warriors home games take up that time slot, most clubs would only be faced with one home game at that time slot. They could take that game to a regional centre or even to Wellington or Christchurch or they could work at some other type of promotion to get people to the ground. At the end of the day, if it wasn't working for Fox and the clubs there would be plenty of scope to move it to Sunday night or Sunday lunch time.
If someone at the start of the year said the NRL would be getting almost 2 billion for next media deal, most people here would have been over the moon. Overall it is good deal that secures the future growth of the game.
Im not trying to be chicken little here but the whole 'we have less games than the AFL per week' is pretty moot when they have 23rds and us 26. This season there was 206 AFL games to our 201. Plus we have the Auckland 9's weekend thrown in the mix. The pay TV component seems to be similar to the AFL but its the FTA component I am a little disappointed in $$$$$ wise. Getting origin, 3 NRL games a week, finals and GF for $600 odd mil? I dunno, does anyone think they should have been paying a bit more than that? Not even taking into consideration those last 6 rounds they will be also be getting a saturday night game. I honestly feel the ARLC should have just waited a year and then hit the negotiation tables. This just all seems a little self serving by the ARLC board in shutting up the clubs to keep their jobs.
Of course they do. They also make money off AFL, A-League, Super Rugby and all of the other sports they broadcast. The idea of a business is to make money
Why can't the SFS host the 6pm game and get the 'after work crowd'?
Unfortunately, I don't think the location of SFS would suit this timeslot in a city like Sydney. Having lived recently in Melbourne, it is amazing the difference the location of the stadium in relation to the CBD can make to the game day experience. Attending a game would quite often involve lunch or dinner prior to the game or dinner or drinks after the game. The whole public transport system basically feeds into the CBD and the stadiums. To be honest, I think you would be better off with a game at Pirtek Stadium to at least tap into the Parramatta CBD.
Thanks for the geography lesson, but I live in Melbourne and have done for many years. None of what you say is a strong argument as to why Melbourne, or any other Australian city should be inflicted with the 6pm slot so Sydney can be spared.
AAMI Park may be centrally located, but Melbourne is equally sprawling as Sydney and Storm members travel from as far as Geelong, Frankston, Sunbury etc to attend matches. It is not inner urban types that make up the majority of support for the Storm. Like most footy clubs, they are drawn from middle and working classes spread across the suburbs.
Sydney fans are not some special breed that needs to be looked after with tender care. They pay the same membership prices as the rest of us, and their clubs need to share in the pain of what the NRL has negotiated.
I would suggest any non NZ matches for this slot are spread equally across ALL Australian clubs.
I would suggest any non NZ matches for this slot are spread equally across ALL Australian clubs.
Also I wonder how long it will take some of our favourite Telegraph journos with short memories to start attacking the NRL for the "ridiculous decision" to introduce this time slot...
The only place 6pm Oz time works is NZ. Every other place in Oz will all have major issues. 1300Smiles will be an absolute schamozzle if NQ have to do one. There is minimal public transport as most people drive or get driven, that 5-6pm rush to get to the stadium will be a nightmare. Same with Canberra and Newy. And don't forget in the earlier rds, 6pm sydney time will be 5pm QLD time. Good luck getting a crowd to those games. I don't give a f**k what spin people put on it, other than NZ, this 6pm is atrocious for everyone involved. I give it one maybe 2 years and there will have to be a big re-think and adjustment. Why the ARLC allowed this, is my major gripe with the current deal and the fact it will be lumped on the regional clubs only in Oz, going by the reporting that for some reason it will 'suit the QLD teams' is a comment that I think has had no actual proper thought.