Next TV rights deal

[LeagueXIII]

Here's an interview Dave Smith did a year ago, gives an idea how he believes the game is undervalued (7:40min).

At the 30:40min he talks about digital rights and the future in relation to broadcast rights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2n1GoGkbg4

 

[Chief_Chujo]

What are the chances we would have four straight day/night fta games AND control of the schedule if we had gone to tender so fox could buddy up with a fta broadcaster. I'm guessing zero. More needs to be made about what a deal this is for the fans and the game.

 

[RoosTah]

What are the chances we would have four straight day/night fta games AND control of the schedule if we had gone to tender so fox could buddy up with a fta broadcaster. I'm guessing zero. More needs to be made about what a deal this is for the fans and the game.

Well sure, it'll be great for the game and for fans, but for f**k sake mate, look at the big picture will you?! Without Fox Matty Johns loses his biggest paying gigs!

 

[LeagueXIII]

The other thing being lost, is what a great job the NRL did at the last deal to free us from News first and last rights hold which they would have had until 2027.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/medi...iams-was-cut-down-at-news-20130809-2rnsx.html

The failure of FoxSports News is a case in point. The plan, cooked up in large part by Williams, and several months in the making, was to integrate the sports pages of the News Ltd tabloids with the pay TV broadcaster's content. But it necessitated having News' sports writers re-locate to Fox Studios in Melbourne and Sydney, something the tabloid editors weren't happy about. "Boris [Whittaker] and [Peter] Blunden [editor in chief of The Herald Sun], went straight to Rupert and the plan died in the click of a finger," the former executive says.
By now, however, Williams had an even bigger problem - one Lachlan Murdoch. The young Murdoch had initially been his strong supporter, but the battle over NRL broadcasting rights would end all that. As negotiations over the rights drew to a head in mid-2012, two contenders remained: Ten, the ailing network chaired by Lachlan Murdoch, and Foxtel, which had teamed up with the free-to-air operator, Nine.
"Lachlan saw the NRL rights as part of his grand vision for rebuilding Ten," a senior News executive explains. "He also felt that he had the deal stitched up, through his News Ltd connections."
But he hadn't bargained on Williams, who, together with Nine, outbid Ten at the 11th hour. According to someone intimately involved with the negotiations, "Lachlan felt gazumped. Which he was."
To make matters, worse, Williams, in an effort to get his bid over the line, agreed to relinquish News Ltd's "first and last rights" over the NRL, options they held till 2027. These were uncommonly powerful rights, effectively allowing News the last say in bidding over broadcast rights on all manner of platforms - free-to-air, pay TV, online, even technology that had yet to be invented. William's willingness to surrender them was seen by Murdoch as a deep betrayal, as his one-time-friend doing anything he could to stymie Ten's bid.
"Lachlan burst a pipe over it," says the News executive. "He went to Rupert and tried to call for Kim's head. But Rupert told him to calm down … The thing about Lachlan is that he's a good hater. He totally froze Kim out. But then, Kim is a good hater, too."


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/medi...own-at-news-20130809-2rnsx.html#ixzz3jRUjpZbQ

Interesting that Lachlan saw the rebuilding of Ten on the back of NRL and not AFL.......as according to Rupie they always preferred AFL.......it's the national game blah blah

 

[Far Canal]

This article us a ripper

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rug...o-do-a-deal-with-the-nrl-20150821-gj4qlq.html

Don't let facts get in the way of a good tabloid story - funny how the telecrap does do its research as Brad Walter has......uncle rupie knows this and is scared shitless......

 

[RoosTah]

This article us a ripper

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rug...o-do-a-deal-with-the-nrl-20150821-gj4qlq.html

Don't let facts get in the way of a good tabloid story - funny how the telecrap does do its research as Brad Walter has......uncle rupie knows this and is scared shitless......

Yep. The Blowhards over at the Tele and Matty on Triple M can bleat and whine all they like, but there's a good reason that news from sources in the NRL have said Dave Smith hasn't been worried by Murdoch. Unlike Johns et all, they have faith in and know the value of Rugby League.

 

[Mickyd39]

Gould was on twitter early tonight saying that Fox and the NRL had extensive talks before announcing the deal with Nine. I'm more inclined to believe Gus then some nuffie news ltd journo that these talks actually took place . I'm sure Kent and DUI will still claim Fox were never consulted. Don't let the facts get in the way I suppose.

 

[Nerd]

Finally a properly researched article showing the importance to Fox Sports of the NRL. It also shows that News Corp have stuffed up by over paying for AFL rights and have now set a minimum price for the NRL rights. With NRL having 49 of the top 100 games and AFL only 35 and none in the top 10 you would imagine that the NRL would be aiming for at a minimum the $1.25 billion payed for AFL but more likely $1.4-1.5 billion.

It was a surprise to read " Of Fox Sports' 2.8 million customers, it is estimated about 500,000 or almost 20 per cent, only subscribe because of the NRL coverage and those figures are supported by pay TV viewing numbers." I thought the numbers would be high but 500 000 is huge. If Fox Sports miss out on the NRL at a minimum you would think they would lose 100 000 subscribers and another substantial amount would drop their sport packages.

 

[Last Week]

Finally a properly researched article showing the importance to Fox Sports of the NRL. It also shows that News Corp have stuffed up by over paying for AFL rights and have now set a minimum price for the NRL rights. With NRL having 49 of the top 100 games and AFL only 35 and none in the top 10 you would imagine that the NRL would be aiming for at a minimum the $1.25 billion payed for AFL but more likely $1.4-1.5 billion.

Remembering, the AFL deal goes for 6 years, not 5. I don't think we'll be getting the same pay out as they got from Fox. Similar, but I don't think more.

 

[insert.pause]

$2bn total rights deal is pass mark for me, anything short of that is disappointing, we shouldn't be far off AFL on annual basis, yes they have more games, but the whole ads after each goal is pretty bs when they are getting the majority of their money from fox 'ad free'.

 

[Nerd]

Remembering, the AFL deal goes for 6 years, not 5. I don't think we'll be getting the same pay out as they got from Fox. Similar, but I don't think more.

Oops forgot theirs has one more year. But you get my drift. Amount per year should be similar or more than the AFL received.

 

[Last Week]

$2bn total rights deal is pass mark for me, anything short of that is disappointing, we shouldn't be far off AFL on annual basis, yes they have more games, but the whole ads after each goal is pretty bs when they are getting the majority of their money from fox 'ad free'.

I think $2bn is probably about fair for us.

 

[insert.pause]

I don't even think describing this article as pathetic does it justice, it's hilarious!

Gyngell couldn't give two shits about foxtel and telstra. But somehow poor gyng was strong-armed by Smith into making a deal that guaranteed rugby league would stay on ch9, poor gyng must feel so violated & used...

Funny how they now admit to knowing the NRL wanted more games on FTA, where before they were apparently blindsided.

Nine CEO David Gyngell warned NRL boss David Smith over secret deal

Nine Network chief executive David *Gyngell advised under-fire *National Rugby League boss David Smith that he risked sidelining the code’s long-term partners Fox Sports and Telstra if he insisted on striking a TV rights deal without them.

Sources close to the $925 million talks said NRL chief executive and Australian Rugby League Commission chairman John Grant put pressure on Nine to enter exclusive talks with the code, casting Nine as the player holding the “catcher’s mitt”.

One source inside the secret talks said rugby league bosses became “very aggressive” in the weeks leading up to the August 10 announcement, and “railroaded” Nine as part of a controversial plot to split the rights.

“The NRL had taken a very firm view they wanted more games on free-to-air television,” a source said. “Nine was pushed into trying to do a free-to-air deal with the code whether they could or couldn’t. They pushed hard for a separate deal.”

It is said that Mr Gyngell tried to bring Fox Sports and Telstra to the table amid fears NRL bosses were cutting the pair “out of the deal” by leaving them “outside the room”.

The bombshell revelation shows Mr Smith was not only *determined to gain more expos*ure for the code on free-to-air television to raise the profile of the sport, but also at any cost, even if it meant souring relations with two major commercial *partners.

Fox Sports and Telstra have poured billions of dollars into the sport, standing firm with continued financial support even after the publication of a report two years ago into doping and links between sporting codes and organised crime.

There are also suggestions the code is in breach of its own governance standards for failing to enter into due diligence by sending an official tender *document.

Shortly before the NRL began a short exclusivity period with Nine to agree on the deal, Credit Suisse Australia chief John Knox, a key adviser to the NRL, met multiple bidders, *telling them the code would return* with an official tender document. The document was never sent, raising question about whether the NRL suffic*iently tested market demand to get the best possible price for its rights, and the league’s 16 clubs.

The NRL is now facing an *uncertain future after banking on a massive jump in the price of the rights. Broadcast revenue *accounts for the vast majority of the code’s annual revenue — $225.8m or 65 per cent of total revenue, according to last year’s annual report.

High-level sources at News Corp, which operates Fox Sports, warned that Mr Smith had devalued the remaining rights after handing two of the sports program provider’s highest-rating timeslots to Nine. (News Corp is publisher of The Australian.)

While Fox knew the NRL was keen to attain more free-to-air coverage and was prepared to work with the code, it was never told of a plan to sell the four top games in each round.

An NRL spokesman said: “We are back in negotiations and will not be discussing the TV rights deal any further until those negotiations are *concluded.”

Nine declined to comment.

Yesterday, The Australian revealed* that Telstra was seriously considering terminating its 17-season association as naming rights sponsor after the NRL awarded streaming rights to Nine, and also failed to give any warning.

Sources close to the telecommunications giant said Telstra, which has committed to spend $100m with the code under its current five-year deal, was close to tearing up the lucrative title sponsorship contract.

If so, the Telstra Premiership would need to be renamed and the ARL Commission, rugby league’s governing body, would have to start a search for a new naming rights partner.

The size of the rugby league deal was not only the biggest in Australian free-to-air TV history, it also marked a departure from the code selling the free-to-air components and pay-TV components in conjunction.

Fox Sports, Telstra and the Seven Network this week made the largest commitment to any football code in Australia, signing a record $2.508 billion deal with the Australian Football League for its TV and digital rights.

Growing disquiet about the rugby league deal has spread to the clubs, and 12 are *seriously considering not signing their participation agreements, sources say.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...over-secret-deal/story-e6frg6n6-1227493850374

 

[LESStar58]

I don't even think describing this article as pathetic does it justice, it's hilarious!

Gyngell couldn't give two shits about foxtel and telstra. But somehow poor gyng was strong-armed by Smith into making a deal that guaranteed rugby league would stay on ch9, poor gyng must feel so violated & used...

Funny how they now admit to knowing the NRL wanted more games on FTA, where before they were apparently blindsided.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...over-secret-deal/story-e6frg6n6-1227493850374

"Sources say".

About as reliable as an article about the Kardashians.

 

[DiegoNT]

I think the thing people keeo forgetting is this, we now have 4 live games a round, 3 in prime time. We have the biggest and best fta deal (even richer than afl's). More people will be able to see games. It was only last year that we had only 1 live game. I live In the NT which was classified as a Queensland market so 75% of the live games I saw were broncos games, and I rarely got to see my team play live on fta even though we'd starred becoming successful, now I'm virtually guaranteed to see my team live on fta at last once a fortnight. Our deal was done with fans in mind. The afl has gone backwards in this regard, imagine how proud stkilda, demons and north melbourne fans are going to react when they never get to see their team play. Other sports are screaming out for fta coverage, while when we've quadrupled our fta coverage it's seen as a disaster.

 

[elbusto]

I don't even think describing this article as pathetic does it justice, it's hilarious!

Gyngell couldn't give two shits about foxtel and telstra. But somehow poor gyng was strong-armed by Smith into making a deal that guaranteed rugby league would stay on ch9, poor gyng must feel so violated & used...

Funny how they now admit to knowing the NRL wanted more games on FTA, where before they were apparently blindsided.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...over-secret-deal/story-e6frg6n6-1227493850374

This bloke 'source" has been busy. The Australian articles are full of quotes by him

 

[RoosTah]

As I posted over at the Newscorp and RL thread, all this smearing is in some ways quite encouraging from a Rugby League fan's perspective. It shows a certain level of panic over at News HQ and in my view reflects substantial weakness.

There is two years to run on the current deal and with disruptor services like Netflicks and Google gaining more influence, plus the entry of players like Bein Sports and ESPN into the Australian market it seems to me that Fox is just doing everything it can to spook the NRL while it still has clout.

If Bein Sports or ESPN scored a deal, then Fox would see a massive drop in revenue here. The danger for them is quite substantial.

 

[elbusto]

As I posted over at the Newscorp and RL thread, all this smearing is in some ways quite encouraging from a Rugby League fan's perspective. It shows a certain level of panic over at News HQ and in my view reflects substantial weakness.

There is two years to run on the current deal and with disruptor services like Netflicks and Google gaining more influence, plus the entry of players like Bein Sports and ESPN into the Australian market it seems to me that Fox is just doing everything it can to spook the NRL while it still has clout.

If Bein Sports or ESPN scored a deal, then Fox would see a massive drop in revenue here. The danger for them is quite substantial.

You make sense.

 

[docbrown]

I don't even think describing this article as pathetic does it justice, it's hilarious!

I know, this baby's off the charts!

 

[JW]

Such blatant panic :lol:

News throwing the toys out of the pram coupled with a dead silent NRL clearly suggests we're in a prime position to get the best outcome, be it quality coverage, coin or both.