Next TV rights deal

[Perth Red]

For me the nrl clubs should get 80% of the nrl tv money. The other 20% for the running of the nrl competition. The money outside the tv deal the nrl generates should go to jnr and grass root rl and the general growing of the game.

Afl is about as big as it can get, I see them pretty much stagnating now.

NRL still has massive expansion potential domestically and internationally. New clubs, expanded nines as a legit competition, origin played in other states/countries, international club and nation expansion. The growth is only limited by imagination and ability.

 

[Haynzy]

So at most times on FTA or pay TV u can view some type of "live" game/sport from just about anywhere in the world / yet right here in our own backyard u have the "local" viewers subjected to 1am delayed telecast of a local sport!! !! What a joke ch9 and NRL are about seriously trying to grow the game nationally!!!

It's pathetic, I could drive for about 3hrs to country Victoria and watch it live, or spend the $2 a week to watch a small window on my iPad.

 

[Garbler]

Last year?s ratings back up the Nine stance with rugby league providing the three most watched shows in 2014 while the AFL Grand Final was relegated to fifth.

"From a TV point of view the AFL grand final is in grave danger of not being the highest rating game of the year," he said.

credibility meet window

 

[whall15]

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is considering a proposal from Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to relax media ownership laws, a decision expected to trigger major media mergers if approved.

Mr Turnbull this week sent a policy recommendation to Mr Abbott's office to scrap the so-called "two out of three" rule and the "reach" rule.

The "two out of three" rule restricts media companies from controlling more than two out of three platforms in any market across newspapers, television and radio.

The rule prevents potential deals such as Fairfax Media merging with Seven West Media or Nine Entertainment Co.

The "reach rule" effectively prevents the creation of national television networks by banning networks from broadcasting to more than 75 per cent of the population.

Mr Turnbull – who shelved plans to change media ownership laws last year because of a lack of consensus in the industry – believes that the laws have become obsolete in the digital age and should be removed.

Regional television broadcasters have been strongly lobbying for the reach rule to be scrapped which is expected to help win support from the National Party and Labor.

Of the major media companies, Kerry Stokes' Seven West Media has resisted most strongly any attempts to relax the laws in recent times. The priority for News Corporation Australia, which co-owns Foxtel, has been watering down the sports anti-siphoning list so that more premium sport can be shown on pay television. There are no changes to anti-siphoning in Mr Turnbull's policy recommendation.

If Mr Abbott backs the proposal, it will then go to cabinet for official approval. In recent days Mr Turnbull has highlighted his role reforming Australia Post and the National Broadband Network.

Earlier this week Prime Television chairman John Hartigan launched a blistering attack on Mr Turnbull in which he accused him of having a "woeful" record as Communications Minister.

"[Since] he became Minister for Communications, he has failed to do anything to address the anachronistic media legislation," Mr Hartigan said.

"There is a serious imbalance in the market, with some media companies able to secure unfettered, unregulated and unrestricted access to Australian television audiences and advertisers via the internet.

"I cannot understand how he can turn a blind eye to the abuse of market power that's going on right under his nose."

Mr Turnbull is understood to have planned his policy recommendation before Mr Hartigan's intervention in the debate.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that Paul Keating introduced the "two out of three" rule as Treasurer. The rule was introduced by the Howard government in 2007.

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-po...gn_code=nocode&promote_channel=social_twitter

Whilst I am sceptical on conservative deregulation the way I see this, it could be a positive for the NRL.

The reason is that if the major networks are able to purchase more regional stations then the regional TV ratings will become more valuable, which would be very beneficial for the upcoming NRL TV Rights deal due to the domination of the NRL in regional markets.

However, a Foxtel takeover of Ten could lead to a situation like with Prime in New Zealand who don't compete for any sports rights, which could reduce competition and force prices down.

So there's both upsides and downsides.

 

[Starkers]

If Foxtel are lobbying to have the anti-siphoning list watered down that's a sign they want to bid for all 8 games (or 9 in the future) per week. Same with AFL I'd imagine.

If the Fed Govt was to do this prior to the next rights deals being struck, Foxtel could effectively bid and win all rights to AFL, NRL, A-League and they already have S15. All that would remain is Cricket on free to air.

If News then bought ch10 they could simulcast games via FTA, Pay and tablet.

 

[Johnny88]

Long overdue needs changing.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.smh.com.au/business/medi...ghts-talks-ten-or-no-ten-20150315-1425sd.html

AFL itching for broadcast rights talks, Ten or no Ten

Date
March 16, 2015 - 12:15AM

Jared Lynch and Dominic White


Negotiations for the AFL's next broadcast rights deal are set to begin before the start of the 2015 football season, with the league appearing unwilling to wait until the future ownership of Ten Network Holdings is decided.

Sources close to the deal say talks are imminent and will start before round one kicks off on April 2.

This is despite the auction for Ten Network – which the struggling free-to-air broadcaster and its advisor Citi had planned to finalise before Christmas – being yet to be resolved.

It is also understood that Nine Entertainment Co, which has the rights to screen rival code the National Rugby League, will not participate in the auction. It dropped out early in the previous AFL process.

The AFL has told the market it values its next broadcast rights deal at $1.75 billion over five years, and held informal talks with television networks late last year.

The league hoped the price could be pushed up further if Ten – perhaps in combination with Foxtel, which has made a joint takeover bid with Discovery Communications for Ten's key assets – joined the bidding. The league had delayed formal negotiations while the auction continued.

But the AFL is hoping to finalise its next broadcast rights deal before the end of this season. The existing $1.25 billion five-year agreement expires at the end of 2016.

Ten, which is in need of a major sporting code in its schedule, is preparing to participate in the process, having enjoyed much-needed ratings success with the Big Bash cricket league. But its financial capacity is limited when compared with rivals.

The incumbent rights holders, Seven West Media, Foxtel, Fox Sports and Telstra, have indicated they want to retain them.

Seven chief executive Tim Worner chose to maintain a "polite silence" on the fprthcoming talks last week, but believes sport, reality TV and news are the "three pillars" of the network.

He has also said Seven would not overpay for the AFL rights. "We love AFL but it is also well documented that we are not going to make an emotional decision on that," Mr Worner said after the company's interim results last month.

Bedi Singh, the chief financial officer of News Corporation, which owns Fox Sports and owns half of Foxtel, also has said the company would be "economically sensible" about broadcast rights.

"I don't think we are looking at getting into negotiations where you see the kind of stuff that's happening in the, UK hopefully," Mr Singh told analysts and investors this month.

He was referring to the record £5.136 billion ($10.17 billion) Sky and BT paid for live English Premier League TV rights for three seasons from 2016-17. This was a 70 per cent increase on Sky at BT's current £3 billion deal.

Mr Singh is not the only media executive who believes Australia will not see a British-style bidding war for AFL rights, with others questioning the $2 billion price tag some analysts have predicted, saying the cost of England's Premier League rights reflected a different sport in a different market.

 

[El Diablo]

could be good for the NRL if the Ten ownership takes a while to sort out

 

[Diesel]

I remember AFL saying they wanted a 10 year deal and now it's 5 years. I don't think Ten will be a serious bidder as they've been burnt in NSW/Qld ratings in the past and I dont will 9 do anything more than push the price up for 7.
Ten showed their hand for NRL in the last media deal and I expect them to battle 9 with their backing of Fox

 

[Johnny88]

With the potential Reach rule (75%) to be scrapped then Bruce Gordon owner of Win will look to merge with Network 10. Think more money will be thrown at NRL if the current laws are scrapped. Nine still want to merge with SC Austereo. It could open the floodgates for sports rights.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Getting a whiff that the AFL might be struggling with the next deal.

They have nothing new to offer...

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Getting a whiff that the AFL might be struggling with the next deal.

They have nothing new to offer...

I was just running through in my head, is there anything that they can actually offer the broadcasters now?

They already have all games live on Foxtel, they've over-expanded as-is so I can't see them adding more teams, they already hold the game up for ad breaks.

I mean, expect they'll get an increase on their last deal because even Union did but I can't see how it'll be much of an increase if it's the exact same offering as now but Nine aren't even going to bid, Ten might not bid and there's zero interest from OS (which is what saved the ARU).

 

[El Diablo]

night GF but how much does that add?

bugger all imo

 

[nrlnrl]

I was just running through in my head, is there anything that they can actually offer the broadcasters now?

They already have all games live on Foxtel, they've over-expanded as-is so I can't see them adding more teams, they already hold the game up for ad breaks.

I mean, expect they'll get an increase on their last deal because even Union did but I can't see how it'll be much of an increase if it's the exact same offering as now but Nine aren't even going to bid, Ten might not bid and there's zero interest from OS (which is what saved the ARU).

more live games on free to air ?

 

[Lockyer4President!]

night GF but how much does that add?

bugger all imo

Ahh, the dreaded Night GF. I wonder how they'll sell that to the masses after so many years of decrying it.

more live games on free to air ?

It'd be a toss-up I imagine. Foxtel will pay less for fewer exclusive games.

 

[Starkers]

LOL it's not much of an auction when ch9 refuses to participate and ch10 doesn't know who owns it so can't.

 

[reanimate]

The AFL could also move to putting a game on Monday nights. Imagine the sooking from their fans once that happens.

We've got expansion, new markets and new timeslots to sell. Plus we know Ten are desperate for stronger ratings in Australia's biggest markets (I.e. not the AFL states).

 

[Starkers]

Crowds would get hurt in the AFL if they go to MNF on a regular basis. The NRL has taken its medicine on crowds already, so if we add a 9th game and it results in more Sunday afternoon footy it ought to help crowd numbers.

 

[ek999]

Bulldogs v Wests Tigers on the 24th of April will be interesting to see what the ratings into Qld are like as it is the only game that night. If ratings are similar to most Broncos games, perhaps the NRL will be able to remove the 2 Friday night games and we will be able to get all games live as part of the next deal

 

[Diesel]

Would you expect the NRL to ask fans when they want the finals and GF to be played or will they just decide what's best is more cash?

I agree a twilight GF wouldn't lose many viewers compared to night GF and it's also a better spectacle than a dewy night GF. I also want to see the return to Saturday and Sunday finals in weeks 2 & 3 with the Sunday games being non-negotiable 3 or 4pm KO's