Next TV rights deal

[Chief_Chujo]

f**k them. Freeze them out and watch the merkins die.

 

[JW]

Probably unlikely to happen but a full on News/NRL war with a significantly reduced presence on Fox would be tremendous to see play out. It would surely spell the end of Foxtel as we know it in due course.

 

[cleary89]

Any details on the dollar split?

 

[andrew057]

I think Rupert mightve got a little carried away with his first comment. He was later asked if Fox would prioritise AFL over the NRL and he was non-committal.

 

[Edwahu]

Instead of another super league war they are backing the afl to take over qld & nsw.

Good luck with that.

 

[saint pebba]

Whether this is a good deal depends on the actual number...

If it is 2.058 (343m) per year then it is average.
If it is 2.508 (418m) per year then it is a good deal

As for Murdoch and his "we have always preferred AFL" comment, this is horse shit and deep down he know it.

Would love for the NRL to give these games to a Netflix or Stan based service and sit back and watch the subscription numbers for Foxtel drop off dramatically.

 

[insert.pause]

I think Rupert mightve got a little carried away with his first comment. He was later asked if Fox would prioritise AFL over the NRL and he was non-committal.

Thomson wasn't non committal at all, he said they are going to use News corps resources to grow afl in new and qld and make afl the national code.

 

[insert.pause]

I can't see any scenario where the NRL can agree to be on Foxtel, News Corp declared who they are backing, so let them, f**k them.

 

[JW]

Would love for the NRL to give these games to a Netflix or Stan based service and sit back and watch the subscription numbers for Foxtel drop off dramatically.

Mate that's the dream, however unlikely.

 

[Tap Twist Snap]

Would be so good if the NRL work out a partnership with a streaming company and go it alone with the remaining games. Being totally free of News LTD would be a monumental day for rugby league.

 

[T to the T]

2.5 billion:shock: Nice play AFL.

This should play into the NRL's hands though. Either Foxtel cough up to take us up to 2 billion overall for the 5 years AND fund expansion in Perth and Brisbane, adding another 100m for Murdick's indiscretion today or they can f%ck off and see if they can survive without.

I have confidence in Captain Smith. News took our sport from 20 sides in the mid 90s to 14 at the turn of the millennium, setting it back 20+ years. It's time to give them hell gentlemen.

 

[docbrown]

It is being reported as $2.508 billion on the AFL site.

 

[Brutus]

We must tell Fox to pay out of this world or simply f**k off.

They must fund 2 new teams.

Rupert is a dog.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

Thomson wasn't non committal at all, he said they are going to use News corps resources to grow afl in new and qld and make afl the national code.

But afl have been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into NSW and have utterly failed. In actual fact the sport is going backwards at a quick rate in QLD.

So I don't know how they think they can succeed.

I personally think they are pissed off at the NRL because the NRL have them under the foot. If they don't pay up for the NRL rights they will lose hundreds of thousands of subscribers within minutes.

 

[BunniesMan]

Dave Smith won't last out the year. He has had his pants seriously pulled down by the networks. Selling the best 4 games and an Origin for 900 million puts an effective ceiling on the overall deal. It won't be 2 billion. Mark my words, the NRL is looking at 1.6-1.7 billion.

No network is paying for expansion because they have already said they're not interested in a 9th game.

 

[Son of Minto]

Dave Smith won't last out the year. He has had his pants seriously pulled down by the networks. Selling the best 4 games and an Origin for 900 million puts an effective ceiling on the overall deal. It won't be 2 billion. Mark my words, the NRL is looking at 1.6-1.7 billion.

No network is paying for expansion because they have already said they're not interested in a 9th game.

$3 billion deal and Dave Smith in charge for the next 20 years confirmed.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

Dave Smith won't last out the year. He has had his pants seriously pulled down by the networks. Selling the best 4 games and an Origin for 900 million puts an effective ceiling on the overall deal. It won't be 2 billion. Mark my words, the NRL is looking at 1.6-1.7 billion.

No network is paying for expansion because they have already said they're not interested in a 9th game.

Link to the last point
I think it is utter crap.
Fox will pay through the roof to keep 5 games a week, which means expansion....

 

[BunniesMan]

But afl have been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into NSW and have utterly failed. In actual fact the sport is going backwards at a quick rate in QLD.

So I don't know how they think they can succeed.

I personally think they are pissed off at the NRL because the NRL have them under the foot. If they don't pay up for the NRL rights they will lose hundreds of thousands of subscribers within minutes.

The NRL has screwed itself because of the deal with channel 9. That kills the potential income from Fox. 9 did a much better job of negotiating with the NRL than 7 does with AFL, and so the AFL could go to Fox with much more than the NRL can.

The key issue is Fox gets every AFL game simulcast. It will not get every NRL game simulcast so it is not going to pay an equivalent figure. You're comparing apples and oranges.

Besides the extreme hardcore fan do you think mainstream fans really care at all about how many zeroes are in the bank account of NRL HQ? They will not lose "hundreds of thousands of subscribers". The NRL will get about 750 million from Fox and it will accept.

 

[docbrown]

I do find it amusing that Kerry Stokes essentially admitted that the AFL isn't a national sport and still needs to achieve that. If having more money than the NRL for the past 20 years hasn't helped, why do people think some kind of miracle is going to happen?

As for the final price tag, you can't deny it's a major deal. Whether or not it's a good deal for fans remains to be seen. If the NRL has paid a $ premium for getting back its right, scheduling and increased its F2A exposure, so be it.

It Murdoch wanted to f**k the NRL over he would just say it. That's just how he is. Saying otherwise means he's keeping his options open. Everything else is just bluff.

 

[Jamberoo]

The NRL has screwed itself because of the deal with channel 9. That kills the potential income from Fox. 9 did a much better job of negotiating with the NRL than 7 does with AFL, and so the AFL could go to Fox with much more than the NRL can.

The key issue is Fox gets every AFL game simulcast. It will not get every NRL game simulcast so it is not going to pay an equivalent figure. You're comparing apples and oranges.

Besides the extreme hardcore fan do you think mainstream fans really care at all about how many zeroes are in the bank account of NRL HQ? They will not lose "hundreds of thousands of subscribers". The NRL will get about 750 million from Fox and it will accept.

Correct. It would be a disaster if four games per week were not broadcast! With Storm games not likely to feature often on Ch9, the sport needs Fox to survive here.