No Australian tv deal yet!

[Iamback]

Because it us up to the competing countries to organise their test matches. IRL just sanctions them. Smith developed a pacific strategy as he could see how important the pacific players are to the game, this included increased tests so they didnt feel they were missing out at origin time (and being a Union man he knows the value of the international game for a sport). Ch9 wanted the extra 50k viewers on a Weds night so Vlandys has canned them, for no extra money I might add!

Now there is no way that Tonga and Samoa can just organise a test match between themselves mid season as the NRL players rightfully wouldn't be released. NZRL is in the ARLC's pocket as we saw witht he RLWC decisin so they aren't doing anything that isnt ok'd by Australia. Ergo its up to the ARLC when and where tests are played in this part of the world.

At least in England the RFL has created a second tier Knights team to give other Euroean countries some international opportunity.

You have just listed why International RL is a basketcase

 

[Perth Red]

You have just listed why International RL is a basketcase

Tell us something we dont know! Like the rest of the sport it is dominated by self interest and short sightedness

 

[LeagueXIII]

I think these nations are going to be reclassified as tier 1 nations and as a result the players will earn as much as Australian players so there is no more of this nation hopping. However the NRL/broadcasters, who now own and run the game, cant have it mid season as it could compromise selection of the origin teams, so the solution is play origin mid season and for your nation post season.

 

[Stinkfinger]

Or the perceived interest is too low, and a lot of that lays on the shoulders of the NRL and its media partners. Its not like there aren't fans of RL in the country! So you have to ask why those fans aren't interested in watching their national team.

Television networks aren't stupid, and neither are the fans. The best you can hope for is an 8.30pm kickoff in England, we will be on Australian summer time by then so in NSW we'll be 11 hours ahead which is 7.30am (6.30am in Queensland). Even this late isn't conducive to getting crowds in the late autumn in England, and 7.30 in the morning is hardly prime time here. Some of us will get up early to watch, but the networks have crunched the numbers and decided the asking price is too high for what is being offered. The NRL have nothing to do with it, and broadcasters are not charities.

A 2pm kickoff would be 3am here. You have to be a serious fan to commit to that.

 

[Jim from Oz]

Television networks aren't stupid, and neither are the fans. The best you can hope for is an 8.30pm kickoff in England, we will be on Australian summer time by then so in NSW we'll be 11 hours ahead which is 7.30am (6.30am in Queensland). Even this late isn't conducive to getting crowds in the late autumn in England, and 7.30 in the morning is hardly prime time here. Some of us will get up early to watch, but the networks have crunched the numbers and decided the asking price is too high for what is being offered. The NRL have nothing to do with it, and broadcasters are not charities.

A 2pm kickoff would be 3am here. You have to be a serious fan to commit to that.

But UK 2pm kick-offs which were in the middle of the night in Australia never stopped many, many of us watching test matches from England during the great days of the kangaroo tours… which were of course Another victim of the ridiculous super league war

 

[Perth Red]

Television networks aren't stupid, and neither are the fans. The best you can hope for is an 8.30pm kickoff in England, we will be on Australian summer time by then so in NSW we'll be 11 hours ahead which is 7.30am (6.30am in Queensland). Even this late isn't conducive to getting crowds in the late autumn in England, and 7.30 in the morning is hardly prime time here. Some of us will get up early to watch, but the networks have crunched the numbers and decided the asking price is too high for what is being offered. The NRL have nothing to do with it, and broadcasters are not charities.

A 2pm kickoff would be 3am here. You have to be a serious fan to commit to that.

We are all used to streaming now which has totally changed the face of consumption, the days of sport having to be live are over. i type this as I’m watching last nights F1 from Canada. I’d be lucky to watch 2 nrl games live these days, rest on streaming at a different time Along with SL games. I’d be very happy to tune into RLWC the night after the games have been played to watch them all.

 

[Stinkfinger]

But UK 2pm kick-offs which were in the middle of the night in Australia never stopped many, many of us watching test matches from England during the great days of the kangaroo tours… which were of course Another victim of the ridiculous super league war

There are those who'll watch, but the broadcasters need to be able to at least break even, and its hard to get a good price for advertising at 1 in the morning. I honestly don't know how they managed to make it viable even back then.

The owners of the event are just going to have to lower their expectations. Hopefully that happens because we all want to watch it.

 

[The Great Dane]

There are those who'll watch, but the broadcasters need to be able to at least break even, and its hard to get a good price for advertising at 1 in the morning. I honestly don't know how they managed to make it viable even back then.

The owners of the event are just going to have to lower their expectations. Hopefully that happens because we all want to watch it.

They're delusional, entitled, and think the product is premium simply because it's an international event and it's got world cup slapped on it.

In other words I doubt they'll lower their expectations until they've got absolutely no choice, by which time there'll be little time to negotiate in good faith and they'll be stuck picking from whatever's left on offer or going without an Australian broadcast partner.

I wouldn't be surprised if they don't manage to get a FTA broadcast partner and it gets stuck behind a paywall, which would easily be one of the worst things that could possibly happen to international RL as a product. It'd set it back years in the largest RL market in the world, where it's already an afterthought that struggles for mainstream attention because of chronic mismanagement.

 

[Coastbloke]

Morning Gus…

 

[Bulldog2020]

I wonder if 9/fox don't end up doing a deal and no payment can be secured, it might bring in a YouTube on a revenue share type of agreement.

 

[Perth Red]

They're delusional, entitled, and think the product is premium simply because it's an international event and it's got world cup slapped on it.

In other words I doubt they'll lower their expectations until they've got absolutely no choice, by which time there'll be little time to negotiate in good faith and they'll be stuck picking from whatever's left on offer or going without an Australian broadcast partner.

I wouldn't be surprised if they don't manage to get a FTA broadcast partner and it gets stuck behind a paywall, which would easily be one of the worst things that could possibly happen to international RL as a product. It'd set it back years in the largest RL market in the world, where it's already an afterthought that struggles for mainstream attention because of chronic mismanagement.

you sound like you know how much they are asking for, do enlighten us please.

 

[The Great Dane]

you sound like you know how much they are asking for, do enlighten us please.

Obviously the deal they are asking for is way too much, and we don't need to know how much they're asking for to know that. If they weren't asking for too much they would have have come to a deal months ago.

There's also more to broadcasting rights than just the financials. For all we know the financials may not be the main issue, and it's other demands that are holding things back.

 

[The Great Dane]

Morning Gus…

Notice how you continue to fail to address the argument...

It's so f**king ironic that people like you, whom claim to be international rugby league's biggest proponents, are also the stupid morons who have run it into the dirt when it should be the sport's premiere product, and continue to make sure that'll be nothing more than an astroturfed joke with delusions of grandeur.

The sad thing is that it'll never be able to move forward until people like you come to accept the position it's really in.

 

[Coastbloke]

Morning Gus…

 

[Perth Red]

Obviously the deal they are asking for is way too much, and we don't need to know how much they're asking for to know that. If they weren't asking for too much they would have have come to a deal months ago.

There's also more to broadcasting rights than just the financials. For all we know the financials may not be the main issue, and it's other demands that are holding things back.

Well we do as they might not be asking much but maybe tv here values the international game so low even not much is too much. That is then an issue on why international rl isn’t valued rather than the asking price. We dont know and you’re making a big assumption that the price is outrageous when that may not be the problem we have.

im pretty conifdent that if the nrl and media had been talking about the RLWC as much as they have origin since season started that this wouldn’t be an issue and someone would have the rights by now, presuming they aren’t overpriced of course.

 

[Iamback]

No one will watch the ads if they are streaming it later.

That alone pushes the price down

 

[Iamback]

There are those who'll watch, but the broadcasters need to be able to at least break even, and its hard to get a good price for advertising at 1 in the morning. I honestly don't know how they managed to make it viable even back then.

The owners of the event are just going to have to lower their expectations. Hopefully that happens because we all want to watch it.

Personally. I will watch in the hour on the train going to work.

That means skipping the pre and halftime shows. Skipping between the try given and the kickoff.

I assume many will be in the same boat. Hard to sell ads for such things

 

[Stinkfinger]

Well we do as they might not be asking much but maybe tv here values the international game so low even not much is too much. That is then an issue on why international rl isn’t valued rather than the asking price. We dont know and you’re making a big assumption that the price is outrageous when that may not be the problem we have.

im pretty conifdent that if the nrl and media had been talking about the RLWC as much as they have origin since season started that this wouldn’t be an issue and someone would have the rights by now, presuming they aren’t overpriced of course.

All TV cares about is the ability to make a profit. If they can do that, even a small one, they'll be on it. The fact they are not, and all networks are in agreement on this, suggests they've done the sums and don't believe they can.

You'd really think the event owners would have done their financials before even committing to the event. That would surely include ascertaining what the Australian rights were worth and obtaining agreements.

 

[Iamback]

All TV cares about is the ability to make a profit. If they can do that, even a small one, they'll be on it. The fact they are not, and all networks are in agreement on this, suggests they've done the sums and don't believe they can.

That is it. I get RL love to blame Ch9/Fox for everything BUT every streaming/FTA station has said no. That tells you need to know

 

[yakstorm]

As others have mentioned, the TV Networks aren't charities, if they can pay a dollar less for something, they always will, and they know the RLWC will be desperate because the SportsFlix deal fell over.

I don't know about Nine and Seven but I do know Fox made a bid for the tournament when negotiations were first taking place back in 2020, so there was clearly a price they were prepared to pay at one stage.

It will be interesting to see if Abdo & Vlandy help out by leaning on their relationships with Nine & Fox to help the RLWC get a decent offer or if it will be a bit like some of the recent Men’s Cricket tours to Pakistan & Sri Lanka where it's bought last minute at bargain basement prices.