Thanks to all those people who have deluged the NRL.
Anyway, I asked Annesley if he would give permission for me to distribute his comments and he did and here they are:
First of all I wrote:
Dear Mr Annesley,
I am emailing to register my disappointment at the complete lack of understanding that the NRL seems to have for the many thousands of viewers in the Asian region. The news that Australia Network will not be broadcasting games from Australia this year is horribly frustrating.
The NRL's choice of selling the rights to Setanta who only have a footprint in Malaysia and Hong Kong, and a very limited up-take at that, is very short sighted. What about China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and so on? Any idea how many hundreds of thousands of expatriates (and millions of potential rugby league supporters) you've cut out? Obviously not, but the AFL and Union realise it.
Australia Network is the most watched English-speaking news channel in Asia after CNN and the BBC but in 2011 the AFL and Union will have a shared monopoly. For rugby league fans who have promoted the sport in Asia, this is a huge slap in the face.
All the league communities that have grown around the Australia Network broadcasts will now disappear purely because we are too far away to get to games and the competition from more accessible sports is too great. If I can't watch the Titans (my wife, my son and I are paid-up members), I will have to watch the Suns - a poor choice I know but I enjoy my contact with home and be buggered if I'm going to take up knitting at this time in my life.
C'mon mate, please get on the phone and sort it out - Rod Webb from Australia Network says the door is still open.
regards
Then he replied
The following is a summary of the facts surrounding the outcome of negotiations in the Asia/Pacific region:
NRL 2011 INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION RIGHTS ASIA/PACIFIC REGION
The NRL has reached agreement with Setanta Sports and Fiji TV to broadcast the 2011 NRL season in the Asia/Pacific region. These new partners replace the Australian Network arrangement in place over recent years.
The following background information is provided for the information of NRL fans throughout the region :
- The Australia Network agreement expired at the end of the 2010 season. Australia Network then had an exclusive negotiation period to renew these rights, however no offer was received during the exclusive negotiation period.
- An offer was eventually received from Australian Network on the 20th January for only two delayed games per week, plus live State of Origin and Grand Final. In addition to this significantly decreased coverage they offered just 25% of the 2010 rights fee. Regardless of the rights fee the decreased coverage in itself made it a very unattractive offer for fans.
- In the meantime NRL received offers from other interested broadcasters in the region to increase the amount of content for fans.
- The offer received from Setanta provided the NRL with an opportunity to get much more coverage of the NRL available into Asia. Whilst its true Setanta currently does not have the same reach as Australian Network throughout Asia they will be broadcasting a minimum of 5 live games per week, which is more than Australian Network aired in 2010.
- For the start of the NRL season Setanta will be available in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Brunei whilst discussion continue with Thailand, Indonesia and others.
- For territories where Setanta is not currently broadcasting every NRL match will be available live via Telstras broadband service.
- The NRL is still hopeful of concluding a deal with Australia Network for our weekly highlights show.
- Pacific countries will get more exposure than ever before with a 3 games per round broadcast free-to-air into Fiji , Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, America Samoa, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue and Tuvalu.
- In addition to the free-to-air coverage, Fiji TV will also broadcast all 8 matches live (where no games clashes) on their Pay TV service SKY Pacific.
The NRL has always endeavoured to make as much live content as possible available to fans around the world. These new arrangements enhance that objective. The Australia Network offer would have delivered a far inferior outcome for the majority of fans in the region.
Regards,
Then I wrote again
Thank you for your prompt and frank reply. I do raise the following issues.
1. Setanta, as you rightly point out, does not currently address the major Asian viewing audiences and my sources tell me that they are unlikely to in the foreseeable future.
2. Australia Network, irrespective of their managements openly AFL-esque policy are what they are ... the most popular, most attractive, most influential bridge between the rest of Asia and Australia. To ignore their drawing power and the resultant goodwill that they have developed can only be an error.
3. The Pacific nations as a revenue generating solution are small bickies, mind you, I am totally in accord with the need to service them if not in the least because of their connection to the roots of so many NRL players. But the Islands are not the focus of my complaint - good luck to them.
4. The sporting markets of China, South Korea and Japan (I disregard the Philippines and others on economic grounds) are saturated with US sport but are so immense that even a small gain would be significant for the NRL. Mainland China especially as the Chinese generally prefer league to AFL but have little in frames of reference. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that they will be broadcasting AFL on their own CCTV. Those inroads have been levered off expatriate support so for the NRL to ignore that support can only be a backward step.
5. I for one, as a Chinese government employee and the senior expat in this, the most affluent of all Chinese provinces was invited to and attended the farce that was the AFL in Shanghai match. How the NRL cannot find the energy to approach this market is in itself amazing but to ignore it is a travesty.
Mr. Annesley, I would hope that Telstra will "unlock" access to the other territories as you have stated because at this time they cannot be accessed from here and judging from the flood of emails I have received from Japan not there either.
Furthermore, I pose the question, will Telstra provide the same promotional vehicle for the NRL in Asia that Australia Network has developed over many years?
Finally, thank you again for your response - with your permission, and not before, I will broadcast it amongst the expatriate community throughout Asia.
Then he replied again
Thanks for your response to my earlier email explanation. I do understand your frustration but as I pointed out the Australia Network offer, when it was finally received, of just 2 delayed games per week was the sort of offer you make when you dont really expect it to be accepted. For some reason best known to themselves they did next to nothing to attempt to renew the agreement. I assure you we are not trying to make life difficult for fans living overseas.
I am unaware of the Telstra issue in relation to China and Japan but I will investigate that matter further. I will leave it to you to decide who you share this information with.
And here is Australia networks cop-out (I do not have much faith in these guys at all)
I wrote (not realising what had happened)
As much as I am grateful for the improved NRL coverage over recent years, the absence of the Indigenous/All Stars game is mystifying. This promotion of Australian sport AND culture would seem to be clearly in line with Australia Network's mission. And while having a whinge, why not Monday night NRL in Hong Kong? Thank you for your consideration.
And got this shock (arseholes)
I'm afraid we'll be showing no NRL on Australia Network this year.
I understand that the entire package has been licensed to Setanta.
Sincerely,
Rod Webb
Head of programming.
