NRL creates committee to look into New Markets

[meltiger]

Doubt it. News Corp would rather a set of mewling weak Sydney clubs that provide them with good Pay TV ratings than potentially upsetting the apple cart by introducing any more bright new entities that may threaten their long term hegemony.

Just a question on this, and I know it's not your personal view.


But why would News Ltd or the NRL think like that? The AFL for example, seem to believe that their additional teams/additional games will increase the value of the package they can offer to bidders when the next negotiations start.


If you could increase your viewing audience by say, 200,000 people a week by bringing in say 2 new markets in Wellington & Perth, then wouldn't the value in package RL can offer be increased?


If that would allow the NRL more money to distribute amongst the clubs/grass roots etc AND allow News Ltd to sell more subscriptions ... Isn't this a positive?


Maybe it's just me, but I honestly can't understand such a short sighted outlook.

 

[t-ba]

Bleed the NRL dry, only have to pay one sporting organisation big bickies for the PTV rights.

They're making an absolute killing at the moment on the NRL.

Once the NRL is suitably shattered, they'll bury us like a corpse.

 

[meltiger]

^ but by my view, they would be able to make more money than they are now!


I just don't understand their logic.

 

[t-ba]

^ but by my view, they would be able to make more money than they are now!


I just don't understand their logic.

For what they put in, they get ridiculous returns, and it's a sure thing. Expansion is a risk. A risk that an independant organisation like the AFL is more than willing to take but a media organisation like News isn't.

 

[meltiger]

How much of a risk is expansion though?


None of the AFL expansion sides has really failed. In RL, for all locations other than the GC (& the GC historically has been a different beast altogether for all sports. The Chargers & Titans are the only teams to really make it) there have been failures and successes, though most of the failures can be levelled at either a lack of support from the league, or SL. I mean had Perth & Adelaide not been culled when they were, does anyone think they now wouldn't be wildly successful outfits on and off the pitch?

 

[ucantseeme]

Getting TV viewers for NRL games isn't a problem but the continuous action means it isn't a made for TV sport like NFL or NBA with frequent breaks which allow for lots of ads.

Would it be an acceptable option to restructure the game solely at NRL level where the game is played over 100 minutes, in four 25 minute quarters and the ref blowing time off thing would be relaxed majorly to allow time to tick away so players are any more fatigued than they would be under current rules.

It would mean more NRL content with the same amount of games and more opportunities for advertisers. From a strictly revenue generating viewpoint it might be a goer.

 

[t-ba]

How much of a risk is expansion though?


None of the AFL expansion sides has really failed. In RL, for all locations other than the GC (& the GC historically has been a different beast altogether for all sports. The Chargers & Titans are the only teams to really make it) there have been failures and successes, though most of the failures can be levelled at either a lack of support from the league, or SL. I mean had Perth & Adelaide not been culled when they were, does anyone think they now wouldn't be wildly successful outfits on and off the pitch?

These things cost money. You can't deny that Brisbane and Sydney have been absolute money pits for the AFL that have only recently started getting anything remotely close to a return. News Corps policy is to spend as little as possible for the highest possible return. I'm sure they'd be all for it if private investors guaranteed the clubs for a couple of decades financially, but short of that, it won't happen.

 

[Calixte]

Regrettably, t-ba is largely on the money here.

What the committee highlights is how absolutely nothing has been done about expansion in SA or WA since the SL war.

The NRL has gifted other organisations the opportunity to shore up support. Whether TGG can ever recover that ground and get back to the goodwill in those States previously afforded the game will be the main question...

With decent grounds, teams and most importantly support from the RL community/organisations, they would certainly succeed.

 

[hrundi99]

Bleed the NRL dry, only have to pay one sporting organisation big bickies for the PTV rights.

They're making an absolute killing at the moment on the NRL.

Once the NRL is suitably shattered, they'll bury us like a corpse.

That's patently ridiculous. They want the code to be more popular = more fans = more Foxtel subscriptions etc.

 

[meltiger]

These things cost money. You can't deny that Brisbane and Sydney have been absolute money pits for the AFL that have only recently started getting anything remotely close to a return.

There is two ways to look at that though.


Do the Swans & Lions turn a legitimate profit without help from the AFL? Without looking at their most recent numbers, I suspect not.


However, what value does the Sydney & Brisbane brands add to the TV rights? Would the AFL have got near 800 million for the last rights without Sydney for instance?


Keep expanding the markets, keep watching the value go up.


Of course, I do see your point, and the oft whinged about confilct of interest News have obviously doesn't help. But I still feel that they are wrong if they have any assumption expansion teams won't add value ($) to the game.

 

[Perth Red]

Blueprint for the WA Reds (no committee needed!)

2009-2012 NRL/ARL Continue to fund the WA Reds to develop through the JB cup then the Q'land cup

2009-2012 NRL go back to WA Govt re a sponsorship deal for an "attractive" NRL club, WA to sponsor away shirt and play two NRL games a year in Perth, focus is on attracting people form NSW and Q'land to come and work in the WA booming economy.

2008 NRL to work with the Western Force and Perth Glory to pressure the WA Govt for the promised $50mill upgrade to MES

2009- NRL works with ARL and WARL to get 4 more development officers funded for WA and a new schools comp started up

2010 - Kangaroos v Kiwis played at redeveloped MES
2011 - SOO game three played at Subi oval
2011- Announcment made that WA reds will be the next Franchise in 2013
2012- Reds win the Q'land cup
2013- Wa Reds win opening game of the season v Brisbane in front of 25,000 at the new MES.

Sorted!!!

 

[LeagueXIII]

What we are seeing is generational change, the building up (with help of course) of AFL in the northern states and the re-positioning of RL in the importance of things. Notice how every media organisation keeps pumping at that AFL is a national game and league is only in the eastern states. Also the NRL keeps blocking any progress that will see the game grow and as a result cost a braodcaster more. RL has so many assets it blows AFL away. They really only have the GF.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Perth Red can you recall when the old ARL announced Perth were going to join the comp in 1995? How many years lead in did they get. I remember they started taking games over there in 1989 to build it up.

These are the commitments from the NRL which are missing.

 

[Perth Red]

I think they were announced mid 1993.

Ideallly a club should get two years to get ready imo but the hard work needs to begin a long time before the announcement. Fortunately in the WARL we have people who are committed to making it reality and who started the work last year. We just need the NRL to get on board and give us the high profile work that is needed for the WARL to thrive.

 

[LeagueXIII]

I think the NRL will do the next deal with NO growth which will take us to 2017 and then we will see growth. Read between the lines of what Gallop constently says in that the game isn't ready. Of course we know this isn't true afterall is western Sydney ready for AFL?

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

I think they were announced mid 1993.

Ideallly a club should get two years to get ready imo but the hard work needs to begin a long time before the announcement. Fortunately in the WARL we have people who are committed to making it reality and who started the work last year. We just need the NRL to get on board and give us the high profile work that is needed for the WARL to thrive.

That's right, "Perth Pumas" was the draft name.

Hope to see the Reds back soon.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Re: NRL creates committee to look into New Markets

They have already come up with a grand scheme..........Flea Markets !

 

[T to the T]

WTF they need a committee for!

Here you go, Perth + CC Bears (Righting a wrong) in 2012, Wellington and Logan/Ipswich in 2015 and Adelaide and Redcliffe/Sunshine Coast in 2020.

22 sides, 6 teams added in 12 years, all major population bases across the continent with an NRL presence.

F*ck your committee, use common sense. I know WA Reds are preparing for the 2012 call and am sure the Bears have been waiting by the phone for a long time too (Out of interest, any Bears fans out there who could let us know where the Bears are logistically and if they could mount a CC bid for 2012?).

Isn't it sad that some fans on an internet forum want and know how to make the most potential out of the sport while the bigwigs in NRL HQ haven't got a f*cking clue:roll:

 

[Brimmer]

Isn't it sad that some fans on an internet forum want and know how to make the most potential out of the sport while the bigwigs in NRL HQ haven't got a f*cking clue:roll:

Some of these ideas should be taken seriously.

 

[coolumsharkie]

Didn't realise this till recently but the Sunshine Coast is the Tenth biggest region in Australia.

Can't believe the AFL hasnt tried to stick their beaks in here already.....

Wait a second.. Auskicks is in most schools up here now.... Oops!