NRL encourages television broadcasters to do things differently for 2014

[El Diablo]

it seems Fox Sports disagree http://www.afr.com/p/lifestyle/sport/fox_sports_ratings_higher_than_in_IsdN8aJRD8NyTzjuATIV7J

Fox Sports? 2013 ratings higher than in 2012
PUBLISHED: 13 hours 46 MINUTES AGO | UPDATE: 0 hour 10 MINUTES AGO

John Stensholt

Fox Sports Australia chief executive Patrick Delany says the pay television broadcaster?s ratings for 2013 will exceed those of last year.

Delany said improved ratings for sports such as cricket and AFL, as well as one-off events including America?s Cup sailing, are responsible for the ratings increase, although he would not reveal specific numbers.

?Year-on-year we are up 20 per cent for some of our sports. We have had strong numbers for AFL finals, which except for the grand final, we are showing in HD (high definition).?

?We also had good numbers for the Ashes Test series over in England, and events like the US Open tennis and some of our shows like AFL360 and NRL360 have also performed well.?

Ratings for the NRL on Fox Sports are down about 3 per cent compared with 2012, however.

Delany said lopsided scores in some matches, off-field problems for the sport and some popular clubs struggling all contributed to the decline.

He would not reveal the financial performance of Fox Sports, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corp.

Fox Sports? earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in the first nine months of fiscal 2013 fell 2.7 per cent to $US109 million ($114 million) from the prior corresponding period.

The pay TV sports broadcaster posted a 2 per cent fall in EBITDA in the 12 months ended June 30.

Delany said he had been pleasantly surprised by viewing numbers for the deciding races in the America?s Cup, in which Oracle Team USA came back to beat Emirates Team New Zealand 9-8 in a thrilling series, which he had initially been sceptical about broadcasting. Sailing may get a further boost in Australia with the possibility of Bob Oatley challenging Oracle Team USA for the next America?s Cup through his Hamilton Island Yacht Club, as reported on the weekend by The New York Times.

 

[El Diablo]

Todd Greenberg ‏@Todd_Greenberg
The ratings for Friday night’s game between @SSFCRABBITOHS & @manlyseaeagles was 1.998m. Makes it the highest rating finals game since 2008

 

[Haffa]

The product is still awesome; shoulder charge or not.

Its all on Channel 9 FFS:

1. Commentators are sh!t.
2. Broncos monopoly on friday nights is sh!t.
3. Footy show is sh!t.
4. SD is sh!t.
5. Delayed games is sh!t.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:
6. Channel 9 CEO is sh!t.

This.

 

[Sphagnum]

If Tim Gilbert or Ray Hadley are calling, it gets turned off straight away. Channel 9 must hate people watching the footy which seems counter intuitive considering their main objective is to bleed mankind dry through any means necessary.

 

[ucantseeme]

The fixed scheduling does prevent them putting blockbuster games in the prime free to air timeslots. And some popular teams having poor seasons. That explains the drop.

If State of Origin ratings also went backwards this year then it would speak to a deeper issue, But no, SOO got record ratings.

 

[Brutus]

But even when 9 had the chance to pick games for the last 6 rounds midway through the season they went for teams like friggin Parra.

 

[Perth Red]

I do wonder if this drop is partly a backlash to the fact we have ended up with the same old same old crap for the next five years. Most were hoping for a new station and fresh exciting approach to coverage of the game. Instead we've ended up with more Rabs and Gus, fittler and johns getting even more air time, brisbane every Friday on delay again, delayed Sunday with ads spoiling the flow of the game, fox offering nothing more to subscribers than previously.

All in all not surprised people are voting with their remotes.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

There is only one possible solution.

More Friday Night games for Brisbane

 

[Captain Apollo]

Gee TV ratings are down on free to air television? Might have something to do with Channel 9 being inflexible on the pool of teams it considers "suitable" for free to air TV. I mean, with no disrespect to the team nor its supporters, did anyone prior to the start of the season think Parramatta were going to be in the thcik of finals contention based on where they finished 2012 and their recruitment for 2013?

Yet they had 10 games on Channel 9 (if I calculated correctly), with 4 of them being picked in Round 18 when Parramatta were anchored firmly to the bottom of the ladder. Now what Parramatta fan is going to want to watch their side on TV (either live or dealyed) if they think they ar going to get beaten? Let alone, what casual neutral fan does? I mean Round 22 was symptomatic of Channel 9 - they picked the Eels v Wests Tigers game between teams ranked in the bottom 3 as one of their games of the round :crazy: That when they had games with finals implications they could have picked which wound up on Fox Sports (e.g. Cronulla v Newcastle). The fixed draw only appliued for the first 20 rouns, yet The Grill Team on Triple M that week were blaming the fixed draw for scheduling of that game :lol:

Thus the fixed draw is not the problem so much as the people at Channel 9 picking the games. This is part of why the NRL should put in some limits/minimums on free to air TV (e.g. no team to get more than x no. Friday night games, or everyone to get at least 1 home game on free to air).

 

[parraeels2010]

Parramatta is the heart and soul of the nrl they have the largest supporter base in the nrl so it makes Cense that they put on free to air. Parra =ratings it's the best thing for buisness

 

[Captain Apollo]

Parramatta is the heart and soul of the nrl they have the largest supporter base in the nrl so it makes Cense that they put on free to air. Parra =ratings it's the best thing for buisness

So, you would rather watch a game on TV where your team gets smacked that a close fought game between 2 semi-final contenders? :sarcasm: If Parramatta were going to have a good season, then yes they'd rate well, but when they aren't?

 

[typicalfan]

There are more neutral supporters watching any given match than fans of either team. This is why a good game will always outrate a poor one.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Parramatta is the heart and soul of the nrl they have the largest supporter base in the nrl so it makes Cense that they put on free to air. Parra =ratings it's the best thing for buisness

But this would still suggest a fixed draw is preferable. If Parra is the best team for TV regardless of how they are traveling, then their games could be picked at the start of the year.

 

[babyg]

If all the popular teams go shit then the ratings wont be as good.
I cancelled my fox to save money and cause it was a letdown to not get get all games live.

 

[Von]

Well obviously Parra does not = ratings.

No team rates well when they are down the bottom.
Who watches a team who is running near last ?
Neutrals? No.
That team's fans? Only a small percentage. The very hardcore few.

Seems to me Channel 9 deliberately picked games they knew would not rate in the last 6 rounds this year, so they can then say fixed scheduling does not work, and go back to their preferred old method for next year and beyond.

Fixed scheduling does work.
Channel 9 covering the game does not.