No judgement can be made on NRL TV deal until the money is in the bank
Phil Gould SMH
The deal with Channel Nine is the largest free-to-air broadcast rights deal in any football code's history in this country.
Four nights of live rugby league action in prime time viewing slots will give rugby league the greatest exposure and reach ever experienced. It's a massive deal.
The $925 million paid by Nine is almost as much as the total combined rights deal for free-to-air and pay TV the last time the rights were negotiated. It's greater than this
new AFL free-to-air deal.
While we all have varying reservations about the competency of the current NRL administration, we would be playing into the hands of News Limited's campaign if those of us who are not part of the News propaganda machine were to join them in putting the boot into Dave Smith and the NRL. There will be time for that at a later date if Smith and the Commission can't deliver. But we should give them their chance.
Let's put some balance into this TV rights discussion
The NRL's free-to-air deal was
lauded only a week ago for giving those fans without pay TV an increase from two games to four live games in prime time viewing slots. It also delivered a huge increase in the value of the TV and digital rights packages. Add that to the fact the NRL is taking back control of the scheduling from the broadcasters and this is a great deal for everyone in our game, especially the fans. It's four live games a week for FREE!!!
We can presume also that there are people in the NRL involved in these dealings who have a strategy. One part of that strategy would be free-to-air TV rights. That part of that strategy has been successful. I assume they are now working toward an end goal that will give the game a deal it deserves. We should wait until then before passing judgement.
It's simply amazing that the same journalists currently slamming NRL CEO Dave Smith, were completely silent during the years of the previous administration when they signed pay TV deal after pay TV deal with broadcasters that were grossly below market value because their employers owned the game. The minute the media company was removed from the ownership of the game, the TV broadcast rights for rugby league more than doubled. Go figure, eh! The massive underfunding that occurred within the game during the period rugby league was owned by a media company did far more damage to the game than anything that could be thrown up at this current administration.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...the-money-is-in-the-bank-20150824-gj6vyv.html
Great article by Gus. Is the News agenda dying down not a word tonight on NRL360.
Canberra Raiders CEO Don Furner slams calls for rebel rugby league competition
"It's so fanciful - some of the stories I've read - we were listed as one of the clubs that wanted to join this new league," Furner said
"I can't believe it, there's still two-and-a-half years to go and Dave Smith has done a fantastic job so far. If he pulls off the second half of the deal everybody will be cheering.
"To me, from the outside looking in, somebody hasn't got what they wanted in the new agreement."
Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ompetition-20150825-gj7iv3.html#ixzz3jpgndqcV
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