NRL rebellion: Rugby league clubs want CEO Dave Smith gone or threaten to leave comp

[insert.pause]

murdoch's puppet at it again, smell the fear! If beIN Sport's interest wasn't genuine, why would news corp be working so hard to convince people?

NRL lines up Qatari bidder in pay-TV rights talks
THE AUSTRALIAN AUGUST 26, 2015 12:00AM
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Darren Davidson

Business Media Writer
Sydney
https://plus.google.com/110880742894784650896
The National Rugby League has attempted to add urgency to stalled talks with News Corp’s Fox Sports by lining up Qatar-owned beIN Sports as a potential bidder for its pay-TV rights.

Sources said beIN, one of two major pay-TV broadcasters in the Arab world, is “running the ruler” over the rights amid a “stand-off” with Fox Sports as the fallout from the code’s recently signed five-year, $925 million contract with the Nine Network continues.

It’s understood rugby league bosses have made contact with London-based beIN executive Daniel Markham, the cable channel’s senior vice-president of content strategy.

While beIN has made significant inroads into Australia in the past two years, it is not considered a serious bidder for rugby league rights, which have limited sell-on value beyond the local market.

Media circles believe under-pressure NRL bosses are touting beIN as an interested party to increase competitive tension after it emerged News Corp executives refuse to pay a premium for the pay-TV component, putting NRL chief David Smith’s $1.7 billion TV rights target at risk.

The broadcaster, a subsidiary of state-funded broadcaster Al *Jazeera, has focused on pan-*regional sports rights deals as part of an ongoing corporate agenda.

“They’ve done a good job of taking advantage of their regional scale,” one media executive said, “but rugby league is not a great fit for beIN”.

While beIN starts at long odds in the battle for the NRL’s pay-TV rights, it will definitely make a firm offer for the English Premier League’s Australian TV rights, sources told The Australian. It’s understood the EPL will send an official tender document in September for the live matches, which rate well on Foxtel despite the unfavourable time zone.

At present, Fox Sports holds the rights under the terms of a three-year deal until the end of the 2015-16 season. EPL bosses can expect a jump in the price of the rights as the sports broadcasting market heats up.

In recent months, beIN has gone on a local hiring spree, recruiting digital marketing specialists and content managers. Two years ago, beIN clinched the exclusive broadcast rights for Italian football league Serie A as part of a multi-territory deal that included Australia.

In October, beIN acquired Setanta Sports Australia, taking its slot on subscription-TV platform Foxtel as part of a rebrand following expansion into Indonesia, The Philippines, Hong Kong and Thailand.

The beIN channel is available to watch for an annual fee of $199, requiring Foxtel subscribers to sign up directly with the channel via its website. It is also available on internet television service Fetch TV for a monthly payment of $14.95.

The NRL was hoping to sell the 2018-22 rights for $1.7bn, suggesting it was seeking more than $700m for the subscription-TV rights, but sources say News Corp will not match the $530m figure, let alone pay $700m, after the NRL sold Fox Sport’s two highest rating matches to Nine.

Meanwhile, Telstra has refused to rule out winding up a *lucrative title sponsorship deal with the NRL as the telecommunications giants takes a hard line in talks with the code after losing streaming rights to Nine.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/bus...-tv-rights-talks/story-e6frg996-1227498714500

If you're going to get a Murdoch mouth piece to do a number on the NRL at least get a decent one, this guy just sounds like hes in complete denial, first quoting Gyngell saying he wont be selling any games and claiming that is significant because it means Gyngell is open to selling games, now hes ignoring Telstra's statement as well, it's really quite embarrassing.

"Reports that Telstra is looking to not renew our NRL naming rights are untrue," a Telstra spokesperson said. "We are proud of what we have built with the NRL to date and are in negotiations to continue our partnership beyond 2017. We are unable to comment further as negotiations are ongoing."

Read more: http://www.afr.com/business/media-a...ponsorship-deal-20150824-gj6hqx#ixzz3jptkilOQ
Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook

 

[bileduct]

"Sources said..."

"It’s understood..."

"Media circles believe..."

Says it all right there.

He's regurgitating what he read elsewhere and putting his own spin on it.

 

[bileduct]

How many of you other guys got blocked by Hooper? He blocked me on my second account too, which I'd only used to make one or two really mild comments.

Edit: I made one tweet to him, this is what got me blocked:

@jimmyhooper James, is there a reason why you didn't bring up the big rebel league story you broke over weekend on The Back Page tonight?

 

[whall15]

When NewsCorp start to fearmonger about the evil Mooslems it might be useful to remember that their second largest shareholder is a Saudi prince.

 

[tumbidragon]

Yeah Hooper also blocked me. Seems blocking people is far easier than refuting counter arguments. Typical News dickhead.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

"It’s understood rugby league bosses have made contact with London-based beIN executive Daniel Markham, the cable channel’s senior vice-president of content strategy.

While beIN has made significant inroads into Australia in the past two years, it is not considered a serious bidder for rugby league rights, which have limited sell-on value beyond the local market."
This is UK based right? How big would NRL be in the SL hinterland if it was that readily available ... is that limited sell-on value beyond the local market?

 

[Mickyd39]

How many of you other guys got blocked by Hooper? He blocked me on my second account too, which I'd only used to make one or two really mild comments.

Edit: I made one tweet to him, this is what got me blocked:

@jimmyhooper James, is there a reason why you didn't bring up the big rebel league story you broke over weekend on The Back Page tonight?

I was hammering him all day yesterday and he didn't block me.

He was copping it left, right and centre.

 

[bileduct]

I was hammering him all day yesterday and he didn't block me.

He was copping it left, right and centre.

Yeah, I was giving it to him for a few days but then he started blocking people last night.

It was around the time he went on The Back Page and people were starting to hammer the Fox Sports hashtags with the human centipede meme.

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Have a look at all the News / Fox propaganda.

Deadset sell outs and the Devils advocates.

I work in the IT industry and I see Google looming large on the horizon. The future isn't overpriced, set programming on overcharged pay tv. It is streaming content to the device. It also allows much better, targetted snd dynamic marketing tools for advertisers. Not comparatively speculative 30 second spots at a set time.

Fox will pay through the nose, or Fox wont exist.

 

[adamkungl]

Have a look at all the News / Fox propaganda.

Deadset sell outs and the Devils advocates.

I work in the IT industry and I see Google looming large on the horizon. The future isn't overpriced, set programming on overcharged pay tv. It is streaming content to the device. It also allows much better, targetted snd dynamic marketing tools for advertisers. Not comparatively speculative 30 second spots at a set time.

Fox will pay through the nose, or Fox wont exist.

Yep. The key to success is to be offering a streaming product that is as good or better than Foxtel.

Having seen the NFL Gamepass, it IS possible, even with Australia's current net infrastructure. Perfect HD stream without a hiccup.

 

[LineBall]

So time is on our side. The longer we can make Fox sweat the better, yes?

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

So time is on our side. The longer we can make Fox sweat the better, yes?

Foxtel need us to survive.

Their business and delivery model is essentially yesterdays model.

Plenty of time to bargain.

 

[babyg]

Now this is getting interesting. FOXTEL could seriously be under threat. Just how much money would they need to give the NRL now. They can't afford to wait two years they need to secure a deal quick smart and it must be overs.

On a side note how could the accc possibly pass News Ten deal with the way they've been carrying on.

 

[bileduct]

LOL, Alan Jones adding his zero cents worth...

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/236105505/push-by-alan-jones-to-remove-rugby-league-supremos

Push by Alan Jones to remove rugby league supremos

SYDNEY, Australia - One of Australia's most respected broadcasters has thrown his weight behind News Corp's push to oust rugby league chief Dave Smith.

Jones has also taken aim at ARL Commission Chairman John Grant as News Corp started to step up efforts to oust him along with Smith, following Rupert Murdoch's personal disquiet at being sidelined in the code's recent broadcast rights negotiation, notwithstanding they only applied to free-to-air television rights, which do not directly affect Mr Murdoch's interests.

In a touch of irony, two decades ago Mr Jones was firmly in the Australian Rugby League's corner when it was last at war with Mr Murdoch's News Corporation.
News Corp continued to promote the idea of a rebel competition on Tuesday despite a meeting on Monday of all 16 rugby league clubs which backed the NRL and Smith, issuing a joint statement after their meeting saying they were united.

Yet Jones, who has a national radio audience greater than any other presenter, was on the warpath. Like News Corp's journalists he did not name any sources beyond News Corp's Phil Rothfield, the sports editor of The Daily Telegraph who he referred to as the source of his information time and time again.

Jones was commenting on his breakfast show on Tuesday morning on the high standard of rugby league being played at the moment and the closeness of the competition. "But it has to be said its no thanks to the administration of the game," he said. "Its fair to say the administration is a complete mess. There are too many people in head office. You don't need a team of 150 people to run the game of rugby league. This is not BHP. And too many in charge know nothing about the game," he said.

"It appears as though the clubs have had a gutful. Reports that the ARL Commission Chairman John Grant has been making frantic phone calls to angry club chairmen to prevent a new Super League style war. Now I am not too sure its gone that far or not, but the 12 clubs not aligned to the NRL are threatening a vote of no confidence in John Grant, the boss of the Commission. Some club chairmen say it is the first time he has contacted them. Its not just the botched NRL broadcast rights deal, which is a disgrace, but that anyone could be so dumb and nave is beyond belief, but David Smith and his team imagine this will past muster."

"It seems quite clear that the TV negotiations last week which saw Fox Sports and Telstra cut out of the deal is but one in a growing list of frustrations that the clubs have both with the CEO David Smith and the Australian Rugby League Commision Chairman John Grant," Jones said. "People are talking about a breakaway 12-team competition whether you like it or whether you don't. Four teams would be left out because they are propped up by the NRL. The West Tigers, St George Illawarra, Newcastle and the Gold Coast, they'd be left out but the push is on. And it's accelerated when News Corp partnered Channel 7 to give the AFL a record $2.5 billion television deal while David Smith is getting hairs on his chest announcing a 5 year $925 million deal with Channel 9 saying it would give fans four live free-to-air matches a week, the biggest deal in history, but Fox Sports who do a terrific job with Foxtel were left completely out of the negotiations, and so was Telstra," said an angry Jones

"Telstra is now threatening to withhold its sponsorship of the game, $8 million a year. Its been associated with the NRL for 17 seasons. Who's going to get a new naming rights sponsor? asked the 2GB broadcaster, notwithstanding that a day earlier Telstra said the claims by News Corp were untrue. "Reports that Telstra is looking to not renew our NRL naming rights are untrue," a Telstra spokesperson told the Australian Financial Review on Monday. "We are proud of what we have built with the NRL to date and are in negotiations to continue our partnership beyond 2017. We are unable to comment further as negotiations are ongoing."

Jones was clearly unaware of this statement as he was sourcing his material from News Corp newspapers which continue to convey the view that Telstra has puled or is 'threatening' to pull the sponsorship.

"Phil Rothfield has written about this game for years and years. He made the very valid point yesterday that David Smith's 3 year reign in charge of rugby league must end. He said the clubs and the fans have had enough, crowds are at their lowest for more than a decade. He made the point that Telstra's deal worth $8 million a year they won't renew it. And as Phil Rothfield said noone wants another breakaway competition like Super League but a rebel competition has certainly been discussed amongst disgruntled clubs," said Jones. "They're refusing to sign the NRL participation agreements beyond 2017 and Phil Rothfield makes a very valid point that the rebel competition would be easy. Twelve of the 16 clubs will be off contract by the time the next television rights deal kicks in . They wouldn't need to spend billions this time because they would already have everyone on board bar the four who are tied to the NRL. Sell the rights to Channel 10 and Fox Sports and you've got a $2 billion deal," Jones said

"Wrote Phil Rothfiield on Sunday, it's become clear that Dave Smith and members of the independent commission have lost the confidence of the clubs. He said the anger and the frustration over Smith and chairman John Grant are growing every day. Either they go or the clubs take matters into their own hands, " Jones added.

At odds with Jones views, which to be fair were largely echoing the views of The Daily Telegraph Sports Editor Phil Rothfield, all 16 club chairmen issued a joint statement after their Monday afternoon telephone conference, which despite being touted as a crisis meeting to discuss the TV rights deal, had been scheduled well before either broadcast rights deal was announced.

"Despite speculation to the contrary, all 16 clubs are united in our approach and we look forward to continuing these discussions with the NRL in a timely manner," the joint statement said.
"Given recent developments the meeting was timely, even though it had long been planned."

"As has been the way since our June meeting, positive discussions continue," the 16 clubs chairmen said.

Phil Gould, head of the Penrith Panthers club who fought News Corp alongside Alan Jones to defend rugby league against News Corp's Super League War is having none of the Jones rhetoric this time round. "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," he wrote in his regular Sydney Morning Herald column on Wednesday.

He was also supportive of the current TV rights deal negotiated by the National Rugby league.

"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," Gould wrote Wednesday. "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," said Gould.

"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," Gould added in his Sydney Morning Herald column.

 

[Canard]

So how much cash does AJ get for that comment? All is right with the world when you know your on the opposite side to the Parrot.

What about the continuing Telstra sponsorship furphy.

This is why, as I and many others predicted, the clubs and Telstra publicly denying this was worthless.

They should have just said nothing and put in place a perma ban on any News related access to the game and/or its players.

 

[Glen]

LOL, Jones talking up Rothfield while echoing almost word-for-word the News lies. Maybe it was Buzz that he was caught with in the public toilet cubicle back in the day. Hopefully this fossil and Rupert are both not too long for this world

 

[adamkungl]

Kent is still telling blatant lies.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...into-nfl-nursery/story-fnp0lyn3-1227498399564

RUGBY league deserved Jarryd Hayne’s performance for the San Francisco 49ers.

More than that, it needed it.

The game’s knack for self-harm is evident again. The NRL’s ham-fisted broadcast negotiation now sits alongside the AFL’s sleek negotiation, netting the rival code a cool $2.5 billion, dominating headlines for more than a week. The clubs are in protest, getting more militant by the day against what they see as an out of touch head office

 

[Chook]

"Sell the rights to Channel 10 and Fox Sports and you've got a $2 billion deal," Jones said"

:lol: Just another addition to the #humancentipedeofmorons although Jones would already have an acquired taste.

Chook.

 

[strong_latte]

"Sell the rights to Channel 10 and Fox Sports and you've got a $2 billion deal," Jones said"

:lol: Just another addition to the #humancentipedeofmorons although Jones would already have an acquired taste.

Chook.

Wow! That reads like a paid comment if ever I heard one!

 

[Brutus]

So how much cash does AJ get for that comment? All is right with the world when you know your on the opposite side to the Parrot.

What about the continuing Telstra sponsorship furphy.

This is why, as I and many others predicted, the clubs and Telstra publicly denying this was worthless.

They should have just said nothing and put in place a perma ban on any News related access to the game and/or its players.

Alan Jones gets DUI Bec on his show weekly to give her viewpoint on sport and he treats her as a doyen.

The guy has no credibility at all.