Overall spend yes
Profit and loss no
and so it begins… the shifting of the goal posts
Previously it was “NRL get the same or similar TV rights as AFL”.
Now it’s “TV rights are different for each code you can’t compare apples with oranges … hey quick look over their NRL make more profit”.
So cutting back on costs like getting rid of two refs and giving up on NRL media and digital arm to boost your profits is to be celebrated?
Running the code on the smell of an oily rag to make a profit in the short term is not automatically a good thing. Giving more money from profit to clubs (most of which just piss it away) is not automatically good investment.
What individuals benefit from increased profit? Do commission members get bonus’ for x amount of profit?
Profit on its own is useless if you have no real vision to grow the game and out compete the AFL in Sydney and Brisbane.
AFL has less profit, but if they stripped back to the smell of an oily rag - guess what AFL would have massive profit.
The whole point of more tv and media rights isn’t profits - it’s to have a war chest to build and invest in your code, assert dominance in foreign markets, get kids and women to play your code and make sure your next media deal is bigger than the last. Rinse and repeat.
By winning the war for community engagement and interest you pretty much guarentee federal and state government funding in the future.
It all boils down to this - since the early 80’s the VFL/AFL organised themselves into a commission that championed the greater good of the code over individual clubs. This lead to a vision to expand into all capital cities and invest money in junior pathways and participation in foreign states.
The NSWRL/ARL never had such a vision. They just expanded the game to regions for more tv rights without reinvesting in grass roots or juniors. They never took it serious to relocate Sydney clubs - which is odd considering they kicked Newtown out. The Clubs have always retained too much power to be able to rationalise and streamline the game in Sydney.
Super league and News Ltd, for all its faults, at least understood Sydney clubs needed to make way for the greater good of the game and its growth. Then the NRL become this bastardised version of both ARL and SL which now has just gone backwards to appease News Ltd and NSW market.
You can continue to cherry pick facts and figures all you want and take it out of context. The bottom line is TV and media rights should be used primarily for investment and growing the game not so you can say “hey profit” for the sake of a good looking balance sheet.
Alpha Gil dominates Beta PVL for one, there are several, key reason - he is part of a long line of AFL leaders that have had clear vision and purpose without the need to suckle at the teet of News Ltd and Sydney Clubs.
On top of this overachieving theme of better administration in AFL - Alpha Gil is better looking, smarter, more humble, builds better government and business connections and is just a far more polished performer than Beta PVL.
I mean come on we all saw the Today ramblings of getting kids off those computer machines so they can play sport and Rugba Leeg at a local drowns and that government should give NRL the $800m instead of flood victims in Lismore. That interview was a disgrace and made the code a laughing stock. Mates in Melbourne I know we’re like “WTF is wrong with this bloke??” Haha. Alpha Gil would never perform so poorly.
Hence, and let’s bring this baby around to the jist of the thread, Alpha Gil fleeced the NRL and Beta PVL by obtaining an obscene amount more for the AFL in media rights which will then be reinvested in key foreign markets of NSW and QLD (the growth areas of south and west suburbs of Brisbane where NRL has no presence because News Ltd own broncos don’t want a NRL team there).
This media deal solidified the future 20 years of the AFL to continue to grow in NSW and QLD at the expense of NRL. If you don’t understand that is bad news for NRL, god help you.
