Melbourne draw ratings higher than most clubs, to say Perth wont rate is nonsense and impossible to call.
SKyNZ pay $20mill a year for TV rights and have done since forever, I doubt their is any appetite for them to pay more regardless of how many NZ teams there are as if you are a RL fan in NZ the only way you can watch NRL is by subscribing and so they arent generating new subscribers.
6pm AEST is a rating well for PTV and should be the permeant new slot for the ninth game. What Perth gives is the opportunity to have an afternoon game played in front of a big crowd once a fortnight in that slot. The away fortnights will be an East Coast team playing at 6pm AEST.
Ch9 havent demanded a second Brisbane club in the last deal in which they paid a massive increase on their previous deal. Wouldnt you think if it was that valuable part of their offer for $185milla year would have been an insistence on another Brisbane club???
The only advantage I can see to a second NZ team from a TV point of view is that every Friday 6pm game could be in NZ but as the Warriors are already kicking up a fuss about that I dont suppose the new club would be very happy either.
Dont worry about crowds, we got this.
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