Storm fury at Nine

[Miller was a legend]

I don't disagree with what you are saying Brutus about what Gallop said. I suspect 9 may be giving Gallop the finger on this one and the NRL is loath to get into a mid season legal issue over one game in Melbourne.

 

[Brutus]

Right, so ABC is funded by taxpayers` money? Unfortunately broadcasting rugby league is probably not considered a public service, it`s more like a luxury entertainment the ABC might say, and that`s why they are unlikely to wanna spend taxpayers money on it. Especially cos they would need to pay competitive money to snatch the rights from Channel Nine and others.

They wouldn't have to pay a cent if 9 didn't comply with the supposed "Use it or Lose It" clause. You do realise we not talking about using ABC or SBS commentators here - this would be a matter of showing the Nein broadcast on the ABC or SBS in Melbourne ONLY.

 

[Brutus]

I don't disagree with what you are saying Brutus about what Gallop said. I suspect 9 may be giving Gallop the finger on this one and the NRL is loath to get into a mid season legal issue over one game in Melbourne.

They are giving Gallop the finger because they knew all along he was never going to do anything about it. He was all talk at the time just to appease a few disgruntled people, hoping the issue would simply go away which it pretty much has.

Waldron should have brought it up (use it or lose it) in that article. Then again he may well have done, but they chose not to prove it.

 

[Ice777]

The only way games are gonna be shown in prime timeslots to Melbourne viewers is if the NRL gives the broadcasting rights away to Channel Nine for peanuts.

Not true. Did the AFL give the tv rights away for peanuts to channel 7 and 10 who broadcast live or near live into the northern states? No, they sold them for $780 million which is hardly what i would call peanuts..

The fact is that the AFL stipulated these terms and pretty much said if you don't agree with showing games in prime time in Sydney and Brisbane then don't bother bidding and we'll give them to someone who will. It was non negotiable yet the stations still flocked to get the rights at any price.

The NRL didn't have the back bone to do that and the only stipulation they made was that 9 had to show NRL games on Friday and Sunday night before midnight which has been proven many times they can't even do that. But i don't blame channel 9 for that, it's the NRL i blame for not having the balls to do what the AFL did and make them show it at a reasonable hour.

If they do next time what they should have done last time then it won't be a problem and if 9 don't want to come to the party then there's plenty of other broadcasters that will and they'll pay much more than peanuts for the privilege.

 

[Abz]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,24127504-5016544,00.html

it's about time the merkins at 9 got a spray. you'll never hear Gould bagging them though. doesn't fit in with his agendas

El Diablo would you ever spray your boss??

 

[_Johnsy]

In Victoria, RL will always be seen as a second rate competition while the game coverage for the state's team remains third rate.

If this is the case, (I take it you live in Melbourne Klutz), why does the NRL & more importantly News Ltd persist with Melbourne if it costs News Ltd 8 million a year to prop up the club ?

 

[T to the T]

why does the NRL & more importantly News Ltd persist with Melbourne if it costs News Ltd 8 million a year to prop up the club ?

It's merely a loss leader and even though the Storm are in the 2nd biggest media market, they are not treated in remotely the same way as the flogball Swans. Having a Storm side simply shuts up expansionistas. News, NRL and Gallop are spineless merkins, end of.

 

[Willow]

That`s the price the game pays for giving away broadcasting right to free-to-air tv. FTA have their regular weekly programmes in regular time slots, and their regular advertizers for those programmes and time slots.

That theory works to a point. The broadcaster is putting on a re-run of Seinfeld ahead of a Manly v Melbourne match. Is that part of normal programming? In any case, I question its ratings potential. It sounds to me like there's a policy in place to push rugby league into the graveyard shift.

The only way games are gonna be shown in prime timeslots to Melbourne viewers is if the NRL gives the broadcasting rights away to Channel Nine for peanuts.
The NRL is already losing money by having to give 2 games a week to FTA tv.

I'm not privy to the detail. Are you saying there is no revenue share arrangement?

Either way, it seems that Channel Nine in Melbourne do not want live rugby league (except for maybe the grand final?).

Still sounds like a case to jump on sections of the agreement that Nine may have in regards to Melbourne.

Isn`t the ABC also Free-to-Air?

As Brutus mentioned, they are not relying on advertising revenue.

Right, so ABC is funded by taxpayers` money? Unfortunately broadcasting rugby league is probably not considered a public service

For what its worth, the ABC broadcast Queensland Cup rugby league on Saturdays.

Plus, just as an aside, some of us remember the Sydney Comp days when the ABC was the only broadcaster that showed rugby league. Its not a new field for them.

But of course it doesn't have to be the ABC - there are a number of alternatives. The bottom line is that Channel Nine in Melbourne, for whatever reason, don't want it.

 

[Digga Hole]

Just to make sure I`m aware of the details:

The two free-to-air games a week, are they ONLY shown on FTA? Or are they first shown live on Fox, and then delayed on Channel Nine?

Delayed on Fox at 11:30 just like the rest of the country and delayed on Nine to 12am.

 

[barney gumble]

It's a perfect example of why big time rugby league in melbourne is a waste of time and money.

Look at the way the storm are going and yet there's still bugger all interest in Melbourne, they've only just managed to get reasonable crowds at their home ground this year.

That team should be on the central coast.

 

[maccattack]

send em an email...

 

[Ice777]

It's a perfect example of why big time rugby league in melbourne is a waste of time and money.

Look at the way the storm are going and yet there's still bugger all interest in Melbourne, they've only just managed to get reasonable crowds at their home ground this year.

That team should be on the central coast.

So it's the Storm fault that the NRL sign off on a contract with the main broadcaster that they only have to show games down here before midnight? How the hell is the game meant to grow when there's a huge chance people won't see it and the people running the game only do things to stunt it's growth and not build on it?

The Storm are doing everything they possibly can both on and off the field to grow the game and build their brand and if the powers that be put in even a quarter of the same effort the game would be in a much better state down here.

But you just keep your head buried in the sand thinking the game would be much better off overall without a team in the nations second biggest city. Going by your logic you'd be a perfect candidate for the NRL board i reckon :crazy:

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

Sounds like one big conspiracy. I like conspiracies . So you guys are saying that the deal stipulates that Channel Nine show the games before midnight. Does that mean the entire game shown before midnight, or the broadcast started before midnight?

And if Channel 9 is indeed avoiding to conform to the deal, then how can they get away with it? Is there no other FTA channel in Melbourne that would be willing and able to pay for the rights?

 

[Ice777]

So you guys are saying that the deal stipulates that Channel Nine show the games before midnight. Does that mean the entire game shown before midnight, or the broadcast started before midnight?

Yes, the deal stipulates that channel 9 have to start the game before midnight here in Melbourne which has been proven numerous times they haven't done.

And if Channel 9 is indeed avoiding to conform to the deal, then how can they get away with it? Is there no other FTA channel in Melbourne that would be willing and able to pay for the rights?

The only reason why they get away with it is because the NRL let them get away with it. Read the use it or lose it thread and it might explain more. I'm sure when the rights come up again there will be other FTA stations prepared to pay for the rights but apparently last time they were up for tender nobody else got a look in except for channel 9 so the NRL are now reaping what they sewed.

I just hope when the rights are up next time that they've learned from the numerous mistakes they made last time.

 

[Miller was a legend]

Watching the Storm is like watching AFL. Kick and catch, kick and catch. I reckon putting it on earlier in Melbourne would be a winner with that attitude. But I am wondering if the AFL has a clause that says the AFL footy show must be on before midnight in Sydney? They always make sure it is and I really think that show is better suited to like 3am

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

Yes, the deal stipulates that channel 9 have to start the game before midnight here in Melbourne which has been proven numerous times they haven't done.

But even starting just before midnight is not really ideal, is it? Not many people stay up that late to watch sports, even at the weekend.

I get the impression everyone would be better off if Fox was sold the rights to every single game. That way the NRL would get more money and at least pay tv subscribers would be able to watch every game at convenient time slots. Fta could still get those two delayed games, for a cheaper price.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Why cant Fox show the games live into Melbourne ( and for that matter Adelaide and Perth as well??)...

 

[Sleep]

It sucks for us Wollongong people too. If we go to the Dragons/Tigers game. We'll get home only for it to be on TV again. As much as I want to go to the game, I want to watch the Melbourne/Manly game too.

Tough decision! :crazy:

 

[Cumberland Throw]

This is an absolute joke, Ch 9 have already conceded the night to seven, in ratings,as they have the next two weeks when the olympics are on.

So it doesn't even matter if the storm rates poorly against the AFL.

This is one issue Gallop has shown absolutely no spine about.

 

[hutch]

It's a perfect example of why big time rugby league in melbourne is a waste of time and money.

Look at the way the storm are going and yet there's still bugger all interest in Melbourne, they've only just managed to get reasonable crowds at their home ground this year.

That team should be on the central coast.

and while we are at it, lets get rid of all the non nsw teams. goodbye brisbane, gold coast, cowboys, warriors, raiders. heck, lets get rid of the non sydney teams such as newcastle too. stgeorge illawarra is half non sydney so they have to go, and penrith is too far from the cbd. lets bring back newtown, glebe, annadale, university and make sure rugby league is only ever played in sydney city forever.

melbourne have had excellent tv figures recently, growing crowds and getting a brand new stadium to play out of. they will be here forever, get used to it. our game is growing, not shrinking!