The price to watch NRL internationally has jumped from $0 to $190 AUD in a year

[adamkungl]

Fox and the NRL have put together a streaming service: https://www.watchnrl.com/

While over the last few years you could use Rugby Pass or the excellent Livestream.com FOR FREE, now that Fox are involved the price has shot up to completely unreasonable.

Don't get me wrong, this could be a reasonable price for a sport with actual international profile, or for a streaming app sold domestically (instead of the deliberately crippled turd that we got from the NRL in the last few years).
But for a sport that should be just aiming to get the word out, this is ridiculous.

Who the f**k in Jamaica or Serbia or Chile is going to pay that kind of price to watch a foreign sport? No one.

How are you meant to suggest to an American to give Rugby League a look? Who's gonna pay anything to watch a sport they've never heard of? No one.

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/mailbox-rugby-league-not-major-sport-never-will/

 

[100%green]

AFL is the same price. These sports are a business and you have to value the product. Most US sports are way more expensive. At least Fox are streaming their shows like NRL 360 as well.

 

[adamkungl]

AFL is the same price. These sports are a business and you have to value the product. Most US sports are way more expensive. At least Fox are streaming their shows like NRL 360 as well.

US Sports have a profile outside the US. No one cares what AFL does.

One arm of the sport proudly talks up countries like DR Congo taking up the sport, while the other asks them to pay a years wages to watch it.
The NRL should be investing in overseas viewers, not bleeding cash from the very few that already exist.

 

[Arucard]

Nothing stopping groups of people in said countries from organizing a shared account for a bar/pub and making social groups to watch the games.

Entertainment costs money. NRL is top level entertainment. It’s a fair price.

 

[adamkungl]

I have a fair few friends who live overseas and were season ticket holders for their NRL clubs before leaving.
I'm asking them what they think about it.. so far:
"The NRL can go f**k themselves."
"$180 for RUGBY LEAGUE???"

But yeah new fans in developing countries are gonna pay coz it's a "premium product"

 

[Pommy]

Nothing stopping groups of people in said countries from organizing a shared account for a bar/pub and making social groups to watch the games.

Entertainment costs money. NRL is top level entertainment. It’s a fair price.

Maybe in England that would be a fair price to watch a years NRL.
But why price the rest of the world out of interest? The NRL should be investing in itself to get more people engaged in a globalised world. I can’t really see them making a worthwhile amount just from expats.

 

[Robert B]

NRL should aim to offer broadcasters (without charge) 1-2 matches on FTA in each Country to build the NRL brand, so anyone who can't afford to pay for watchnrl.com can still be exposed to the NRL.

 

[siv]

At the moment the NRL is pricing itself out of the traditional fan base

And that fan base is being told go and watch your developing club players play in different jersys at the ground but watch NRL on TV

The day will come like a premium boxing bout where you will be asked to pay $40 just to watch a match live on TV

 

[jim_57]

Why not do what pretty much every app does? Offer a free limited service with ads, with a subscription for those willing to pay for a premium service.

Have 1/2 games free each week, with ads between stop of play & half time. Or you can pay x $/£/€/¥ per month to get the premium service with all games ad free, pre-match, half time and post game shows and NRL TV shows.

Gives options for newcomers and diehards and everyone in between. Also gives the NRL oppurtunity to sell advertising space in each country/region for the free service, wouldn't be worth a great deal but better than nothing. Pretty simple shit.

 

[adamkungl]

Why not do what pretty much every app does? Offer a free limited service with ads, with a subscription for those willing to pay for a premium service.

Have 1/2 games free each week, with ads between stop of play & half time. Or you can pay x $/£/€/¥ per month to get the premium service with all games ad free, pre-match, half time and post game shows and NRL TV shows.

Gives options for newcomers and diehards and everyone in between. Also gives the NRL oppurtunity to sell advertising space in each country/region for the free service, wouldn't be worth a great deal but better than nothing. Pretty simple shit.

This + prices adjusted for different countries or regions

 

[jim_57]

This + prices adjusted for different countries or regions

Exactly, so maybe different options for content: price and they went with something only existing NRL fans would even consider and nothing else.

 

[langpark]

This + prices adjusted for different countries or regions

This!!! Charge full price for UK, NZ etc. Then a minimal amount in other countries. Its close to a month's wage in some parts of eastern Europe.

 

[DlEHARD]

I agree this is bad news and really f**king ignorant.

At least give some free games and certainly adjust the price to the local economy. Not every nation is like Australia, especially the ones we are trying to get into.

Just a thoughtless corporate decison made by money grubbers.

 

[latingringo101]

When I lived in Ecuador for 6 months I loved the old NRL live streaming to watch the NRL grand final and origin etc.

To go and do this is a quick money grab and doesn't have any long term benefits for the sport

 

[Dakink]

Is there an email add for feedback?

 

[Front-Rower]

$15.80 per month = expensive? Yeah okay.......Some of you blokes just want everything for nothing just because it’s on the internet and devalue the product. If Fox weren’t involved there wouldn’t even be a whisper around this..

 

[adamkungl]

$15.80 per month = expensive? Yeah okay.......Some of you blokes just want everything for nothing just because it’s on the internet and devalue the product. If Fox weren’t involved there wouldn’t even be a whisper around this..

That would be a great point if it was actually sold in Australia, which it isn't. We can't even buy it so what you think we want isn't relevant. I argued in favour of premium pricing for big World Cup games because they were sold in a first world country with the biggest Rugby League market in the world.

But lets look at the countries where RL is a growing, but tiny sport, where this app might be sold:
Jamaica
Chile
Philippines
Thailand
Serbia
Greece
Ghana
Cameroon
...etc

Instead of marketing the game to big new audiences they're trying to scab a few $ from expats. Most of who have better shit to do with their time and money while overseas than pay to watch NRL at 3am

 

[Front-Rower]

That would be a great point if it was actually sold in Australia, which it isn't. We can't even buy it so what you think we want isn't relevant. I argued in favour of premium pricing for big World Cup games because they were sold in a first world country with the biggest Rugby League market in the world.

But lets look at the countries where RL is a growing, but tiny sport, where this app might be sold:
Jamaica
Chile
Philippines
Thailand
Serbia
Greece
Ghana
Cameroon
...etc

Instead of marketing the game to big new audiences they're trying to scab a few $ from expats. Most of who have better shit to do with their time and money while overseas than pay to watch NRL at 3am

Lol

 

[Front-Rower]

I want to watch EPL for free because soccer is a minority sport in Aus but I have to sign up to Optus mobile or internet for $30+ a month before I can even get access to watch.

 

[adamkungl]

I want to watch EPL for free because soccer is a minority sport in Aus but I have to sign up to Optus mobile or internet for $30+ a month before I can even get access to watch.

Soccer isn't a minority sport anywhere and Australia is one of the richest countries on Earth.