Darren Lockyer calls for NRL matches to feature more TV advertising
by: Chris Garry
From: The Courier-Mail
March 02, 2012 10:00PM
RUGBY league great Darren Lockyer has called for NRL matches to be interrupted to accommodate more television advertising - ensuring the code maximises revenue from TV rights.
It seems a formality that, from next season, TV advertising during matches will go to a whole new level, with a barrage of small ad breaks during stoppages in play - such as scrums and goal-line dropouts.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the NRL's competitions committee, headed by State of Origin coaches Mal Meninga and Ricky Stuart, recently met to plan how the game's rules could be manipulated for advertising opportunities.
The game's current TV rights deal expires in October and the newly appointed commission is under pressure to reap a bounty in excess of $1 billion with multiple bidders chasing the free-to-air and pay television rights.
Lockyer, in his exclusive column for today's Courier-Mail, says footy fans watching from their lounge rooms will have to prepare for a few sacrifices for the good of the game.
"It's in the interests of players, spectators, coaches and everyone interested in the game to be open to making small concessions in the way our game is played," Lockyer said.
"The game's integrity would not be affected if the next TV rights deal caters for ads when there are line dropouts or even scrums.
"Teams are already permitted 40 seconds to restart play with a line dropout. That's ample time for a 30-second ad to be shown."
Nine Network boss David Gyngell said last year that rugby league must introduce more mandatory breaks if it was to maximise its commercial appeal, as an AFL game currently has far more commercial opportunities than an NRL match.
In America, officials of the National Football League have become the masters of creating artificial breaks in play solely for advertising opportunities - giving NRL bosses a ready-made template to follow.
Every NFL match has a "two-minute time warning" break, which is a mandatory stoppage two minutes before half-time and full-time. It is officially referred to as "tension building" time, but is essentially a means of inserting more ads into the broadcast.
NRL director of football operations Nathan McGuirk said the NRL competitions committee would ensure the game's spirit was maintained while structuring rules to allow advertisers to capitalise on breaks in play.
"We have completed a statistical analysis of the current breaks in play and how they could be adapted to ensure broadcasters have the ability to show ads in-game," Mr McGuirk said.
"We are conscious of the need to not disrupt the flow of the game or spoil the experience for fans watching the game live."
