The TV rights thread

[Quidgybo]

The interesting thing for me is the idea that from 9 games each week we could end up with five games on Free to Air (Friday double header, Sunday double header and Monday) and still have five games on Fox, with Monday night being the crossover match. Perhaps live and ad free on Fox with a 60 or 90 minute delayed replay on Free to Air chock full of ads.

Taking it a step further you could move to a fixed schedule with the five / five split I've sketched above, and still offer the networks a fair degree of match selection. With 9 games you could have a weekly schedule...

- 3 Friday night (FTA pick any two, Fox get third)
- 2 Saturday night (exclusive Fox)
- 3 Sunday afternoon (FTA pick any two, Fox get third)
- 1 Monday (live Fox, replay FTA)

And then the contract conditions for scheduling the season...

- FTA pick two matches each round to be scheduled on Friday or Sunday.
- Fox pick a third match to be scheduled Saturday or Monday
- Every team except Warriors hosts one Monday night home game for a total of 17 games per season.
- No team plays more than 3 Monday night games (home or away)
- All Broncos and 2nd Brisbane team's home games to be split evenly between Friday and Sunday providing a game at Suncorp every second Friday and every other Sunday.
- All Warriors home games to be scheduled Saturday or Sunday
- All Reds home games to be split evenly between Fridays and Saturdays
- Half of Raiders home games to be scheduled Sundays
- Nine Cowboys home games to be scheduled Saturdays
- All Leichardt, Kogarah, Return to SCG games to be scheduled for Sunday
- One SFS or ANZ game to be scheduled every Friday (Bulldogs, Bunnies, Roosters or Tigers home game)
- One match involving a Queensland team to be scheduled each Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Anzac Day Roosters v Dragons exclusive to Fox and comes out of Friday or Sunday match allocation

Leigh.

 

[Quidgybo]

I don't expect to see any games on delay in the new deal, except the 2nd game on Friday night. There is just too much money to be made through live betting.

Under the five / five split I've detailed above every match *would* be live with the possible exception of the 2nd FTA Friday match. Even on Monday night, it'll still be live on Fox just as it is now. The only difference is that it'd be replayed 60 or 90 minutes later on Fee to Air. Murdoch keeps his subscribers paying for Fox to see it live and ad free, and he gets a second bite to increase his ratings with the replay on Ten / One where his audience get to pay for it by watching a bucket load of ads.

Leigh

 

[Brutus]

The "News Ltd appointed lackey" conspiracy theorists would probably say he met with Gallop to give him orders.

Leigh.

And with good reason.

 

[Brutus]

I don't expect to see any games on delay in the new deal, except the 2nd game on Friday night. There is just too much money to be made through live betting.

How good would Perth be for Friday nights.

2 LIVE GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They'd be great for Sat nights and Sunday twilights in the eastern states as well.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

He did a forum a while ago where he spoke about its advantages on a Sunday, almost word for word things I had sent to them and listed here.

Even if a Sunday doubleheader didn't happen it wouldn't bother me so long as they create enough tension/options to get the best deal possible.

The LEK guys know this because it's their business. From what I understand they've already got a large list of scenarios already developed.

Thats good news Doc.
But,it means little if IC/NRL/whoever do the negotiations roll over & say grease me up.
We need hard nosed,agressive business people doing the negotiating.
As was said i think by Leckie about the AFL rights...every day of the last 18 months was a brawl.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/bus...ghts-for-granted/story-e6frg996-1226059246130

NRL boss warns Foxtel not to take rights for granted

James Chessell
From: The Australian
May 20, 2011 12:00AM

NATIONAL Rugby League chief executive David Gallop has warned pay television not to take the code for granted during the next set of broadcast rights negotiations and will consider selling Monday night football to the free-to-air networks in an attempt to maximise bidding tension.

Mr Gallop gave a clear indication that he believes there is a risk that pay-TV groups Foxtel and Austar could be complacent about the NRL rights when formal negotiations begin after the formation of the sport's new commission in the coming weeks.

"We provide 77 of the top 100 programs for pay television," Mr Gallop told The Australian after a CEO sports lunch yesterday.

"We have driven subscription rates in NSW and Queensland and we don't want that taken for granted."

It seems clear Mr Gallop does not want the AFL's bumper $1.25 billion rights deal with Seven, Foxtel and Telstra announced last month to affect pay-TV's ability to pay up for rugby league. Foxtel and Austar paid $534.5 million in cash for the 2012-16 pay-TV rights. This is about 50 per cent more than Foxtel and Austar paid for the current rights, although the broadcasters won the right to show almost every game live.

Foxtel hopes its expanded rights will allow it to lift its subscriber penetration in the southern capital cities such as Melbourne where it is 31 per cent. In the rugby league cities of Sydney and Brisbane -- where Foxtel has the right to broadcast five out eight regular season NRL matches -- penetration is close to 40 per cent.

Mr Gallop said the NRL would consider selling more games to the free-to-air networks if it increased the final price.

"We are conscious of maximising the dollar opportunity but also maintaining a balance of free-to-air and pay-television coverage," he said. "We are mindful of the fact pay television is not the primary way our fans access our game.

"Free-to-air remains that and we are conscious our fans are looking for affordable ways to watch rugby league. One example is that Monday night football has produced great results this season and we need to consider how we are best compensated for that."

Earlier this month club chief executives called for Monday night games to be considered for free-to-air programming. The timeslot has been particularly popular as three 2011 season matches made it into the top 10 rating subscription television shows of all time. An April 2 match between the Eels and the Cowboys was the most watched with 408,000 viewers.

News Limited, publisher of The Australian, owns 25 per cent of Foxtel and half of the NRL but will exit its investment once the commission is formed. Mr Gallop needs to maintain a tough stance towards Foxtel given some sections of the broader NRL community believe he is too close to News.

Nine and Fox Sports paid $500m for the current NRL rights and are expected to win the 2013-17 rights. However, Seven chief executive David Leckie has indicated that he would like to acquire at least one NRL game, assuming he can sub-license at least one of the four AFL games it is required to show per week from 2012.

Nine has a first and last agreement with the NRL although sources said this can be superseded if a rival network comes up with a bid that is at least 20 per cent higher. Nine executives believe that its first and last option will make it impossible for Mr Gallop to break up parts of the schedule such as the State of Origin series and sell them to different networks However, Mr Gallop believes this is still possible.

 

[gUt]

Tough stuff there from the chief. Keep on punching Lollop.

 

[BDGS]

Great work Mr.Gallop. Keep those bastards honest.

 

[andrew057]

"Mr Gallop said the NRL would consider selling more games to the free-to-air networks if it increased the final price."

If it increased the final price? If Fox are going to low ball the NRL again, I wouldnt care if the NRL took even less to get more games on FTA.

 

[BuffaloRules]

I'm sure that Gallop's ex bosses at News Ltd are crapping themselves...

 

[nrlnrl]

Brad Walter's weekly update :

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...le-out-another-rebel-comp-20110520-1ewm9.html

A previous effort that was talked about here

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz1M9S0LJCo


It seems Fairfax want to keep raising this topic, but for some reason News have been relatively quiet about it...

which one is right - fear factor from Fairfax, living in denial by News or ?

 

[taipan]

Brad Walter's weekly update :

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...le-out-another-rebel-comp-20110520-1ewm9.html

A previous effort that was talked about here

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz1M9S0LJCo


It seems Fairfax want to keep raising this topic, but for some reason News have been relatively quiet about it...

which one is right - fear factor from Fairfax, living in denial by News or ?

Interesting! things have been fairly quiet of late on the new I.C. news front.It appears only the Fairfax press wants to keep the ball rolling.

If what is stated by the Fairfax press is true, why on earth would News continue to hedge, at not starting another SL comp.
They lost last time in terms of the comp,but secured Pay Tv rights.As long as they keep getting rl on Fox,they should be happy,not obstinate and look bad b*ggers again.

 

[nrlnrl]

Yeah, in summary - News Ltd will agree to not start a rival comp within 5 years, but after that they want to keep their options open. I'm not sure what to make of this. Does it just mean they want to wait & see what happens with expansion & relocation ?

I'm sure everyone wants to avoid another split, but with interested franchises missing out - do they begin a strong 2nd tier comp rather than an opposing comp ? From numerous locations in QLD, WA, Central Coast, NZ plus 4 of the current NRL sides. Then there could be 2 comps with 12 teams, with the schedule for both lasting 22 rounds - meaning teams play each other home & away each season, rather than the bizarre existing schedule. It would also factor in 3 stand alone weekends for State of Origin.

Sorry if this belongs more in the relocation / expansion thread, but the impact on the tv rights deal is the key. It's a major piece in the puzzle impacting on the IC which is the first step in the bidding for tv rights.

 

[docbrown]

Yeah, in summary - News Ltd will agree to not start a rival comp within 5 years, but after that they want to keep their options open. I'm not sure what to make of this. Does it just mean they want to wait & see what happens with expansion & relocation ?

I'm sure everyone wants to avoid another split, but with interested franchises missing out - do they begin a strong 2nd tier comp rather than an opposing comp ? From numerous locations in QLD, WA, Central Coast, NZ plus 4 of the current NRL sides. Then there could be 2 comps with 12 teams, with the schedule for both lasting 22 rounds - meaning teams play each other home & away each season, rather than the bizarre existing schedule. It would also factor in 3 stand alone weekends for State of Origin.

Sorry if this belongs more in the relocation / expansion thread, but the impact on the tv rights deal is the key. It's a major piece in the puzzle impacting on the IC which is the first step in the bidding for tv rights.

I wouldn't put anything past them.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

As was suggested in another thread.
What is stopping all 16 current clubs signing an agreement to NOT join a SL/Breakaway style comp in the future.Then News ltd stalling on Not signing an agreement would be nullified.
Would put News on the backfoot.
The more agressive the clubs become,when dealing with this mob ,the better we will be.

 

[nrlnrl]

As was suggested in another thread.
What is stopping all 16 current clubs signing an agreement to NOT join a SL/Breakaway style comp in the future.Then News ltd stalling on Not signing an agreement would be nullified.
Would put News on the backfoot.
The more agressive the clubs become,when dealing with this mob ,the better we will be.

Fair enough, but would all the clubs want to commit for more than 5 years to the NRL ?

If they didn't do this, it wouldn't mean they are siding with News, but also leaving their options open. That way they have more leverage for other components in the game such as the CBA & the new TV tights deal which would be up for grabs in 2018. It wouldn't be a negative step designed to cause trouble, but a logical move to give the clubs & players some freedom & ensure they weren't at the mercy of the NRL.

 

[Timmah]

Friday night's double header will be delayed at 7:30 and 9:30 (kickoffs are 7:00 and 8:45).

Source: Channel 9 in about an hour from now.

 

[manlyforever08]

Annoyed as a Manly supporter.

Feel bad for Dogs/Titans supporters too who'll have to wait an extra 45 minutes for their game.

Don't understand how Big Bang Theory is more important..

 

[Quidgybo]

Friday night's double header will be delayed at 7:30 and 9:30 (kickoffs are 7:00 and 8:45).

Nine trialed a Live Sunday afternoon match in Melbourne earlier in the year, I wonder if they're thinking of this as another trial ahead of the upcoming rights negotiations. Perhaps this will allow Nine to work out how much more money they could make off a delayed Friday night doubleheader with longer ad breaks instead of the first game live. Could a 30 minute delay by worth an extra $100m on the next deal?

What would be our preferred counter proposal if this is what the Free to Air networks wanted? Live telecasts but with longer stoppages after points are scored? Live on Fox, delayed on Free to Air? Earlier kickoff for one game with the second game always scheduled late so both are telecast live but in a fixed order?

Leigh.

 

[El Diablo]

haven't 9 done this before with double headers?