The TV rights thread

[morley101]

Don't forget the internet rights. IF the Labour Govt broadband scheme happens live streaming of games and other NRL features could become a major player and as such they should be worth a mint. Currently Telstra pay AFL $12mill for internet rights and NRL $4-6(difficult to calculate due to tying it up with comp naming rights and other freebies thrown in) (http://www.afana.com/drupal5/news/2006/10/06/afl_signs_new_deal_telstra-346) so there must be plenty of money to be made there as well, especially as I can see internet rights becoming increasingly valuable with live streaming straight to peoples TV's, iPads and mobiles.

So what is the minimum bandwidth required for live streaming HD video ?

 

[Ray Mosters]

From what I hear from Screenhub Channel 9 are pursuing that old Friday Night AFL/NRL states split again, but this time with the other non-core states to be shown on digital. I also believe Channel 7 are looking to do the same.

Ten are looking to dump Saturday AFL and take Friday AFL from 7 in their joint bid. Both 7 & 9 have shown interest in Monday AFL, but only 9 would show it nationally. 7 would like to purchase a Sunday NRL double header so it would have Friday AFL, Saturday Union, Sunday NRL. Channel 10 & 9 are also pursuing the sunday double header. Origin, internationals, finals and rep matches - if seperated - will be an-all-in dogfight between the 3 networks - something that AFL doesn't have a comparison.

Interesting stuff, where is this Screenhub you speak of?

 

[adamkungl]

Watching a bumbling Abbot last night trying to explain their Broadband system I pray to (his) god they don't get in or we can kiss goodbye to ever having fast enough streaming system to make the internet rights hugely valuable.

I can stream live games now...

 

[Gippsy]

My estimate would 0.95 to 1.025 billion, so not that far off.

It all depends on the split between channels and representative matches. If 7 loses Friday Night AFL, you watch and see the bidding war that happens for Friday Night NRL.

From what I hear from Screenhub Channel 9 are pursuing that old Friday Night AFL/NRL states split again, but this time with the other non-core states to be shown on digital. I also believe Channel 7 are looking to do the same.

Ten are looking to dump Saturday AFL and take Friday AFL from 7 in their joint bid. Both 7 & 9 have shown interest in Monday AFL, but only 9 would show it nationally. 7 would like to purchase a Sunday NRL double header so it would have Friday AFL, Saturday Union, Sunday NRL. Channel 10 & 9 are also pursuing the sunday double header. Origin, internationals, finals and rep matches - if seperated - will be an-all-in dogfight between the 3 networks - something that AFL doesn't have a comparison.

9 has stated adamantly that it intends to keep all NRL properties. 7's Kerry Stokes has stated his anger at losing NRL rights last time round. 10 is the unknown property.

In any case, it's going to be a dogfight.

I hope you're right on all those points. Ch 9 has shown total disregard for NRL in the non-core states and for them to have a first and last option is a disgrace. Let's hope the other channels make a dogfight out of it.

 

[Perth Red]

I can stream live games now...

In High Def to your 52" Plasma?

 

[Perth Red]

So what is the minimum bandwidth required for live streaming HD video ?

Generally Min 7mps, recommended 15mps but if peak then needs to be faster still. And that's just today, in a decade who knows what def we will be at, 3D etc etc.

Allegedly the max peak speed in Oz at the moment is 8-9mps but majority of people are way slower due to distance from exchange on old wiring, Liberal reckon, maybe!, that the new system will offer a peak speed of 12mps (whoppeee!), Labour's 100mps.

If for no other reason Labour will get my vote based on this policy alone.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Personally I reckon that if we manage to split off Origin the domestic rights will go from 90 to about 115-125 million, tops.

You know that 115 million is basically the same deal we got last time? Factor in inflation and one extra game a week (2 extra teams) and it's the same, OR WORSE, than the NRL negotiated last time around.

I'm saying we need $140mill per season to be remotely 'happy' and something like $150-160 to be 'pleased'.

a "low" figure like $140mill = $6.5mill grant to the clubs (minimum $6.5mill salary cap - up to $7.5 with the current club contributions and marquee payments).

That would STILL leave $25 million for head office stuff.

 

[docbrown]

Interesting stuff, where is this Screenhub you speak of?

Screenhub is a TV industry insider's news source.

I'm pretty sure that the ratio of NRL TV deal articles is three to four times the volume of AFL ones. There is an intense interest in who gets the NRL next time.

It doesn't bother me if Nine has first and last rights options as they still have to beat it. If Nine offer $140-$160 million per year as a total package, Stokes can offer to beat all of that or go for a part package that nine would have to match for individual rights. If Ten makes an offer, they have to respond to that too.

It wouldn't surprise me if Kerry Stokes just came out and offer $180-$190 million per year after Nine's first offer.

The next interesting point is balloon rights for an expansion game. If an extra game is not in place at the time of the rights signing, then that game can be bid for later down the track.

Hopefully though - and what I believe Gallop is planning - is to suggest that an extra game will be available from 2014 - and for the networks to include that in their offers.

 

[docbrown]

What Nine/Foxtel wants to pay: $150 million a year - $750 mill total
What Nine/Foxtel may be forced to pay: $190 million a year - $950 mill total

When you consider the tens of millions of dollars that Stokes spent suing 9 and Foxtel over the last NRL deal (one estimate I heard was $100 million but I've heard it was higher as well), that $200 million difference is a pittance to 7.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Generally Min 7mps, recommended 15mps but if peak then needs to be faster still. And that's just today, in a decade who knows what def we will be at, 3D etc etc.

Allegedly the max peak speed in Oz at the moment is 8-9mps but majority of people are way slower due to distance from exchange on old wiring, Liberal reckon, maybe!, that the new system will offer a peak speed of 12mps (whoppeee!), Labour's 100mps.

If for no other reason Labour will get my vote based on this policy alone.

The initial speed is not why the NBN is important, it’s the fact that it’s infinitely upgradeable and totally future proof. It’s a once in a generation opportunity to crate an awesome piece of national infrastructure we will still be benefitting from in 50+ years time.

 

[juro]

Did anyone see Lateline last night? To hear Abbott talk, he has no idea how to even turn on a computer. Then last night Malcolm Turnbull was on and he talked so well about the Liberals policy and why they don't like the Labor policy. Why did they have to boot Turnbull to put in Abbott???

 

[bobmar28]

At least we wont have million dollar school shelters

We won't have anything.

On the rights deal, I know AFL have more opportunities to place ads during the game but AFL gets smashed by NRL in the ratings-see previuos weekend ratings-despite NRL being shown in 2 cities to AFL's 5. That alone should ensure equal payment.

 

[eelandia]

Did anyone see Lateline last night? To hear Abbott talk, he has no idea how to even turn on a computer. Then last night Malcolm Turnbull was on and he talked so well about the Liberals policy and why they don't like the Labor policy. Why did they have to boot Turnbull to put in Abbott???

My thoughts are the same. Unfortunately the far right got their way out of fear of losing their core constituency re flat Earth society.

Upgrading copper and relying on wireless will do nothing to improve streaming issues for most and is very short-sighted. May as well put that $6b into something else. Worst still, those in the country areas will be worse off as prices will be dictated by the market (very expensive). World class communications obviously aren't a priority for most despite its importance in our future economic growth - and ability to stream bloody footy games!

 

[Ray Mosters]

On the rights deal, I know AFL have more opportunities to place ads during the game but AFL gets smashed by NRL in the ratings-see previuos weekend ratings-despite NRL being shown in 2 cities to AFL's 5. That alone should ensure equal payment.

The AFL does not get smashed...we play 2 of our best games in their own markets, live at 7:30, we total them together and the 2 hour average beats the 3 hour average of a single AFL game played on delay. Friday night is stacked in our favour at the moment, but it costs us 2 games to win the night, and we still only win it sometimes, and never by more than a couple hundred K, do you understand?

Now when things were comparable, we played a single friday night game and when you included regionals, there ratings were roughly the same with arguably the NRL game generally pulling higher numbers, but only slightly, by 10-20% or so.

That sort of difference pales into insignificance when you look at how much advertising exists in an AFL game... they literally have twice as many ad spots in one game as we do in ours, and to make matters worse a fair few of their ads are short, in-game ads, straight after goals. These ads are the most expensive because unlike big ad blocks at half time breaks, people sit through them and dont get up and go do something else for 5 minutes.

Now we have a longer season, Origin, and dominance of the richest market, but we will always end up with far less until we address the advertising issue and make the TV broadcast of our games alot more profitable

If we could pad out a game with say 15 or 20 minutes more of advertising, 1 min breaks after scores, and longer half time breaks perhaps, THEN we can talk about 200 million a year.

Until then the best we are going to be able to hope for is two thirds or three quarters what the AFL gets.

 

[gottabegood]

The AFL does not get smashed...we play 2 of our best games in their own markets, live at 7:30, we total them together and the 2 hour average beats the 3 hour average of a single AFL game played on delay. Friday night is stacked in our favour at the moment, but it costs us 2 games to win the night, and we still only win it sometimes, and never by more than a couple hundred K, do you understand?

Now when things were comparable, we played a single friday night game and when you included regionals, there ratings were roughly the same with arguably the NRL game generally pulling higher numbers, but only slightly, by 10-20% or so.

That sort of difference pales into insignificance when you look at how much advertising exists in an AFL game... they literally have twice as many ad spots in one game as we do in ours, and to make matters worse a fair few of their ads are short, in-game ads, straight after goals. These ads are the most expensive because unlike big ad blocks at half time breaks, people sit through them and dont get up and go do something else for 5 minutes.

Now we have a longer season, Origin, and dominance of the richest market, but we will always end up with far less until we address the advertising issue and make the TV broadcast of our games alot more profitable

If we could pad out a game with say 15 or 20 minutes more of advertising, 1 min breaks after scores, and longer half time breaks perhaps, THEN we can talk about 200 million a year.

Until then the best we are going to be able to hope for is two thirds or three quarters what the AFL gets.

Oh Okay, clearly that explains the disparity on Fox re $$ between AFL and RL with no commercials....thanks for that.

 

[docbrown]

The advertising is a valid point - but the advertising $$$ for NSW & QLD are larger than the rest of Australia combined by a significant margin. Kerry Stokes has said that one of the main reasons he wants the NRL rights is for QLD's growing market.

Yes AFL will have 4 teams in NSW & QLD - but the total viewing figures will and do pale in comparison with League's. So despite less advertising time, the $$ for that time is still higher. The drop off in viewers for the second game post 10 pm is equal with the drop off in the AFL.

In terms of national viewers, given that NSW & QLD = half of Australia's population, the national totals for the first Friday NRL game consistently beats AFL by 200-300k except on rare occassions. The fact that the ratings are averaged doesn't really matter as 6:00-10:30 is the main primetime window. It's still number of viewers watching the network within that period, regardless of whether it takes 1 match or 2.

If you do look at 'combined' ratings, when you look at Sunday figures for example, the combined total AFL ratings of different matches played in different states usually fails to beat the 1 NRL match. A second Sunday NRL match will see that margin increase further.

Add to this the fact that this is a matter of pride and ego between the main networks 7 & 9 who have bad blood over this, I think everyone is going to be surprised.

 

[andrew057]

EVIDENCE that TV is getting a steal when it comes to rugby league rights continues to mount.
Friday night's Broncos-Eels clash attracted a massive 1.2 million viewers nationally - the highest-rating club game for 2010.
But the figure that really impressed us was the 366,000 who tuned into the Round 21 Eels-Roosters clash in the supposed-graveyard slot of 5.30pm Saturday.
The NRL yesterday confirmed it was the highest-rating league game in pay television history.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...st-whistleblower/story-e6freye0-1225906586432

 

[simostorm]

The AFL does not get smashed...we play 2 of our best games in their own markets, live at 7:30, we total them together and the 2 hour average beats the 3 hour average of a single AFL game played on delay. Friday night is stacked in our favour at the moment, but it costs us 2 games to win the night, and we still only win it sometimes, and never by more than a couple hundred K, do you understand?

Now when things were comparable, we played a single friday night game and when you included regionals, there ratings were roughly the same with arguably the NRL game generally pulling higher numbers, but only slightly, by 10-20% or so.

That sort of difference pales into insignificance when you look at how much advertising exists in an AFL game... they literally have twice as many ad spots in one game as we do in ours, and to make matters worse a fair few of their ads are short, in-game ads, straight after goals. These ads are the most expensive because unlike big ad blocks at half time breaks, people sit through them and dont get up and go do something else for 5 minutes.

Now we have a longer season, Origin, and dominance of the richest market, but we will always end up with far less until we address the advertising issue and make the TV broadcast of our games alot more profitable

If we could pad out a game with say 15 or 20 minutes more of advertising, 1 min breaks after scores, and longer half time breaks perhaps, THEN we can talk about 200 million a year.

Until then the best we are going to be able to hope for is two thirds or three quarters what the AFL gets.

Wheres all your links to back up those stats..

Wheres the mods now correcting this?? Do your jobs you forkin merkins.

 

[simostorm]

Extend Halftime by 5 - 10 mins.

 

[forward pass]

NRL matches are not actually filmed in HD are they?? I know the AFL is but I am pretty sure Nine hasn't made the move as yet.