The TV rights thread

[bobmar28]

I'm surprised there isn't more interest in showing English SL.

Channel 9 used to have it on Sundays around lunch time. That was a couple of years ago.

 

[bobmar28]

I'd like to see ONE get the rights to FTA football.

Or at least some of it.

 

[nrlnrl]

When you look at some of the sports ABC is showing nationally on a weekend you think they would be interested in a RL show that covered a round up of RL and maybe a highlights game from the Q'land cup and NSW cup. Surely it would rate better than some of the sport they are showing?

or even SL, they could show the two SL games on a Sunday for example, highlights of each game, 50mins each game, make a nice 2 hour RL show to run on a Sunday. Doubt Ch9 is paying much for SL so wouldn't be expensive I wouldn't think and would be a good ratings winner.

Friday Ch10 2 NRL games 7.30pm and 9.30pm
Saturday Fox Super Saturday 3 games
Sunday (or Thursday night even) ABC SL &RL show 11am - 1pm
Sunday Ch9 2 live games 3pm and 5pm
Sunday Ch10 7.30pm live game
Monday Fox 7.30pm live game

That would be a good spread for me

Good idea, but a few stumbling blocks :

1) can't imagine the ABC forking out the cash for SL rights ( even if it is dirt cheap )
2) They are restricted by how much NRL footage they can show. Ch9 & Fox Sports can show it on various shows because they are rights holders, others can only show footage on news.
3) Ch9 won't move their Sunday night news from 6pm, it's their highest rating news bulletin of the week.

How about moving the Sunday Footy Show and Roast to midday & 1pm respectively ? Then the first of their double header games could kick off at 2:05, followed by game 2 at 4:05. They could cross to game 1 during Sunday Roast & to game 2 during half-time of the first game ( like Fox Sports do on Saturdays )

 

[BuffaloRules]

What about showing a FTA game on a Sat night?

This could be sold on a stand alone basis to One HD or Seven.. ( assume Channel 9 keeps Friday nights and Sunday arvo...)

Say at 7.30.

Fox continues to keep the 5.30pm game.

Another game could be shown delayed on Fox at 9.30pm or alternatively Fox could get to show the Reds play on a Sat night 8 times a year or so and that game could be broadcast back into the Eastern states live at 9.30pm.

 

[docbrown]

What about showing a FTA game on a Sat night?

Well down the road as 5th F2A air game, it makes sense. However at the moment with F2A games I do believe the best opportunity the NRL has to maximise audience is to use 2 double headers.

Of course selling the option of a Sunday/Monday/Thursday one off game is important for the auction.

Whichever network wins the Sunday double header will win the Sunday news timeslot and have a big foothold into the evening slots.

 

[BuffaloRules]

I would love to see live Sat night NRL games on FTA going up against the Swans & Lions...

 

[applesauce]

I would love to see live Sat night NRL games on FTA going up against the Swans & Lions...

Saturday is the worst rating night on tv though.

It's tough because we could go for the Sunday double header and have higher overall ratings than a Saturday night. But it would be letting the AFL carve out their own unopposed Saturday night time-slot with a niche market that will grow over many years, much like the NRL's Monday night football.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

The Swans Saturday night games ratings have gone from bad to worse over the past 5 or so years in Sydney. They've carved a turd, not a niche.

The Iron Chef is more of a problem than the Swans...

 

[applesauce]

The Swans Saturday night games ratings have gone from bad to worse over the past 5 or so years in Sydney. They've carved a turd, not a niche.

The Iron Chef is more of a problem than the Swans...

The AFL play games in other states on Saturday nights. If we are national coverage (fingers crossed) we will be up against them as well...

 

[BuffaloRules]

The AFL play games in other states on Saturday nights. If we are national coverage (fingers crossed) we will be up against them as well...

So AFL dont play on Friday nights or Sunday Arvos then?

 

[jasonstevenswedgie]

but with the lure of a free to air games monday or saturday night with the double headers on friday and sunday. we can drive up the price fox will need to pay to keep those games. win/win.
friday night nine
sunday seven
sat fox and free to air provider or just fox
monday night who ever puts up the $, fox will not want to loose this as it rates well for them

 

[BunniesMan]

but with the lure of a free to air games monday or saturday night with the double headers on friday and sunday. we can drive up the price fox will need to pay to keep those games. win/win.
friday night nine
sunday seven
sat fox and free to air provider or just fox
monday night who ever puts up the $, fox will not want to loose this as it rates well for them

Does FTA want that many games?

 

[applesauce]

So AFL dont play on Friday nights or Sunday Arvos then?

My post was in reference to EA's comment that the Swans do sh*t on a Saturday, there is more to ratings than Sydney. If we were to get a Saturday Night game we would be up against the AFL and on the worst night of the week in non-heartland states.... That is where we would suffer. I would rather see us get national coverage on a good timeslot for ratings.

But leaving the AFL unchallenged on a Saturday has it's disadvantages as well, maybe not in Sydney but it would in other parts of the country.

 

[Spanner in the works]

What about a double header on the Saturday instead, with just the one game televised on Sunday to encourage people to go to the games? Make Friday and Saturday the BIG nights of football, while Sunday is family/recovery day. Can't think of a better weekend for sports actually.

 

[babyg]

I would love to see live Sat night NRL games on FTA going up against the Swans & Lions...

100% agree

and announcing it before the AFL negociates its rights would ensure 7,10 or whoever that Brisbane and Sydney would be in the sh*t.

 

[jasonstevenswedgie]

Does FTA want that many games?

prob not but it doesnt hurt to offer them and see what they are willing to offer. someone like ten might go all out for a saturday or monday game, forcing fox to pay more if they want to keep their top rating sports shows.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

The AFL play games in other states on Saturday nights. If we are national coverage (fingers crossed) we will be up against them as well...

AFL games in 1/2 the country are hardly what you'd call a "niche market" in any timeslot. They are the dominant code.

So where were you referring to? It could only be NSW and/or Qld.

If they were after a niche in NSW and Qld, they're doing a bloody awful job of it.

 

[docbrown]

Saturday is the worst rating night on tv though.

It's tough because we could go for the Sunday double header and have higher overall ratings than a Saturday night. But it would be letting the AFL carve out their own unopposed Saturday night time-slot with a niche market that will grow over many years, much like the NRL's Monday night football.

It wouldn't surprise me if 10 try to get out of AFL Saturdays and go for either just the 1 Friday AFL game or Sunday/Monday combo.

The Saturday AFL ratings have declined over the last deal and I suspect will continued decline, especially if they try and force a 5th F2A game.

Remember AFL runs for 12 hours on F2A and that would go to 15 hours with 5 games. A back to back AFL double header would last SIX HOURS! It's a sizable chunk of time for any fan to devote their weekend to. In this regard I would actually say a 5th F2A game will be to the AFL's detriment and result in over saturation.

Compare that to the NRL's current 6 and future 8 hours. It's easier for fans to watch 2 hour back to back games and get more variety.

What about a double header on the Saturday instead, with just the one game televised on Sunday to encourage people to go to the games? Make Friday and Saturday the BIG nights of football, while Sunday is family/recovery day. Can't think of a better weekend for sports actually.

Well Saturday automatically has a lower audience base than Friday, but a 6:30pm start would be a big boost.

However - I think you only need to look at the ratings drop offs for the 2 Saturday finals games in the same 4 hour time slot, like last year. It seems that after a big Friday game, fans tend to tune out in that Saturday post 8:30pm slot. And that was with only one Friday game with an 11pm finish, not 2 Friday games with an 11:30pm finish. I have said before that perhaps we need to consider a Friday 7pm to 11pm slot as well. However, apparently Two and a Half Men repeats are essential.

I think by keeping Saturday as a buffer day you boost your audience so alot of week fans will watch most of the action week in week out. As for carving a niche, I think with a doubleheader on a Sunday the NRL will OWN Sundays.

 

[Spanner in the works]

Well Saturday automatically has a lower audience base than Friday, but a 6:30pm start would be a big boost.

However - I think you only need to look at the ratings drop offs for the 2 Saturday finals games in the same 4 hour time slot, like last year. It seems that after a big Friday game, fans tend to tune out in that Saturday post 8:30pm slot. And that was with only one Friday game with an 11pm finish, not 2 Friday games with an 11:30pm finish. I have said before that perhaps we need to consider a Friday 7pm to 11pm slot as well. However, apparently Two and a Half Men repeats are essential.

I think by keeping Saturday as a buffer day you boost your audience so alot of week fans will watch most of the action week in week out. As for carving a niche, I think with a doubleheader on a Sunday the NRL will OWN Sundays.

Those are some good points. I've always wondered as to why some Saturday games go so late, when many people are heading out for a night on the town at the same time. It just seemed a little strange. I was actually thinking more along the lines of back to back games at one stadium like ANZ/Suncorp/SFS, with one afternoon/evening game (like 2:45pm) followed directly by a night game. And then televising it. Make it the BIG night of football. I'd sort out the draw so the clubs alternate each week as to who gets it, with members of the four clubs getting pre-allocated tickets, with the balance made up of non-members/other supporters who have to purchase. Seating for pre allocated tickets will be based on what members paid earlier in the season - i.e. a better quality membership gets you better seats. I'd have the games televised live, with the news to follow. That would be fantastic! It leaves fans with the rest of the night to do whatever, they get value for money with games each week and it looks great for the code.

 

[applesauce]

AFL games in 1/2 the country are hardly what you'd call a "niche market" in any timeslot. They are the dominant code.

So where were you referring to? It could only be NSW and/or Qld.

If they were after a niche in NSW and Qld, they're doing a bloody awful job of it.

The niche market is Saturday night viewership because:

a) There is only 1 sport on FTA to watch and
b) Saturday is the lowest rating night of the week.

So the AFL get the "general" FTA sports fan and are able to create a consistant and some would say with time traditional, uncontested sporting night much like Monday night football all to their own. Hense the niche market. (BTW a niche market is a targeted audience not a small one...)