The TV rights thread

[El Diablo]

excerpt from Roys article http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/...rtland-20110218-1azib.html?rand=1298037689762

Demetriou has convinced the Melbourne clubs to support the West Sydney Giants and the Gold Coast Suns because they will increase broadcasting revenue to $1 billion over five years.

He is fond of pointing out nearly 60 per cent of advertising revenue derives from NSW and Queensland, where the competition now has only two clubs, the Swans and Brisbane Lions.

Translation: 14 of the AFL's clubs are in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth where there is just over 40 per cent of the advertising dollars. But the broadcasters, particularly Seven, Ten and Foxtel, are not buying the $1bn deal. Foxtel wants better quality games to sell subscriptions in the southern states where the uptake is poor, compared with the rugby league states which see five NRL games on Fox Sports, including the third and fourth best.

NRL free-to-air rights holder Nine is not serious about bidding for AFL and Seven-Ten are contractually bound to bid together.

With Foxtel saying it is already paying too much, it seems the AFL might get closer to $800m than $1bn.

no idea where he gets these ideas :?

i just hope 9 lose the NRL rights

be great if they neither

 

[Bastard Squad]

When asked about content costs - particularly the broadcast rights for the AFL amid speculation they might be sold for $1 billion - Mr Leckie said there would be no cost surprises. ''We've pretty much budgeted for what it's going to be,'' he said, playing down the prospect of a blowout in football rights. He forecast ''low single-figure'' cost growth.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/seven-stokess-lucky-number-20110221-1b2jl.html

 

[docbrown]

http://www.smh.com.au/business/seven-stokess-lucky-number-20110221-1b2jl.html

Low single figure cost growth.

I guess he's figuring an $820-$850 million AFL deal then, as has been floating around.

 

[applesauce]

I will bet that GWS won't average 100k for the season in Sydney on FTA.

GWS will cannabis the Swans and the same could be said for a struggling Lions and the GCS.

 

[parano1a]

I will bet that GWS won't average 100k for the season in Sydney on FTA.

I'd agree with you there seeing as they aren't in the comp this season!

But my point is - even if Swans and GWS games only get 60 or 70k viewers each on FTA in Sydney, that's still a lot more than the 18k or so insomniacs who watch Friday Night NRL in Melbourne - and therefore boosts the overall national value of the AFL rights.

If Nine started showing NRL live in Melbourne every Friday night on GO or GEM (as they are now able to) this might boost the value of the next NRL rights as the viewership base might be given a chance to grow. Of course, this would benefit the NRL but disadvantage Nine which is probably why they'll continue to show it after midnight.

 

[Billythekid]

It's only pre-season but the AFL's triple header between the Swans and the two expansion clubs from GWS and Gold Coast dominated this week's pay tv ratings...

Yes people were tuning in to watch the new teams. Might be a good idea to wait until the season starts before we start making comments like this. New teams always attract attention at first.

This is why the AFL's expansion clubs will boost the value of its rights deal to $1 bil.

Have you been reading any media regarding this? Pretty much all sources are indicating that the AFL are going to fall well short of the proposed 1 billion.

 

[beave]

I think you will find in 1996 there was some teams that didn't play all their games, from memory all the SL aligned teams forfeited the first round of the ARL comp (besides Auckland) because they were waiting on legal advice or some BS.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-...ns-to-see-more-live-games-20110222-1b47x.html

Footy fans will be able to view games live on free-to-air multi-channels permanently, under legislation to go before parliament.

AFL and rugby league followers are often dismayed at having to watch delayed broadcasts of their favourite team.

But Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, a Collingwood supporter, said cabinet wanted multi-channels to show Friday night games live.

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"They're often shown at 11 o'clock at night, which is one of the complaints of footy fans in the Sydney and Brisbane markets," Senator Conroy told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday night.

"We're putting in place the mechanism now to allow those matches to be shown on the multi-channels even prior to the legislation."

Making this arrangement permanent requires changing the Broadcast Services Act.

Legislation is expected to be introduced to parliament during the February and March sittings.

The government's updated anti-siphoning list began in January 2011.

Under the new rules, commercial networks are required to screen the AFL and NRL grand finals on their main channel.

But they do not have to screen as many games in a premiership round.

 

[El Diablo]

what's the bet 9 won't do it?

 

[adamkungl]

if it goes to parliament in March...could we be seeing live RL in Melbourne and Perth immediately?

 

[El Diablo]

9 could have shown the All stars live in those states seeing it wasn't on the list. they didn't though

every other network has used the multi channels for sport except 9

jut because 9 will be able to doesn't mean they have to. seeing 9 treat RL like sh*t i'd say there's no chance they'll do it

 

[Perth Red]

I'm not holding my breath. We can't even get it on when it rates better than the alternative dross they show on a Sunday afternoon!

 

[adamkungl]

so...they will be legally allowed to in April or so?

 

[Dogs Of War]

The NRL better force channel 9's hand. There will be no excuses for not showing it into the Southern States now. It has to rate better than what is being shown on those channels at that time of night. Channel 9 should be doing it as an act of goodwill given the TV rights are coming up.

 

[El Diablo]

they can't make them

 

[Dogs Of War]

they can't make them

I am not saying they can make them, but the NRL would be stupid to sit on it's hands and not make an approach to Channel 9, especially if they can get the TV ratings for shows they have at that time on those channels. Rugby League must be able to rate at least that, if not more. Even if they got a guaranteed 6-10 week trial run to be able to prove there case (much like AFL did in Canberra, which failed if I remember correctly)

 

[Perth Red]

yes they can, well kind of.
Gallop to Ch9 Exec. Look the Tv rights are coming up, now would be a very good time to show your committment to NRL by showing the game nationally at a decent time. If not some may construe it that another TV station who is willing to help us grow the game may be a better option for the future.
Ch9 Exec - oh, ok then

 

[El Diablo]

9 have first and last bid rights

they'd tell Gallop to f**k off

 

[Perth Red]

last rights does not = must accept last bid offered.

 

[docbrown]

But my point is - even if Swans and GWS games only get 60 or 70k viewers each on FTA in Sydney, that's still a lot more than the 18k or so insomniacs who watch Friday Night NRL in Melbourne - and therefore boosts the overall national value of the AFL rights.

You're comparing prime time viewing figures to post midnight numbers.

Until GWS & Gold Coast build an audience (and IMO they will not match the current audience for the Lions & Swans) then for some time 2 out of 9 games will feature teams with low appeal. It's going to affects their overall ratings.

EDIT: I'll just add to that that the NAB cup game on 10 the other week rated 17.5k on OneHD in prime time and 2k on 10 delay in Sydney.

19.5k in a city of 4.5 million, the biggest market in Australia.

If Nine started showing NRL live in Melbourne every Friday night on GO or GEM (as they are now able to) this might boost the value of the next NRL rights as the viewership base might be given a chance to grow. Of course, this would benefit the NRL but disadvantage Nine which is probably why they'll continue to show it after midnight.

The smartest thing the NRL can go is get some Storm games on Fridays live in Melbourne this year before & during the TV negotiation - so they have firm numbers that show that primetime NRL in Melbourne > primetime AFL in Sydney/Brisbane.