The TV rights thread

[Goddo]

Good find El, I was just about to say something about this very issue...

The final pieces in the NRL puzzle would then be Internet Rights and Major Sponsor - with the potential ownership shifs within Foxtel, Telstra with T-Box and Big Pond, and the National Broadband Network... who knows what that would be worth? $50m? $100m?

 

[CC_Roosters]

It will be interesting to see what affect the proposition of expansion plays in the negotiations. Will fox or FTA get the additonal game if/when the NRL gets 18 teams. Personally i would like to see a saturday FTA game to give FTA coverage across the weekend.

 

[El Diablo]

Good find El, I was just about to say something about this very issue...

The final pieces in the NRL puzzle would then be Internet Rights and Major Sponsor - with the potential ownership shifs within Foxtel, Telstra with T-Box and Big Pond, and the National Broadband Network... who knows what that would be worth? $50m? $100m?

doesn't say anything abut him dropping his share in Fox Sports though

 

[andrew057]

the only person who has mentioned it is Masters

there has been nothing from 9 so why would he comment :?

The way when it was first mentioned there was a lot of support and it sounded like a great idea. In recent months there hasnt been much on it either way.

 

[nrlnrl]

I thought channel 9 owned the rights to all games and sold them to Fox? Could be mistaken.

:shock: umm, you are mistaken

 

[Goddo]

I really think we will get between $800-900m, probably around $850m with game sponsorship and internet rights thrown in.

Thats pretty bloody good, concidering the first and last rights of 9, Foxsports having first rights till 2025, the shafting we got last time, the conflict of interest problems we face with PBL/News/Telstra.

I also get the feeling the AFL will be looking at $900m-1b, again including internet rights and sponsorship, most probably around the $950m mark.

This would be a great outcome for us - it would allow the NRL to persue quite a few growth projects (expansion, national juniors programs, State RL's, player wage increases, et cetera) without breaking the bank.

We aren't in the AFL's position - whatever increase they get, they have already locked the money into GWS and GC for the next +10 years.

 

[El Diablo]

i wonder why ESPN don't wish to bid for rights seeing they now have 2 channels

be a good way for them to make money from pubs and clubs

 

[Perth Red]

It will be interesting to see what affect the proposition of expansion plays in the negotiations. Will fox or FTA get the additonal game if/when the NRL gets 18 teams. Personally i would like to see a saturday FTA game to give FTA coverage across the weekend.

I'm resigned to the fact that if we get in all our games are likely to be sometime between 6.30-7.30pm kick offs to give a new live TV slot option every other week to either FTA or Fox. Unlikely they would want a 9.30pm live Friday game every week featuring WA so probably Saturday nights will be our home game time so a 8.30-9 or 9.30pm live game into Eastern states becomes a possibility.

 

[applesauce]

:shock: umm, you are mistaken

99% sure he is not...

 

[nrlnrl]

i wonder why ESPN don't wish to bid for rights seeing they now have 2 channels

be a good way for them to make money from pubs and clubs

The same reasons they won't bid for AFL - a number of factors including the $ & that they operate through overseas content ( apart from 1 show per week - local version of PTI )

It might be different when the next AFL / NRL tv deal expires, but not now
- even if they tested the water with replay rights, they're just not ready for it & Fox Sports has 3 channels to allow more opportunities for multiple replays throughout the week, plus they realise the importance of complete replay rights.

 

[nrlnrl]

99% sure he is not...

I'm 100% he is

Fox Sports pay the NRL for the rights to the live games they show & replays, nothing to do with Ch9...

Ch9 deal is completely separate to the Fox Sports one

 

[herbert henry1908]

I'm 100% he is

Fox Sports pay the NRL for the rights to the live games they show & replays, nothing to do with Ch9...

Ch9 deal is completely separate to the Fox Sports one

This is correct , they are two separate deals.

See here:http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2005/07/01/1405200.htm

 

[TheRam]

Just one question.

What is to stop any FTA station from bidding $B1+ for the whole lot. I mean every single game, all club, SOO, Internationals, NYC, Indigenous-All Stars, SOO Legends and anything else deemed worthy of televising. Total exclusivity. Surely that would be the best way to actually kill it for both the NRL and the winning bidder. It would rate its socks off.

 

[Goddo]

None of them have that kind of money.

 

[bobmar28]

They always say that but you just have to look at the ratings increases for the NRL to see what a load of garbage it is. It's just used as a justification to shaft us and if Gallop had the balls to play hardball like the AFL does (threatening to set up their own Paytv operation last time) we would actually get paid what we're worth to Foxtel.

Now there's an idea. Isn't that what the NFL and NASCAR do?

 

[bobmar28]

The thing is, unlike the AFL, we're not in a great financial position. Fox is powerful and it would be very hard for us to play hardball. Fox knows that and that's part of the reason we get screwed.

AFL has stashed away a massive amount of money in the bank for a rainy day, we have virtually nothing in the bank. How would we play hardball? If we took away games from Fox and offered them to FTA there is no way they could pay how much we want (and need).

Why not? If Fox can make a profit out of those games why couldn't FTA?

 

[bobmar28]

I think splitting into packages is going to force Fox to pay more, as long as another FTA is serious about getting them. Friday night games(2), Saturday Games (3), Sunday Games(3) and Monday night game(1). Those are the packages that should be on offer.

I really hope that is possible. ONE HD should be a competitor to Fox Sports and should bid against them.

 

[redvscotty]

I heard One was splitting the channel up and no long going to be devoted to sports on the radio this morning?!?

 

[redvscotty]

http://www.news.com.au/business/ten...-lachlan-murdoch/story-e6frfm1i-1226035769103

DOesn't say too much about any changes, but does say that they may be on the horizon.

 

[nrlnrl]

http://www.news.com.au/business/ten...-lachlan-murdoch/story-e6frfm1i-1226035769103

DOesn't say too much about any changes, but does say that they may be on the horizon.

It's a business decision to try & turn things around. It might surprise some people, but tv stations do have to be run as a business.

I think this is the important part of the article...

Signalling that Channel 10's increasingly expensive news team was on notice, Mr Murdoch said more difficult decisions "still have to come" and the group was at a critical juncture.
"The financial performance, particularly in our television business, had really become untenable over the last five years," he said. "There was no growth aspiration in this business. And frankly, when you see that, from my perspective the status quo was not an option. Fundamentally a new attitude and a new accountability was demanded within the business."

Among key changes announced yesterday, One's programming will be overhauled on May 8 with drama, documentaries and movies added to the schedule alongside "premium sport".