Tv deal impact on expansion

[Perth Red]

Knew when they started negotiations without launching two new teams we would miss the chance again.

WA response.

Hopes for a Perth-based NRL club have taken a blow with the announcement of a new $1.8 billion five-year broadcast deal starting in 2018.

The NRL deal locks in eight games a round, making more clubs unlikely. The best hope for NRLWA — the sport’s local governing body — would be the relocation of an existing club.

Relocation is an option being investigated by the NRL’s head of strategy Shane Richardson in his review of the game. He has expressed support for a Perth club and is expected to table his report by the end of next month.

The NRL was non-committal about relocation after announcing the TV deal.

“The broadcast deal will not impact on expansion. Our priority is to help develop 16 financially robust clubs,” a spokesman said.

A number of clubs are struggling financially in an over-saturated Sydney market.

The NRL took ownership of the Newcastle Knights last year and has acquired the Gold Coast Titans. It has also provided financial help to the Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra.

The WANRL has invested substantial money in its West Coast Pirates franchise and chief executive John Sackson said he was still hopeful of having a Perth team.

“It is a case of never say never. We remain hopeful and optimistic that Perth remains a favoured location,” Sackson said.

“We are waiting for the Richardson report. That is pivotal for us. He is an advocate for expansion and we are eager to see the ramifications of his review.

“The fact that the NRL is bringing more games to Perth is also a reflection of their intention to develop Perth as a key JUdevelopment market.”

Two NRL games will be played at nib Stadium next year.

South Sydney will play the Titans on Sunday, June 5 and Manly will clash with the NZ Warriors on Saturday, July 16.

An Australia-New Zealand Test will be played at nib Stadium in October.




https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/30216200/perth-nrl-team-lost-in-new-contract-deal/

 

[siv]

Looks like Brisbane 2 and NZ 2 are in the box seat

 

[Last Week]

An Australia-New Zealand Test will be played at nib Stadium in October.

So this is confirmed now? Cool.

 

[El Diablo]

Looks like Brisbane 2 and NZ 2 are in the box seat

any team will do as long as it's not from Perth

 

[Perth Red]

The comp really needs 4 teams
Brisbane 2 no brainer
NZ 2 to deal with the ridiculous. Friday 6pm game
Perth major city, big interest in RL biggest opportunity to really grow a new market
Adelaide major city but needs a serious growth strategy to get it ready for a relocated Sydney team

2018 Perth, brisbane2 and NZ2. One relocation
2021 relocation to Adelaide


Ideally we'd see two Sydney relocations and two new teams but the NRL has no vision so unlikely to happen in my lifetime.

 

[flippikat]

The comp really needs 4 teams
Brisbane 2 no brainer
NZ 2 to deal with the ridiculous. Friday 6pm game
Perth major city, big interest in RL biggest opportunity to really grow a new market
Adelaide major city but needs a serious growth strategy to get it ready for a relocated Sydney team

2018 Perth, brisbane2 and NZ2. One relocation
2021 relocation to Adelaide


Ideally we'd see two Sydney relocations and two new teams but the NRL has no vision so unlikely to happen in my lifetime.

You mean one Sydney team to the Central Coast, and one to Adelaide?

If we have that, plus NZ2, Brisbane2 & Perth then we get to 19 teams - gives the NRL a spare spot for the 20th team that could be Brisbane 3, NZ3, Central Queensland, 2nd Melbourne, Tasmania, PNG, Fiji.. you name it..

 

[siv]

Was there a provision in the new deal for a 9th game ?

Its obvious from the Telstra deal that we need to plan for Perth and Adelaide

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

no to relocation, I detest relocation, apart from the CC Bears.

Just bring in the WC Pirates and the Brisbane Bombers along with the Bears, replace them with Manly, Cronulla and Wests.

Would like another NZ based team, but is that realistic? What are they gonna call themselves, the Cyclones (South Pacific).

Would like the Warriors to return to call themselves Auckland.

Club football should be tribal, Newcastle v Canberra, Parramatta v Canterbury etc.

South Pacific? Really? Gonna start to play matches in Patagonia?

 

[Quidgybo]

Looks like Brisbane 2 and NZ 2 are in the box seat

The same thought occurred to me. With the major Australian deals locked up, the New Zealand rights suddenly become interesting, especially with the 6pm Friday slot. The NRL now goes to NZ television with this weekly primetime time slot and the option to throw a second NZ side on the table to make it stand up better in competition to Friday night Super Rugby. Perhaps against that competition, a second NZ side looks more attractive to NZ television than it did when games were in the less competitive Saturday night slot.

Treating a second Brisbane side as a given in any expansion, the fact NZ is a separate television market gives them leverage that the other potential expansion markets simply don't have. But I still doubt the ARLC will sign any expansion deal until the club participation agreements and the CBA are finalised - too many vampires at the trough. So maybe the NZ television rights won't get closed until after those two deals are done if expansion is going to be part of the solution to that puzzle.

Leigh.

 

[BuffaloRules]

The only viable option for the NRL in NZ appears to be their current carrier SKY and I'm not sure of the benefit SKY will see in creating competition against themselves with the Super Rugby coverage they already show at that time.

Besides, I'm hoping the NRL will be considering other factors for expansion other than trying to create content for what will ultimately prove to be an unpopular and hopefully short lived time slot.

 

[siv]

Would SKY show a 7x24 RL channel ?

 

[Quidgybo]

The only viable option for the NRL in NZ appears to be their current carrier SKY and I'm not sure of the benefit SKY will see in creating competition against themselves with the Super Rugby coverage they already show at that time.

What value to Fox Sports to be able to show Friday night NRL games when they already have Friday night AFL? What value was it to Channel Nine to have both Friday night NRL and AFL a few years back? Partly that the games attract different audiences, partly that more people watch television overall on Friday nights than Saturdays, making it a more valuable slot to compete in.

Besides, I'm hoping the NRL will be considering other factors for expansion other than trying to create content for what will ultimately prove to be an unpopular and hopefully short lived time slot.

How do you know they're not deliberately setting up expansion by choosing these time slots as opposed to choosing expansion to solve the slots? I find the lack of anything assigned to the Sunday night slot very interesting, as is of course this 6pm Friday slot. The former seems to tailor made for a fourth FTA game for Australia and the latter equally tailor made for NZ television. If you were just trying to replace Monday night, then Sunday night seemed the obvious move. The fact they didn't go with that suggests there might be more going on than we've yet seen.

Leigh.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Comparing what happens in Aust to NZ is irrelevant IMO...

There is competition in Australia for sports rights which I don't see in NZ..

Even Union gets comparatively poor money over there and SKY TV didn't pay any more money the last time for the NRL..

Also, I've noticed no one even wants to say where this second NZ team is going to be based...

I am extremely skeptical about this 6pm Fri slot- it seems a very rushed decision to the extent that News juornos got their spin wrong with the QLD daylight savings...

 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

Brisbane 2 (why not the Bears brand?)
NZ 2 (Orcas)
Relocate Wests Tigers to Perth (the name already makes sense) on the proviso that the teams they play H&A are all Sydney sides so their fans can still watch them at least 9 matches a year in Sydney.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

The order of admission would have to be;

1. Bris 2
2. Perth
3. Wellington
4. ???????

No way you can just admit NZ 2 just because of a 6pm friday game timeslot

WA would have the same argument as they could offer a 9.30pm Sat game every second week..

 

[docbrown]

Looks like Brisbane 2 and NZ 2 are in the box seat

Seems like the most logical now from a television perspective. Perth & Brisbane would have been the favourites previously but if the 6pm game remains, the necessity for New Zealand 2 increases and Brisbane 2 will remain 9's preferred option.

The fact there are now no really late games like the original delayed Friday DHer, Saturdays 9:30 or Sunday Evening takes an original benefit out of the Perth proposal though the Sunday Evening is the most likely to return as the 9th game. That's not to say though they can't play Saturdays at 5:30pm local or Sundays at 2pm local. It's just that those will be the key Fox (Saturday 7:30pm) & 9 (Sunday 4pm Live) spots and there's only so many times the NRL will want to put Perth in those positions. Their regular spot might become Saturday at 3:30pm local (5:30pm EST).

 

[siv]

FNF on Ch9 you can expect to kickoff at 8:30

 

[Desert Qlder]

Seems like the most logical now from a television perspective. Perth & Brisbane would have been the favourites previously but if the 6pm game remains, the necessity for New Zealand 2 increases and Brisbane 2 will remain 9's preferred option.

The fact there are now no really late games like the original delayed Friday DHer, Saturdays 9:30 or Sunday Evening takes an original benefit out of the Perth proposal though the Sunday Evening is the most likely to return as the 9th game. That's not to say though they can't play Saturdays at 5:30pm local or Sundays at 2pm local. It's just that those will be the key Fox (Saturday 7:30pm) & 9 (Sunday 4pm Live) spots and there's only so many times the NRL will want to put Perth in those positions. Their regular spot might become Saturday at 3:30pm local (5:30pm EST).

It is possible Fox could switch the 6pm game to a 9.30 live game from Perth.

Thereby leaving open the possibility of alternating NZ and Perth fixtures on Friday nights.

 

[docbrown]

It is possible Fox could switch the 6pm game to a 9.30 live game from Perth.

Thereby leaving open the possibility of alternating NZ and Perth fixtures on Friday nights.

Assuming Fox will be happy to lose their 6pm pub game and swap it for a match that instead finished at 11-11:30pm. It seems doubtful.

They'll persist with Friday 6pm if the viewership is there. If it isn't then they'll likely say 'push back the 9 game' so we can start 6:30pm. If that fails then maybe you'll see an intermix of Friday 6pm, Sunday evenings and the late slot (which only works if there's a Perth match which is a big IF).

But really they just want the same slot week-in week-out.

 

[LESStar58]

Playing a Test in Perth in October? I'm in!