Why didn't the AFL experience a super league war?

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Who owned the AFL pay-tv rights in 1994?

When Optus Vision launched in 1995, it carried two sports channels: Sports Australia, and Sports AFL (which showed Australian Football League games.) These channels were run by a company called Sports Vision, in which Seven Network was a partner. A third channel, Sports Australia 2, was added during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and later used to show additional live programming.

The programming line-up on the Sports Australia service rivalled Fox Sports, with the AFL, NRL premiership, the Australian National Soccer League, the FA Premier League, and Sheffield Shield cricket. At the time, Fox Sports focused on less popular sports.

C7 Sport - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[yakstorm]

I don't know if you can say League was the leader or trend setter in the late 80s - early 90s, but it certainly had a lot of positive momentum.

Crowds, TV audiences & participation were all growing, and of course the competition had enjoyed multiple expansions in a 13 year window, with the likes of Brisbane Broncos (Avg 35K+ early 90s), Newcastle (Avg 20K+), Nth Qld (Avg 21K first season), Warriors (Avg 26K first season) & Crushers (Avg 21K first season) suddenly fueling speculation that League might be able to compete attendance wise with the AFL (which was in the low 20K avg in the late 80s).

So investing in it wasn't seen as a poor choice. News already was managing the merchandise licensing agreements for the NSWRL/ARL in the 90s, so had great insights into the money the code was generating, and we all know the stories about the Broncos having the ear of senior News officials.

AFL was in a lot better positioned to stop any split by the 90s than League as it had gone through a decade of it in the 80s. The setup of the commission, among other things, would have made it a lot harder from a legal perspective, whilst the AFL also never forced expansion teams to pay for the flights & accommodation of other teams (which was one of the Warriors, Cowboys, Reds & Raiders biggest issues) or was threatening to go down from 20 to 14 teams.

 

[Perth Red]

I’m still amazed WA had 10k registered players in the early 90’s when the population was only 1 million! The game must have been very well covered across the country back then.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I don't know if you can say League was the leader or trend setter in the late 80s - early 90s, but it certainly had a lot of positive momentum.

Crowds, TV audiences & participation were all growing, and of course the competition had enjoyed multiple expansions in a 13 year window, with the likes of Brisbane Broncos (Avg 35K+ early 90s), Newcastle (Avg 20K+), Nth Qld (Avg 21K first season), Warriors (Avg 26K first season) & Crushers (Avg 21K first season) suddenly fueling speculation that League might be able to compete attendance wise with the AFL (which was in the low 20K avg in the late 80s).

So investing in it wasn't seen as a poor choice. News already was managing the merchandise licensing agreements for the NSWRL/ARL in the 90s, so had great insights into the money the code was generating, and we all know the stories about the Broncos having the ear of senior News officials.

AFL was in a lot better positioned to stop any split by the 90s than League as it had gone through a decade of it in the 80s. The setup of the commission, among other things, would have made it a lot harder from a legal perspective, whilst the AFL also never forced expansion teams to pay for the flights & accommodation of other teams (which was one of the Warriors, Cowboys, Reds & Raiders biggest issues) or was threatening to go down from 20 to 14 teams.

The West Coast Eagles were required to cover flight and accommodation of the VFL clubs in the late 80s. It bankrupted the club. Luckily for them they were bailed out by a local company. The most infuriating thing is the NSWRL had the benefit of hindsight to learn from the VFL'e mistake, yet they proceeded to place this crippling stipulation on the four expansion clubs of 1995.

 

[Desert Qlder]

AFL!!

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

AFL!!

If you don't have anything constructive to say then don't post anything at all.

 

[Iamback]

If you don't have anything constructive to say then don't post anything at all.

Yet...you dribble nothing but shit

 

[Desert Qlder]

If you don't have anything constructive to say then don't post anything at all.

AFL!!!

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

AFL!!!

IGNORE!!

You're now on my Ignore List.

 

[Desert Qlder]

IGNORE!!

You're now on my Ignore List.

SINGAPORE!!!

 

[yakstorm]

The West Coast Eagles were required to cover flight and accommodation of the VFL clubs in the late 80s. It bankrupted the club. Luckily for them they were bailed out by a local company. The most infuriating thing is the NSWRL had the benefit of hindsight to learn from the VFL'e mistake, yet they proceeded to place this crippling stipulation on the four expansion clubs of 1995.

Forgot about that happening to the Eagles, thank you. Agreed it was frustrating that the NSWRL learnt nothing from witnessing this with the VFL, nor listened to the existing clubs which were already struggling with it in their own competition.

 

[Cheese sandwich]

AwFuL

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Forgot about that happening to the Eagles, thank you. Agreed it was frustrating that the NSWRL learnt nothing from witnessing this with the VFL, nor listened to the existing clubs which were already struggling with it in their own competition.

The worst part is the the NSWRL clubs demanded their flight and accommodation expenses to Auckland, Brisbane, Perth and Townsville be covered by the expansion clubs. The expansion committee was headed by board members of the NSWRL clubs. It was set up to benefit the Sydney-based clubs to the detriment of the expansion franchises.

What pisses me off is so many NSWRL fans walk around thinking their clubs got the raw end of the deal out of the Super League schism, when the reality is they created the perfect conditions for it to eventuate. When the facts are pointed out to them they ignore the truth because they don't want to accept reality.

 

[Cheese sandwich]

Or they don't care

 

[bad boy bubby]

I’m still amazed WA had 10k registered players in the early 90’s when the population was only 1 million! The game must have been very well covered across the country back then.

I lived in Perth in 93. I don't know about Fridays and Saturdays, but on Sundays the NSWRL on Ch 9 was live every week.
SOO was huge in the pubs then too.
Loads of adverts for the Reds even that early.

 

[Dark Corner]

The West Coast Eagles were required to cover flight and accommodation of the VFL clubs in the late 80s. It bankrupted the club. Luckily for them they were bailed out by a local company. The most infuriating thing is the NSWRL had the benefit of hindsight to learn from the VFL'e mistake, yet they proceeded to place this crippling stipulation on the four expansion clubs of 1995.

I think before expansion for both Rugby League and Aussie Rules Football they should of brought in some of the clubs of the BRL, SAFL and WAFL.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I think before expansion for both Rugby League and Aussie Rules Football they should of brought in some of the clubs of the BRL, SAFL and WAFL.

I agree. The strongest clubs from the local competitions should have played in a premier league. The weaker teams could play in a second division.

 

[Perth Red]

I agree. The strongest clubs from the local competitions should have played in a premier league. The weaker teams could play in a second division.

Why? Your just going to alienate fans of other clubs in that scenario from following the main club in the city, as we may well see for the dolphins if there is much of a following for other qrl cup teams.

100k members and 2decades of sold out games and memberships would suggest the new club all city model has worked well in perth for afl and for broncos in Brisbane And Storm in melbourne who are the best supported RL clubs in the country.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Murdoch wanted to make money out of RL. He was also prepared to risk harming RL. AFL have never been subject to this toxic combination which prevails across a mainstream media whose executives disproportionately went to schools, and who send their children to schools, in which RL is actively shunned.
The presence in establishment circles of so many whose education and background makes them at best indifferent and at worst downright hostile to RL has always been the biggest millstone round our neck.
It will almost certainly play a part in the respective TV deals too. Negotiators possessing a personal and cultural affection for AFL or RU are willing to overpay. Extra funds invested in their preferred sports can be written off in the manner of a charitable donation. In contrast, the value of NRL broadcast rights is governed purely by expedience.

 

[mave]

Murdoch wanted to make money out of RL. He was also prepared to risk harming RL. AFL have never been subject to this toxic combination which prevails across a mainstream media whose executives disproportionately went to schools, and who send their children to schools, in which RL is actively shunned.
The presence in establishment circles of so many whose education and background makes them at best indifferent and at worst downright hostile to RL has always been the biggest millstone round our neck.
It will almost certainly play a part in the respective TV deals too. Negotiators possessing a personal and cultural affection for AFL or RU are willing to overpay. Extra funds invested in their preferred sports can be written off in the manner of a charitable donation. In contrast, the value of NRL broadcast rights is governed purely by expedience.

This is LU.

Your gonna have to stop with the big words.