Is five years too long for the NRL internet rights?
Roar Rookie After watching a presentation of how the UFC is delivered via Xbox in the USA I got to thinking about how much the media landscape has changed in the last five years and how much it will change in the future.
Currently in the USA you can watch all UFC main events on a PPV basis live via your xbox 360 without needing cable or any other form of pay tv, just an internet connection.
Once you have ordered the fight you can view the fight card, fighter stats and previous match ups as well as make a prediction on who will win which fight in which round.
You can then view your friends predictions and also see which of your friends are watching the fight, even chat live to them while you are watching the fights, even if they are on the other side of the world. Then, once the fight is over you can post your prediction results on Facebook.
I thought, how could this work for the NRL?
It’s a Friday night, I’m getting home from work late, but thats okay because I’ve already told my xbox that I want to watch the Broncos destroy the Storm, so the game will be available whenever I’m ready to watch it.
I walk in the door and the wife is standing their in my Broncos Jersey with the xbox controller in one hand and a nice cold brew in the other.
Luckily, I’ve made it home in time to watch the game live.
I select the NRL dashboard which has a few obligatory ads linked directly to advertiser websites around the edges. I decide to hold off on looking at the ab-master until after the game because I want to check the team lists. There has been one change for the storm, something about Slater’s knee, so I click on Billy’s name to see his stats for the last few games against the Broncos.
I then select “compare player” and the Broncos team list comes up. After comparing a few players with Slater and checking out a few other players, it’s time for Kick off.
The game starts and I decide I’d better double check my tips for the game. I say “xbox-NRL tips” and a small screen pops up with my predictions compared to the rest of the world. 94% select Broncos for the win.
I can also see that my mate in Dubai is watching the game and has tipped the Broncos to win by 12 so I send him a ‘chat invite’. He accepts and the pop-up window changes to a live video chat.
This is just a small sample of what can be achieved with a little hard work and foresight on behalf of the NRL. Current technology is able to do all these things and more and with the NBN coming soon the possibilities are almost limitless.
The NRL could easily retain the internet rights and get a few programmers together to set this up.
The payment for watching the games could be split up, however the customer wants: one game, one team or a full-season pass which would include access to classic games of the past.
It also allows the viewer to watch the game from anywhere in the world and for the NRL to know who is watching the game and where, thus being able to provide targeted advertising.
In light of the possibilities and the rapidly changing technologies I don’t think the NRL should commit to a long term internet rights deal unless they are willing to really push the product and take advantage of the opportunities that are there.
The Crowd Says (7) | Page 1 of Comments
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June 19th 2012 @ 8:17am
oikee said | June 19th 2012 @ 8:17am | Report comment
Fezmop, if you dont work for the NRL you should be. This is what i have been saying now for a while, and Gallop was a major nusience for doing this, signing 5-6 even 20 year deals.
The NRL has got to stop signing long term deals,. ate i dont get to involved with modern technology, but i do know that it is the future, and it changes so fast. I can see this, surely Grant has to know.
Yes, the time of signing any more than a 2 year deal should nearly be over. Times are changing rapidly, league needs to be the first to pick up on this, we need to be proactive on this now.
Good post mate, hopefully someone picks up on this and realises.
June 19th 2012 @ 11:52am
Pot Stirrer said | June 19th 2012 @ 11:52am | Report comment
I think to make it work for the buyer a minimum 5 year deal would be required for them to recoup thier investment. However in saying that after reading your article i am even more convinced that the world is fast leaving me behind. All this technology that is developing
is far to complicated for me to bother trying to get my head around it. I dont have the patience nor desire to get with the times. I enjoy turning on the box to instantly watch the game or going to the pub for atmosphere during a game and actually
SOCIALISING WITH PEOPLE.
June 19th 2012 @ 2:13pm
waterboy said | June 19th 2012 @ 2:13pm | Report comment
Great article.
The dinosaurs at the NRL under the Gallop administration would not even consider any of this stuff.
The new Commission will embrace it.
Expect many more staff changes at NRL headquarters as the broom sweeps thru.
June 19th 2012 @ 7:34pm
von Neumann said | June 19th 2012 @ 7:34pm | Report comment
I would be hoping to get an experience like this. in that case 5 years is too long and the arlc has a chance to get ahead of other sports and be known for this kind of thing…
So if five years is too long then i hope they organize at least with Telstra to do something of this nature after a few years if not right away…maybe we won’t pay for it right away and/or the service won’t be as new age; and i don’t know how that goes down on the business and habit side of things, but they should be moving on ideas like this.
Wouldn’t it be great. Maybe they could roll it out to season members or something first.
June 19th 2012 @ 8:41pm
von Neumann said | June 19th 2012 @ 8:41pm | Report comment
Now i think about it, all they have to do is extend the big pond service. I can already get the matches on my Samsung 8000 (and any one with a new smart TV should be able to) so its half way there. it highlights tries and big hits if you want to fast forward.
I wonder what people will think if they add a chat and a pre and post game and show then charge for it and add true full screen hd
I have not looked at big pond sport on the computer this year due to the nrl being on my TV so i don’t know what its like…
Of course any paid service would give you the game live so maybe that’s the secret
Then any service must allow you to live pause and any host of other options computer people are good at making us realize we can’t do without them
June 20th 2012 @ 5:49pm
Fezmop said | June 20th 2012 @ 5:49pm | Report comment
Ideally this would be something the nrl could run themselves then they would be able to collect all the advertising dollars themselves.
A recent Facebook lawsuit highlighted the fact that targeted advertising (based on user info) is worth 2 to 3 times traditional advertising.
Another advantage is being able to place and view your friends tips, first try scorer or whatever thus turning watching the game into a competition. Each tip would be assigned a points value with prizes in the form of your clubs merchandise,discount games tickets, or add-ons for your xbox profile. Imagine all the kids at school on Monday mornings comparing there results on there smartphones- just another way to keep the youth interested..
Each club would have to keep their stats up to date and would be able to upload additional content for the fans to watch- training sessions, workout tips, charity work. You could also have injured players commenting and answering questions live during games (a reward for tipping well).
The possibilities are endless, I could go on all day but deep down I know it probably won’t happen for another ten years when free to air doesn’t exist and all tv is via the Internet.
August 14th 2012 @ 11:30pm
Brendan Keevers said | August 14th 2012 @ 11:30pm | Report comment
If broadcasting goes to channel nine there is no chance you’ll get NRL on IPTV.