NRL’s new media rights deal hurts fans
Roar Pro By btn, 22 Aug 2012 btn is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Channel Nine, Fox Sports, NRL, NRL television deal, NRL TV rights, Rugby League
One clear message has emerged out of today’s NRL rights deal: dollars outweigh fans.
The rise in the price tag, now over the $1 billion mark with New Zealand rights included, has simply continued to indulge Channel Nine’s habit of forgetting those the game should serve – the fans.
The details of the new rights deal are as follows:
Nine will broadcast:
- Three weekly matches (two on Friday and one on Sunday).
- Three Thursday evening matches over the course of the year.
- A stand-alone Test and City versus Country weekend.
- Wednesday night State of Origin matches.
- A night-time grand final (7.15pm kick-off).
- The Roosters-Dragons Anzac Day matches.
- Two hours of rugby league content each evening on digital Channel 94 plus two hours of content on Saturday and Sunday morning.
- Nine will ensure that all of its matches are telecast on either the ‘primary’ or ‘digital’ station in each state.
- The Queensland Super Cup.
Fox Sports will telecast:
- Five weekly matches across Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
- Thirteen Sunday evening matches (6.30pm) over the course of the year.
- The Storm versus Warriors Anzac Day game (other than in 2014).
- Three non-NRL matches each week played in conjunction with the Telstra Premiership game (which will be shared between Toyota Cup, NSW Cup and GIO Schoolboys Cup).
Other main points include:
- Nine and Fox Sports will provide coverage of The Four Nations Tournament.
- The first 20 rounds of the premiership will be scheduled in advance of the season.
- The final six rounds will be scheduled at Round 16.
So essentially nothing has changed despite the increased price that Channel Nine and Fox Sports have forked out for the exclusive rights.
Nine CEO David Gyngell said he was “unapologetic” about the fact that one Friday night match will remain delayed, rather than being shown on one of their digital channels.
The NRL and its broadcasters have passed up a crucial opportunity to put the fans first, and the fact is Gyngell and Channel Nine simply don’t care.
Compare this to the AFL negotiations last year, worth a similar amount, that resulted in every game being shown live in HD and a standalone AFL channel being re-booted.
Granted in Queensland most AFL games are on Fox, but there is an opportunity for people to see all nine games on the weekend live if they want to.
In their negotiations, the AFL showed that they were willing to at least move towards a more equitable solution for fans.
This new rights deal is a slap in the face to many NRL fans and Gyngell’s argument that exclusivity grants them the right to do this is absurd.
Even accepting the premise that they have the prerogative to do this, the broadcasters should want to do more, and the NRL should demand more.
Sports broadcasting is an incredibly competitive industry, particularly with the advent of live streaming and a 24-hour online news cycle, and a deliberate decision to stand still puts them on the back-foot.
It wouldn’t matter if they had paid 10 billion for these rights because there is essentially no change in what is being offered up.
The NRL was in the box seat on this one, in that the AFL had shown its cards and locked in their coverage well before and it had a chance to match it.
Those at the top of the game will happily spruik the fact that the overall financial benefit rivals that of the AFL, but fans aren’t going to take solace in that.
As long as Channel Nine chooses to delay games in spite of the criticism and backlash they have received, and in spite of the opportunity to do more, profits are irrelevant.
All I can say is, thank goodness for Fox Sports!
Passionate about your league? Then sign up to The Roar's brand new daily league email, delivering Roaring articles directly to you day-in, day-out. You'll love it!
Click here to join now!
Looking to join The Roar team? We're searching for an experienced Group Sales Manager to lead our team in Sydney. Yes, this does mean you get to work with the site all day long! If you're a digital media sales star, we want to hear from you. Apply now.
- Explore:
- Channel Nine, Fox Sports, NRL, NRL television deal, NRL TV rights, Rugby League
August 22nd 2012 @ 3:26am
AndyMack said | August 22nd 2012 @ 3:26am | Report comment
Hi BTN
i hadnt heard about the first 20 rounds being planned in advanced. that is a positive (although the afl have been doing that for years without a massive price tag attached to it….) Has to help the clubs with their hospitality and seat sales etc.
Overall i agree with your sentiment. I feel for those without Fox. If i had to rely on 9 i would be very unhappy.
August 22nd 2012 @ 3:32am
Steve said | August 22nd 2012 @ 3:32am | Report comment
That’s what happens when a sport sells its soul to a broadcaster. Crowds will continue to drop which means clubs make less money which means they become more reliant on grants from the nrl which means they become even more at the mercy of the broadcasters.
–
Comment left via The Roar’s iPhone app. Download The Roar’s iPhone App in the App Store here.
August 22nd 2012 @ 3:42am
peeeko said | August 22nd 2012 @ 3:42am | Report comment
why will crowds drop?
August 24th 2012 @ 6:38pm
Neil said | August 24th 2012 @ 6:38pm | Report comment
The reason crowds will drop is because Sunday nights and Thursday evenings are not family friendly time slots to physically goto the footy… Same as a Monday night people have to work the next day. Thursday’s an Sunday’s combined totals 16 games per year in a non family friendly time slot that’s 16 games this year that would have been played on a Friday or a Saturday therefore crowd figures will be hurt. Monday nights draw approximately 60% of the usual crowd that goes on a weekend.
August 22nd 2012 @ 8:45pm
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | August 22nd 2012 @ 8:45pm | Report comment
Why would crowds drop?
If the coverage on FTA is as poor as you’re saying then wouldn’t that encourage persons without Foxtel to go to more matches?
August 22nd 2012 @ 3:49am
NF said | August 22nd 2012 @ 3:49am | Report comment
With fixed scheduling for the first 20 rounds should improve crowds hopefully as people can prepare to go to certain games in advance instead of two to five weeks.
August 22nd 2012 @ 11:01am
Boydy said | August 22nd 2012 @ 11:01am | Report comment
How sad for those of us living here in Qld who are NOT Brisbane fans.
Once again we are going to have a staple diet of the Broncos shoved down our throats at 7:30 pm every Friday night.
Channel 9 here in Brisbane is a Platinum Sponsor of the Broncos, Channel 9 “owns” the NRL, ergo……. Broncos prime time EVERY week.
C’mon the NRL, give the other teams in the comp a f**king break!!!!
I challenge you to come up with a draw that’s fair and equitable for all.
Do you know what I reckon…….??? You haven’t got the balls!
August 22nd 2012 @ 6:39pm
Matt said | August 22nd 2012 @ 6:39pm | Report comment
If more people actually watched other teams…
August 22nd 2012 @ 8:48pm
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | August 22nd 2012 @ 8:48pm | Report comment
Boydy,
People in south-east Queensland prefer to see the Broncos. That’s why Nine televises Broncos matches into south-east Queensland.
If you want to see OTHER teams play then subscribe to Foxtel or wait for the 9:30pm game.
August 23rd 2012 @ 1:50pm
Boydy said | August 23rd 2012 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
Queensland’s Game Is Rugby League, I actually have Foxtel and I watch just about every game over the weekend but I, like most people are sick and tired of having to watch one team every Friday night in prime-time.
As for your remark about people in SEQ preferring to watch the Broncos, here a few stats for you to mull over:
There are 3.1 million of the 4.5 million Queenlanders living in SEQ. Of this percentage, the Bronocos have a membership of approx. 25,000. (I’ll let you do the maths).
The Reds and the Lions both have bigger memberships.
No doubt you are drawing your assumptions that people prefer to watch the Broncos on the fact that you, like most Broncos supporters, sit and watch their games all huddled together so you can all agree that they’re the greatest team in the world when they win and were totally robbed when they lose.
Actually I just did a vox pop here at work and it totally blew your theory that people in SEQ prefer the Broncos because I just asked the 5 blokes here in the office who they support and only one said the Broncos, therefore 80% of the people I interview said they didn’t like Brisbane.
Is that how you came up with your theory that everyone in SEQ prefer to watch the Broncos???
August 23rd 2012 @ 9:55pm
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | August 23rd 2012 @ 9:55pm | Report comment
“Is that how you came up with your theory that everyone in SEQ prefer to watch the Broncos???”
I’m going by the television ratings for Friday NRL matches that are broadcast into south-east Queensland. I don’t know what they’re like this season, but over the past few years they’ve been at their highest when the Broncos are playing. That’s why Nine put them there. If the Cowboys and Titans drew higher ratings then they would get the bulk of the Friday night games.
I’m not a Broncos supporter. I hate them. I’m a Cowboys supporter who happens to live in Logan. I’d love it if there were more games involving the Cowboys on FTA.
August 24th 2012 @ 11:08am
Boydy said | August 24th 2012 @ 11:08am | Report comment
And so would I.
I have absolutely NO problem with a Qld team involved in the 7:30 game, that’s just common sense.
I’m even willing to bet that it would rate equally as well because Qlders will watch anything as long as there’s a Qld team involved.
My argument is the only reason that it’s the Broncos every week is because Ch9 is a sponsor.
If it’s not bad enough that we have to sit through their games every Friday night now they also have their own show on a Sunday afternoon (I’ll bet we never see the ratings on that one).
A mate of mine (who is a Broncos supporter) said to me the other day in reference to that Sunday arvo show, “You know what, this sort of thing is why the supporters of every other club in the comp hate us”
August 24th 2012 @ 6:43pm
Neil said | August 24th 2012 @ 6:43pm | Report comment
What does the reds and lions have to do with NRL on tv!! Your point is null and void. We are talking about rugby league supporters here. I for one believe that the Friday night games must e rotated between the broncos, cowboys and titans. But Brisbane people who do not support rugby league but are watching are more likely going to at least watch a Brisbane team instead of a nsw team
August 22nd 2012 @ 7:13am
Boomshanka said | August 22nd 2012 @ 7:13am | Report comment
The Olympic coverage clearly demonstrated the contempt of Channel Nine to sports coverage, and those that struck the deal for the ARLC should have been well aware that their (our) game is going to be treated with similar distain.
August 22nd 2012 @ 7:23am
Edward Kelly said | August 22nd 2012 @ 7:23am | Report comment
The fixed 20 rounds could be good, but I suspect that Nine will have a big say in the schedule, so the broncos will be playing a lot of friday night games, whilst the storm, raiders and knights will be rarely shown on FTA, this affects their earning power, also what happens if any of these teams happen to have a stella year and are top of the ladder, yet they would not be on FTA! Fans were the big losers in this new (old) deal.
August 22nd 2012 @ 7:48am
Rob said | August 22nd 2012 @ 7:48am | Report comment
The point is do they really care about the fans at a game?
The idea of fans at the ground is to make it a better visual spectacle for TV.
It’s a business now not a sport. More reality entertainment than anything else.
I think this is where AFL are smarter than NRL. In the short term AFL may not have commanded as much money by getting more games on free to air, but with the long term benefit of showing the game to a much bigger audience. In the short term, NRL has got big $$ but at a restricted opportunity to “advertise” the game in the long term
August 22nd 2012 @ 8:02am
Meesta Cool said | August 22nd 2012 @ 8:02am | Report comment
Unless the new IC is strong enough, Ch 9 will ignore most of the agreement , just like they have done in the past!. I hope not,
But I truly dislike the management of this station. they cannot be trusted — Oooops, I think this is the 16.000th time that I have said this!…
August 22nd 2012 @ 8:08am
Meesta Cool said | August 22nd 2012 @ 8:08am | Report comment
The one major statement in this article, is, Channel Nine DON”T CARE!. well said!.
Can I shout it again “THEY DON”T CARE”.. history tells us that and Gyngell’s comments yesterday reinforce it!.
August 22nd 2012 @ 8:48am
Will Sinclair said | August 22nd 2012 @ 8:48am | Report comment
It’s pretty simple – I don’t watch delayed sport on free to air TV.
Never.
If it’s not live, then I’ll IQ it on Fox and watch it at my leisure without ads and in high definition.
And I reckon more and more and more of us will do so. Which will make it very hard, in my opinion, for Channel Nine to recoup their investment.
And it will serve them right.
August 22nd 2012 @ 9:53am
Luke M said | August 22nd 2012 @ 9:53am | Report comment
That’s right Will. If anyone is unhappy at 9 for their coverage of ads i mean football, vote with your remotes.
August 22nd 2012 @ 3:38pm
axeman said | August 22nd 2012 @ 3:38pm | Report comment
I don’t watch FNF because of the poor commentary and personnel during both matches, and I’m never home of a Sunday arvo to watch tele anyway. Furthermore, I don’t have FOX so I really don’t watch much football despite having an interest in it. If the exposure of the game was better, I’d be more inclined to go to a match now and then, but it really is an after thought these days because of the poor presentation of the sport on FTA. Great deal financially for the game, but the details mean that I’ll continue to only watch the SOO and the GF for the next 5 years. No loss to me, no loss to the ARLC.
August 22nd 2012 @ 8:57am
sheek said | August 22nd 2012 @ 8:57am | Report comment
BTN,
The cynic in me suggests this exercise was mostly about bragging rights.
It has irked rugby league for quite some time that they haven’t been able to match the TV deals struck between Australian football (AFL) & Channel 7.
Channel 9 has paid an inflated price, & probably they can wear the cost. But the main game is for Channel 9 & the ARLC to give the impression – especially to sponsors – that the NRL is a ‘big deal’ right up there with AFL.
It was never about the fans, & usually isn’t for most codes (regrettably, & despite their posturing otherwise).
It’s all about impressing the corporate suits.
Like many people interested in rugby league or sport in general, I regret that we won’t have an afternoon grand final. But prime time wins!
August 22nd 2012 @ 10:40am
Gaz said | August 22nd 2012 @ 10:40am | Report comment
Rugby League could’nt give a stuff about the AFL. What irked the supporters was the last deal was set up in favour of News and Gallop sold us down the drain. Gallop is now gone and a deal consistent with expectations and the current standing of the game in this country has been executed to the betterment of the NRL Community. Understandably with nines right to first and last bids the NRL negotiators had their hands tied on some issues and we have to suck up to nine accordingly but as this farce organized by Gallop has now been removed it augers well for future contracts.
If there is any concern regarding the AFL it will be on their part having two expansion clubs that are complete flops costing them a loss of millions of dollars and now having the playing field almost leveled I’d suggest it will take more than dropping the CEO’s salary to make amends.
“Channel nine has paid an inflated price” – you can’t wipe the smile off Gyngells face. With all due respect crawl back under your rock Sheek and come back out when you catch up with the rest of the world.
August 22nd 2012 @ 2:31pm
sheek said | August 22nd 2012 @ 2:31pm | Report comment
Gaz,
Don’t you believe that for one minute. You’re going to tell me rugby league isn’t worried about the “battle in the west”. They sure talk about it a lot for a mob who don’t care about Aussie rules.
I stand my argument that it’s all about bragging rights. Of course, rugby league cares what Australian football is getting, & how they can match it.
And no, there’s no rock large enough for me to crawl under.
August 22nd 2012 @ 4:34pm
sheek said | August 22nd 2012 @ 4:34pm | Report comment
BTW Gaz,
If you don’t think the new NRL TV deal is about bragging rights, then you haven’t read today’s front page of the Daily Telegraph.
Banner line says, “In A League Of It’s Own: NRL TV deal outscores AFL”. Then read on, & you get this.
“The broadcast rights deal granted to Channel 9 and Fox Sports sees the NRL worth an incredible $1275 per minute on TV screens – as opposed to the AFL’s $1170 per minute – cementing league as the most powerful sporting code in the country.
Yep, that sounds very much like bragging rights to me……….
August 22nd 2012 @ 7:44pm
Gaz said | August 22nd 2012 @ 7:44pm | Report comment
Sheek, I’d suggest the comments you are reading were written by a journalist not necessarily an NRL fan. I promise you the average Rugby League supporter wouldn’t give a rats what the AFL are doing and vicky versa. It’s all a media beat up and incidentally I guarantee it’s all to do with what you do with the money not how much more. The AFL have decided to spend their’s on two flops on the Gold Coast and Western Sydney together with two Rugby League players one of which has touched the ball four times in two matches for a take home pay of 6 mill over four years – go figure.
August 22nd 2012 @ 11:50pm
sheek said | August 22nd 2012 @ 11:50pm | Report comment
Gaz,
You kidding me?
The Daily Telegraph is the mouthpiece of rugby league, swarming with a dozen or more journalists who stake their careers reporting & writing on rugby league.
You might have a sensible approach to the TV rights deal, but believe me, there are also plenty of rugby league folk who WANTED….. WANTED desperately the billion dollar fugure for bragging rights.
And that includes the likes of Gyngell & Grant.
August 22nd 2012 @ 5:08pm
Mango Jack said | August 22nd 2012 @ 5:08pm | Report comment
Of course they care about AFL. What business does NOT care about its main competitor? What’s going on right now in western Sydney is the initial skirmishes in a long bitter code war. Do not under-estimate the AFL. They have deep pockets and a track record of very effective school based and grass-roots marketing.
August 22nd 2012 @ 10:09pm
Jack Russell said | August 22nd 2012 @ 10:09pm | Report comment
They don’t care? Then why, in the press conference to announce this deal, would they mention the AFL multiple times?
As Gerard Whateley said: “I’d bet my life that when the AFL announced their new media rights deal, the NRL wasn’t even mentioned once”.
It’s like a war where only one of the sides know they’re in it.
August 23rd 2012 @ 8:52am
Australian Rules said | August 23rd 2012 @ 8:52am | Report comment
Completely agree.
Most of the comments in all these articles mention the AFL almost obsessively.
I guarantee when the AFL announced their deal, the NRL wasn’t mentioned once.
August 22nd 2012 @ 8:06pm
Dingo said | August 22nd 2012 @ 8:06pm | Report comment
I reckon you might be right sheek, it seems for some time now that the NRL have been keeping one eye on everything the AFL does and when the AFL announced their $1b deal the honchos at rl central were determined to do whatever it took to get close to that figure.
I think they always going to be damned if they did and damned if they didn’t though, because to do it they had to allow nine to dictate the terms of scheduling live games and if they insisted on live games plus some of the additional stuff the AFL got, that $1b figure might have been elusive and the fans wouldn’t have accepted that either.