Rumour has it that the IRB, not to mention the NZRU, are gulping Prozac these days. They’d like to stage a RWC final with the same kind of lavish and ultra-professional production that the Super Bowl will enjoy, but they won’t have near enough money.
The NBC network are charging up to three million dollars for some of the 30-second spots on Sunday, and that kind of largesse allows it to do the job properly.
What’s properly?
To give you just a couple of stats, the TV trailer parked outside the stadium, in which the director and production crew work, will contain over one hundred monitor screens. And there are so many cameras, the director can isolate every single player on the field, and get reaction shots from seat number 336 in the purple section if he want to.
And he’ll have something like 40 positions for instant replays.
600 volunteers will be used for the pre-game and half-time shows, just to assemble the modular rolling units that make up the stages and lighting rigs. And the whole production will be broadcast to around 230 countries and territories.
When the NFL, the IOC and FIFA claim viewership measured in the billions, they are no doubt fudging the numbers a little, although those numbers are still immense.
But the IRB imfamously inflates its audience for the RWC.
In the past, it has made up in hyperbole for what it wasn’t able to produce. For 2011, they’ll have to figure a way to look big on a small budget. It’s entirely possible if they can come out of their funk and start hiring some bright thinkers now.
Steffy
Guest
Regarding TV ratings sports bodies always over state them to a huge degree - for example the IRB have claimed that a cumulative audience of 4.2 billion watched the 2007 rugby union world cup - oddly enough that figure was announced in 2005 - the figure got a lot of coverage in newspapers and other media outlets - the actual figure, of course, is a fraction of that amount. Hidden away on the IRB site they even state how they came to the figure of 4.2 billion - they just work out how many people have TV access to the matches then add them up - so if everybody in the world who has access to rugby union world cup matches watched every match they have access to the figure would be 4.2 billion - the vast majority of those people don't watch the games though but 4.2 billion is a nice headline figure even though it's complete nonsense.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
The global audience don't get to see those million dollar advertisements, and I've never seen a Superbowl production that rivals an Olympic opening ceremony or anything like that. If live outside America, you're tuning in for the game, and every other Superbowl is a lopsided, blown out affair. Does the RWC need a half-time show? If New Zealand use a model it ought to be something like the NRL Grand Final. Seems unnecessary to me. What you want is great rugby, not overblown productions.
Joe FC
Guest
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Dave. I think NFL is dull but there are plenty of Americans who don't.
Dave
Guest
Report on US TV yesterday said this year they were struggling to sell out the advertising spots for TV during the Superbowl...GFC. It takes over 3 hours to play a 1 hour game...l think that just about says it all...2 hours of adverts...please!!!!!!!!!!!!! They have to do something to jazz up what is by and large a dull (no doubt the players are highly skilled and many very athletic) sport. Unfortunately what they have done is allow the support act to overshadow the main event. The world TV viewing audience for a Superbowl (reputable figure) is just over 100million of which over 80 million are in the US.