It’s more enjoyable to watch NRL on Pay TV. I’m not talking about the commentators or the pre/post game shows. NRL is better to watch on Foxtel simply because there are no ads during the games.
This became evident during the recent Tigers versus the Eels Friday night game a few weeks ago.
The Eels and the Tigers are my two favourite teams to watch. I was eagerly anticipating the match-up between Marshall and Hayne.
However, at the 60 minute mark of watching the game, I turned it off, I just couldn’t get into the game. The next morning I read the glowing reviews, “Best game of the season” and “Marshall turns on the magic”.
I couldn’t comprehend this was the same game I had watched.
Later that weekend, I watched the replay on Foxtel and I enjoyed it even though I knew the result. Granted, the final 20 minutes I had previously missed were the best part of the game, but the game flowed better and I stayed in the ‘moment’ because there were no adverts breaking my attention.
I watched the Tigers versus the Raiders on Sunday with some mates.
After the Raiders scored their 2nd try, and had the conversion attemp,t we went to an ad break. One mate commented how long the ad break was, it seemed to go forever.
So after the next try we counted the ads. There were seven…. seven ads!!!
That’s between 3 and 3.5 minutes of interruption.
Now, that may not seem like much, but look at your clock and sit there for 3 minutes and see how long 3 minutes really is. There were 10 tries scored in that game. Were we forced to sit and watch 30 minutes of adverts during the game?
That’s 1/3 of a game of football. No wonder the Sunday afternoon game starts at 4 and ends at 6pm.
Now that the volume of ads was brought to our attention, the game became near unbearable. The ad breaks were frequent and long. Thankfully the game was a cracker and we stuck with it.
Now this has been pointed put, I’m afraid it’s going to drive you nuts.
I’m concerned with what will happen after the next round of TV rights negotiations. Irrespective as to whether channels 9, 7 or 10 win the rights to show NRL in the next round of negotiations, if the bidding gets in the realm of $1 billion, it’s only going to get worse.
The winning network (or networks) will need to recoup that expenditure in the only way they can. They will need to sell advertising.
There are a number of permutations as to how best to maximise revenue through advertising, but the simple view is they can either charge more for an ad, or put in more ads during the game. My bet is they will do both.
This will make watching NRL on free to air TV even more unpalatable for me.
Only about 25% of Australian households have Foxtel. It’s an expensive luxury.
I only watch NRL and Super Rugby on Foxtel, but it makes watching football so much more enjoyable. My attention isn’t punctuated with channel 9’s latest TV show promotion or a deodorant commercial. I stay with the game, I listen to an extra bit of commentary and the excitement I had from watching a try stays with me through the next kick off. The momentum of excitement continues throughout the game.
From now on, I will record the free to air NRL games on IQ and fast forward the ads. For those of you who don’t have Foxtel, get a DVR (digital video recorder), fast forward the ads and enjoy your footy even more.
If you don’t, the ads during the game will soon become like a dripping tap.
apuharmi
Guest
When you 'add' up all the comments, no-one seems to watch ads on tv at all! Everone has their own way of avoiding the ads, whether it be recording and fast-forwarding, buying Foxtell, using the mute button, or switching off the set and going to see the game live. There can't be very many morons sitting dumbly in front of their tv, absorbing all the details of repetitive commercials, so why are there so many ads? - in fact why are there any? They seem to be playing to empty seats, or deleted from recorders, without ever being seen. And why does the Tax Department allow companies to claim enormous amounts for advertising? We all know the economics regarding sponsors but, if I was one, I'd avoid tv advertising like the plague, as it's too easy for everyong to avoid. I'd love to have a button on my remote that says, "Mute Ads and other useless rubbish." Prime 7, two weeks ago, aired TEN (10) ads, during an AFL goal break - now NRL don't have to put up with that sort of thing. We used to only get them between quarters, now it's constant.
Col the Bear
Guest
Speaking of Commercials...just thought I'd add the Central Coast Bears have also got a 30 sec TV commercial out now featuring CCBs CEO Greg Florimo.. Football operations manager and Coach in waiting David fairleigh and also new CCBs Director Michael Buettner..only for NBN, but you will be able to pick it up on Youtube.. also great to see the PNG bid team are endorsing the CC Bears bid today in Roy Masters column..big day at Gosford today for the Souths NRL game.. with CCBs supporters meeting at Bay 10 in the New BEAR DEN.. cheers , oh and go the Bears !!
M1tch
Roar Guru
How bad was the weekend when Rabs said to Gus whos the favourite now? Gus said oh Ive thought Storm, Rabs said no sportsbet had Dragons as fav..
jimbo
Roar Guru
These big media deals are dutch auctions that are great for the administrators, but someone has to pay for them and in the end its you and me. The ads pay for the cost of the TV rights and the advertising costs are passed on to the consumers. Brace yourself for more ads and more inflationary pressure on consumer goods, discretionary spending and interest rates. :)
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Channel 9 do a poor job of maintaining continuity during the game. You just start to get into the flow of the game and they cut and throw to a "million" adverts, and by the time they come back the momentum is gone. They are ruining the product. nb: I hate it when they replay something during the game and we miss the live action.
Dogz R Barkn
Roar Guru
I would think such a concerted protest would be counter-productive. The NRL isn't going to get big bucks on the one hand, while the fanbase protests against ads on the other hand - it's contradictory.
Rabbitz
Guest
Why are you all moaning here? Start letting the Nine network execs know, let the advertisers and ad agencies know. Although this site might have a wide circulation you are preaching to the converted. Advertisers and sponsors are hard pressed to find the money to run ads these days. So if they start to recieve messages like "I record, wait 15 minutes and blast past the ads" or "I wait until it is on pay TV because of the ads" then they will start to pressure the FTA broadcasters to lift their game. Same for the agencies that put the packages and ads together. Frankly if a bunch of Roarers started a concerted email barrage then who know what might happen?
Dogz R Barkn
Roar Guru
Yes, you're right, all comps have to work with the broadcasters, they have to present them with some value to cough up the big bucks - and it's true that there are smarter ways to put in the ads, but there's no doubting that at the end of the day, the ads have to appear as much as allows the broadcaster to get the value for the money they cough up. It's hard for Sydneysiders to appreciate this, but the AFL presents great value for broadcasters because of the ads slotted in after each goal (the ump doesn't ball it up until he gets a signal that the TV station is ready to go) - that's what you mean by working with the broadcasters. But there is one downside, and that is you can't control the number of goals, the winning team can score anything between 3 goals and 37 goals, while the bulk will be between the range of 10 and 20 - but that's still a pretty big range. I can recall one game where there were literally no goals scored for the whole quarter, so they simply just went to an ad break at the next stoppage - a very rare event, but annoying if it happens to you.
Springs
Roar Guru
The 9.30 friday game is always the worst. Since they cannot show many in the live broadcast they cram as many as they can in the second game. Ad breaks are often longer than 5 minutes. In the Sunday game a tight game that looks like going to golden point will always give away the ending. You could tell that if it is 6.00 and they are still playing then something is going to happen. If 75 minutes are fone and it is only 5.45 then they are going to golden point. I realised this during the Souths-Tigers game at the SCG last year, I could tell that Souths would score as it was 6.00, no time for golden point. Anyway I remember when they used to have a post-game wrap on Sundays, now ad breaks make that impossible with the man of the match usually announced 5 minutes from fulltime and cut to the news straight after the siren.
chig
Roar Rookie
"you have to just shut your mouth and accept that they need to pay for it somehow " Thanks JamesP and Dogz, I am aware of the economics of it all. I also know the threshold of ad saturation that drivers consumers away and makes advertising content redundant. I believe 9 has passed this threshold. Who wants their ad buried in the middle of 6 others? Consumers will have very little recall. I believe the NRL can get a substantial increase in their media rights, but they need to work with the broadcasters to ensure they are smarter about it than just sticking more ads in. Its lazy and dilutes the product offering.
Norm
Guest
I don't bother watching 9's delayed Friday night game.
Infarction
Roar Rookie
I agree 100%. The first time i watched the 2nd game on a Friday night last year i couldn't believe the amount of ads they were subjecting us too. As a result i no longer watch any delayed Channel 9 game preferring to wait a little longer and watching it on fox. Channel 9 are a blight on the game, the amount of ads they now show make it every bit as non watchable as it used to be years ago on a Sunday afternoon when they showed the game in a one hour block including ads. I couldn't imagine being a league fan without foxtel.
Cheryl
Guest
This is why you buy a non freeview (freeview branded don't let you skip ads) beyonwiz or topfield recorder to skip thru the ads at a touch of button. They can be programmed to skip any amount of time you like, say about 3min. Of course like Matt said you start watching from the beginning after recording for an amount of time, I'd say more than 15min because eventually you catch up.
Dogz R Barkn
Roar Guru
that's pretty much spot on the money did the author say that he works in advertising?
JamesP
Guest
The Problem with the Rugby codes (and certainly soccer) is due to their lack of stoppages, there is very few times available to schedule ad breaks (with soccer no time at all except for the half time). Rugby League may be the best TV game, but AFL is the game that makes broadcasters rub their hands with glee. Why? Because after each goal is scored, there is a 30 second gap to bring the ball back to the central umpire. Just perfect for scheduling an ad break. Whats more (as in cricket after each over), there is only time for 1 ad break between goals, which is PERFECT for broadcasters/advertisers because they know that people are going to be right there on the couch whatching those ads, as opposed to half time when people are up making a cuppa, taking a dunny break etc. Given that there are dozens of goals scored in AFL games, the opportunity for ad breaks is high. This surely contributes to the AFL getting almost double the TV revenue that the NRL gets (plus the fact the telecast goes on for three hours!) Bottom line: if you want or are expecting the broadcaster to pay up to $1 billion for the NRL rights, you have to just shut your mouth and accept that they need to pay for it somehow (i.e. via ads)
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
chig See where you are coming from.Maybe the long term solution is, dare I even try to say it"divide the game into quarters" of 20 minutes.The players no doubt would get a break of sorts,as the game is becoming faster and the ad boys can throw in their dollars worth, during these breaks. I believe(and i may be wrong) the yanks when and if the pro rl tournament gets up ,will be having 4 qtrs. Else Matt's view is a good one.
Matt
Guest
Get a TIVO or a beyonWiz recorder. They go for $800-1000. Turn the game on and go do the dishes or laundry for 15 minutes. Rewind to the start of the match and simply fast forward over the ads. Much more enjoyable experience. Ch 9 get their ratings, NRL get their TV cash, and we get uninterupted coverage.
chig
Roar Rookie
Crosscoder, its not advertising per se I have an issue with. I agree its a necessary 'evil' for the good of the code. Believe it or not I'm in advertising. Its the sheer volume of ads that 9 is subjecting us to. Its gone beyond reasonable. It irritates me so much its ruining some of the games for me.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
All of us would prefer no ads on FTA Tv for any sport.However if the NRL wishes to secure maximum reveue deals on their next FTA contract/s,this will continue to be par for the course. Paying for subscription(as i do also) TV supplies the very answer, as to why there are few ads on Pay TV.Those of us who either do not wish to pay for view or find it too darn expensive,get it live on friday nights free and putting up with ads(that will assist in promoting the game financially) is one small price to be paid. Its a mixed bag of good and bad.