Times changing for NRL TV in Melbourne

Thought we could all do with an update: As forecast in the above thread (third paragraph): "............. with proposed anti siphoning legislation changes unlikely to make it through parliament before then, we may find AFL coverage back on the main Seven channel which is a situation I doubt Seven would be happy with." Channel Seven will be showing this Friday nights AFL game into New South Wales and Queensland at the ripe old time of 11.30pm with no alternative through FOX Sports. A return to the dark ages or a return to sensible programming by those in the know? Either way, something is extremely fishy with the latest TV rights.

Jaceman .,Judging by your comments ,you not only have been selected as one of the new RL commissioners on expansion matters,but work for 9/10/7 and foxtel in your spare time on sport valuations ,as well as edit the Sydney newspapers,on all matters rugby league. I suggest in all humility,I have had a little experience with the code ,to give me some insight,having been involved with the game for 40 odd years.. There is one hell of a difference beween paid advertising ,and fluff pieces by journos eg Rebecca Wilson in the Telegraph.Ask John Laws et al for the cash for comment on radio,its an eye opener. You honestly believe the NRL would have paid the newspaper,when they advised them of thier increase in playing numbers in the west.That is why they employ a media & marketing 'people like John Brady.The code advertises NRL,SOO.You don't have to be a genius to tell the difference between a paid ad and a freelance story. If you google and its not hard,with Stokes,C7 court case and the AFL paying for these stories,I am sure even you can come up with the facts.If unsuccessful,research Roy Masters who also brought it to light. Whatever the AFL does with their money,is their business,however the perception by some in Sydney,is that code is getting all these good news stories,rl is somehow in trouble. Nothing you have stated,has negated the fact that the Swans have been here for 30 years,and have had tremendous publicity from the very first day of their arrival.Despite all this the Tv ratings are either down or static.Nothing you have stated has negated the fact that the Storm by comaprison has been in existence for 13 years,and has nowhere near the publicity nor the media support , as the Swans receive in Sydney.

And my view is no better or worse than your view Jaceman.I am expressing my view in a rl thread,based on my lifetime living in a rl city,and playing both rl and ru in my teens and soccer as a kid.From a reasonably broad base I would suggest. AS a consequence I have been in Sydney for the whole number of years of the Swans existence in this fair town. So you have just shown an example of huge promotion in a Sydney paper..Thank you linesmen thank you ballboys. All you have confirmed is what many in Sydney already know and which I have been debating MASSIVE promotion for AFL continues and has done so for yonks.Whether free fluff(and there has been plenty of that) or paid fluff,it is there in your face,and has been for the last 30 years.Yet the Tv ratings are dwindling.Don't come on board suggesting my view is narrow.The facts are the facts.Ask the Iron Chef. I stated TV ratings and crowds Jaceman please read my comments. Yes a couple of sponsors left,yet AFL Brisbane and AFL sponsors for a couple of Mlbourne teams held solid when there were AFL atrocities.Hypocrisy anyone. In fact the clubs that lost sponsors regained new ones fairly quickly eg Hisense with the Sharks. You had better look a little closer at the latest news re ch10.They have told their AFL commentators they will not be needed,and ch10 execs are after the NRL Fridays and /or mondays. You apear not cognisant of the fact,on the last occasion for rugby league rights there were really only two parties ch9 and Foxtel interested.Maybe the experience of the saturday night AFL rtaings have upset ch10.But they are all in the mix this time for FTA,and Foxtel has been told by Gallop not to take the code for granted. Ten have already stated they will bid for mondays,where do you get may bid.The station has already installed two rl programs in their other FTA station. How can they stop 9 bidding up the price.( have first and last rights,provided their bid is not exceeded by 20%.Foxtel know they will have to pay big time for monday night,which they didn't do so last time. Hisense are a Chinese electronic manufacturer,recently established in Australia.Oh lets see Toyota under 20 and the NRL,Telstra,Hyundai,Sanyo,NRMA,Coal & Allied,Vodaphone,St George Bank,Harvey Norman,Jetstar,Macquarie bank with junior development.Yep all itzy bitzy minor players.Why ? NRL,under 20/SOO/Tests and All stars and ratings to boot,and a big audience to go with it. The beauty of this ,that the major sponsors are up for renewal,and the Tv ratings for the code and expansion now accepted will add to the value. The Tv ratings in this country,suggest the opposite,when the regionals are taken into account.At last reports regional people are consumers.

30 years !!!!.30 years exposure.Not Johnny come lately's.

They played Carlton,one of the most high profile teams in this country.The 3pm argument,the 3 hours argument is limp,conmsidering the teams involved,their positions on the ladder,the promotion the Swans get.They get 30 years of exposure.Plaaaese!!!!

Perhaps you should have read Carol Wilson comments in the age and her views on the Offsiders.She is the AFL writer.The rubbish emanated from her pen ,her mouth.Par for the course.

Simple.They are beamed back to the northern states.

CC You apparently know all the inside workings of the NRL- how interesting. If you work there, good luck. If you dont you cant defintively say they dont pay (in any manner) for stories. "He doesn’t resort to paying the media for fluff stories" So there is no contra - garbage I'm not sure how you know all this with certainty. Does the NRL buy ads in newspapers?? You have also failed to tell me (I am interested) about Stokes saying that the AFL pays for stories - I'm sure they do but evidence would be nice... And no need to be so cross..

Allowing Gallop to be interviewed LOL.The sport is what sells papers in sydney.The telgraph has stated in the past, their sale shoot up during the rugby league season.They come to Gallop,he doesn't beg them for stories,nor pay for them. He doesn't resort to paying the media for fluff stories.It is the job of the media spokesman to alert the media of what is going on .They either print it or not.I am aware of contra.That is part of the contractual deals.And the negative stories are part of the NRL deal ,hmmmmm!!! Payola it is not.

Jaceman And as for your garbage comment re Iemma's lack of involvement,which is about to be recycled: http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/sport/html/2726-sydneysiders-to-cheer-swans-asp http://news.ninesmsn.com.au/sport/64422/sydney-celebrates-afl-triumph http://tromboneforum.org/index.php?action=printpage,topic=18563 There are countless other references.Just google. He played the code in his youth,he is agreed both a Swans and st george supporter,the latter more for political convenience.

There are many ways to gain favour -They might/might not per se pay for fluff stories but buying advertising space, allowing Gallop to be interviewed to push a point, there are many ways of getting space -its called contra in the media industry...

Your view is your view and you dont seem open to other broader viewpoints so an example. Collingwood v Sydney on Saturday in Sydney and there is massive advertising in Sydney incl the telegraph. None in the SMH (or Fairfaxes 2UE) consequently no mention of the game in todays SMH even though that is the Swans target market. Do you see a correlation here?? Atrocities ahavent affected NRL. Have sponsors been scared off - yes according to gallop. Ten and Seven will be hoping to a deal with Nine to stop bidding up the price eg Monday night to ten for packers betting interests. They may bid but probably will do a deal beforehand to keep the price low as networks used to do in the 90s and they still do with Hollywood program producers after Lowy at ten broke the buying cartekl in the 80s and sent them broke. Its called keep off the grass. Nearly a half more people in Oz follow the AFL compared to NRL and significant numbers in all states and a slightly different demographic so national advertisers QBE, Citibank, HSBC, Hanbrook, Emirates, Mission foods, Hostplus etc. I'm still trying to work out who for example Hisense are.

Swans game live to Sydney - delay in melbourne I think The reverse for the Storm Before I get sterotyped I enjoy watching NRL but the marketing BS that goes with it is irritating eg on last weeks league Lounge they quoted Karmichael Hunt as saying AFL was tougher than NRL. To be fair the quiet panellists mentioned correctly that Hunt was referring to the aerobic capacity required and fewer breaks hence tougher. But they were drowned out by Cowell and Alexander who took as an offence against thei manhood and said NRL was tougher because you had to run a Moi Moi etc. The whole thing was a misquote quite deliberately. I could give you lots of NRL examples (Masters is the winner) and a significant lesser number of AFL examples

The Storm werent in the first game were they??

When I have raised the issue that News may let the Storm flounder I have been hit by torrents of roarers saying the Storm have the highest Pay-TV numbers perhaps because they were top of the table perhaps not. Which is it??

Remeber that the Swans game was virtually over by 3 oclock

I was just pointing out that it was the NRL's doing - whinge was a bit strong but the NRL had their own destiny in their hands..

Jaceman And there is a fluff piece today,as mentioned in my earlier post.But,but,but the Telgraph does not do it,as I roll my eyes. I have already mentioned the fact that the biggest Tv ratings for 9 is rugby league,They are the contracted station.They are domiciled in Sydney.The code is in the midst of an SOO series,which goes national.The TV ratings for both codes,suggest there is little difference in terms of the aggregated viewership. Sydney and Brisbane are bigger than Melbourne/Adelaid/Perth. There are in fact only two states that don't have an NRL team,and the regional viewership by far in the majority ,is in the nthn states,which take the 4-30news and morning news.You can argue it from both viewpoints. It gets down to two things ,the obligations of a contracted media outlet to a sport they are supposedly committed.Secondly to the number of eyeballs that watch their programs ,and that includes the massive regional areas. channel 9 has in the past dealt their cards,by ignoring their contractual obligations with Friday night football in Melbourne. It is only the last 3 weeks,that something has stirred their inner soul,and now they show Storm games on a sunday afternoon.

Jaceman Again you have this tendency to missread my comments,judging by your responses.I will spell it out, there is currently one AFL team operating in Sydney(accepted as part of the furniture).A new kid has arrived on the block,openly flashing around the dollars ,openly flaunting a former star NRL player in promoting and marketing his new code. You bang on about one occasion where the rl admin,banned players from cross training with the Swans.That was years ago.The situation is different today because a 2nd team has arrived,in a blaze of publicity.The comparison with Melbourne was quite simple, there is only one team there,and it too has been accepted somewhat, as part of the furniture.Gee its not hard. Ribot was brought in ,because that gent,raved on about the game being big in China,and AFL people have a habit of quoting this guy. I heard what AD stated,he stated we are in for the long haul,and our investments are such and such.Nothing more.Sheedy has been sprouting his views on many occasions, in the Telegraph in that regard and to development. You criticised the rugby league for bringing in the increase in playing numbers in GWS.Well champ,the way the media was sprouting ,you would think the game is in the declibne in Sydney. Again you dont; read what I stated.I stated I have no probelm with anyone trying to better themselves financially. You brought up the fact that rl fans are antagonised by GWS,I gave the reasons why. You brought up rl poaching ru players,not I. There is a world of a difference, the Reds paid small bikkies for Barich,not the huge sum expended on Folau .He was not paraded around the media to the extent Folau is ,entice a generation to play the game. Nor anywhere near the profile that Folau has.The NRL even if they had the money would not spend huge sums for marketing on any player,who has never played the game.The Storm went in without poaching AFL players. Again only one team ATT in Perth,not two.I am sure the AFL would not have ignored a 2nd NRL team in Perth,if a high profile player was poached.You are kidding. The Storm were not provided with an individual street parade,as the Swans were paraded.They actually won 3 G/Fs BTW.They ended up in the square with the Mayor talking.Perhaps the Swans and Tigers could have shared a parade.No?? Please show me where,the nRL has paid for fluff stories.I would be very interested. Do you actually understand the SFS was purposefully built for the rectangular sports,and rl was the major tenant.They can play there anytime they so wish,midnight if they so choose.They had Tv commitments and the schedule was set at the start of the season. The AFL have done nothing!!!!Perhaps try the media or the AFL people involved in the media.It wasnt that long ago ,we had an AFL admin guy,call Qld a football state.Sheesh.What is Sheedy ,is he not part of the AFL. Again you state the AFL has done nothing,they havent 'had a 2nd(a second team get it) NRL team installed in any of their heartland cities.If you honestly believe they would do nothing if the NRL decided to put a couple of teams in each of those cities and expend $20m pa and poach a couple of high profile players to market the game,then you are living in la la land. My glasses are prescribed ,not rose coloured.You mentioned your observations are from afar.Say no more.

jaceman Sometimes I have to pinch myself,with the comments made, Just to bring you up to date on fluff pieces and the so called Sydney press who do not give AFL a fair go. Today's Telegraph not yesterday not 6 months ago ,the very media mob that RedB and fellow flag wavers,go into a feeding frenzy of criticism as being pro rl and anti AFL,in addition to poor old Roy in the Herald.:- http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/migrant-kids-quickly-making-their-mark-in-aussie-football/story-e6freuzi-1226080227636 Sometime you guys need to get out a bit more.This is not an isolated fluff piece by that mob,it happens regularly.You guys still don't get the arrogance approach by the code. Sydney market is ripe LOL ,because the Tahs are struggling,better not suggest that to ru fans.They are just as committed ,even though not attending as rl fans are.There certainly has not been a mass defection to rl or the Swans. The NRL recovering after a couple of years atrocity wise.If you had bothered to read a couple of articles by AFL(not rl) people such as Hinds and Smith,these incidents had little effect on the NRL as to Tv ratings or crowds.Did the atrocities effect the AFL ,and they have had more than their share,cue Nixon and the Saints. Channel 9 is the contracted Tv station for the code,they paid for the contract and the code would expect some sort of priority. .The morning Show is domiciled in Sydney,not Melbourne,Perth or Adelaide.The bulk of their Tv ratings for sport are provided by the NRL/SOO. Cricket is the national game,AFL ATM is more national(it does not have a team in Tasmania or the ACT) than rugby league,the latter is far more popular in the biggest and 3rd biggest and fastest growing state,where the bulk of the population and ch9 viewership lies. Incorrect the NRL does not pay media outlets for good new stories.They don't have the money to waste ,to do so,.They spend their limited monies in areas close to the coalface. The Hun!!!!!! I thought he was Scottish descent,must have invaded Poland,whilst I was'otherwise engaged.The Hun or Mega media baron whatever you like to call him,knows there are other competitors out there wanting a slice of the NRL . Yesterday we had ch10 admit,they are going for friday night rugby league or even monday evening.Ch7 has indicated a push for the SOO and NRL games .And you think ch9 ,with no real winning winter TV sport,is not going to push.There are new entrants such as Fetch,who knows what influence they will have.News/Foxtel had free reign in the last negotiations,and Gallop has made it abundantly clear this time,no money for nothing and the hits are free. And News has financial interest in the Broncos,that has not stopped that organisation bending over backwards in writing Lions stories ,with as much space as the Broncos. Seeing as the Age currently pays lip service to the Storm,News is doing what comes naturally. You are correct the aim is to sell the Storm,and this year the club is financially better off than preceding years according to Gauci.An increase in club grants to all clubs,will cement even further the Storm's position,for a buyer.