The NRL is claiming superiority over AFL as it seeks to improve its media rights deal. Over the past week, some interesting figures have been released, which the NRL hierarchy has seized on.
Firstly, the top 20 highest ratings programs on free-to-air TV for 2011, across the five metro cities in total people, were revealed according to OzTam figures (the official ratings survey – summer isn’t included).
On this list the highest sports event was this year’s Melbourne Cup race, in sixth place, which received 2.667 million viewers. Just behind that in seventh was the AFL grand final with 2.641 million.
Underneath that in eighth was the third State of Origin match with 2.492 million, followed by the first State of Origin game in twelfth with 2.245 million and the NRL grand final in thirteenth with 2.172 million.
Rounding out the top 20 was the second State of Origin match in fourteenth with 2.165 million, the Melbourne Cup presentation in seventeenth with 1.967 million and the AFL pre game show in nineteenth with 1.914 million.
What does these results tell us? Well, firstly, home improvement is obviously popular in Australia if the final of The Block can top the lot and pull in 3.37 million viewers. Scary indeed.
Also, that TV ratings are far from an exact science, considering the sample is not exactly massive but more of an estimate.
Also, that one-off events like the Melbourne Cup can be very popular, but harder to sustain. But what the NRL would be crowing about is the fact that although the AFL grand final rated higher than its showpiece in this instance (no regional viewers included in this list), it had more programs in the top 20 than its Melbourne counterpart.
The State of Origin series gives it an extra three game buffer that brings in advertisers and viewers in droves. Hence why unbundling Origin from the rest of the NRL deal makes sense, and could be a real money-spinner. Also it proves why the AFL has sought to create its own Origin series and maintained its International Rules series against Ireland.
Secondly, last week the NRL came out with a story in The Sydney Morning Herald that spruiked its ratings strength.
The NRL stated that it had cumulative audience of 134 million viewers, and that its free-to-air and pay TV audiences had grown by 1.3 percent and 16 percent respectively this year. No attribution for these figures though.
Many people would agree that rugby league is a perfect sport to watch on TV while AFL is better experienced live at a ground, where you can get a view of all the action.
AFL of course has the advantage over the NRL if that it is the stronger code all around the country (more of a national footprint), has more cash reserves and is sitting pretty on a $1.25 billion broadcast agreement. It also naturally has more breaks for advertisers with its game structure, while the NRL is stuck in intimate holds with Channel Nine and News Limited, which both have first-and-last-rights clauses for its rights.
With both Football Federation Australia and the V8 Supercars seeking to improve their broadcast deals (and the V8s scoring a coup by getting former Fox Sports head David Malone as its new CEO), it’s imperative that the NRL doesn’t drop the ball when it comes to negotiating its own media deal.
There can’t be enough money to go round for all three to get a better deal. The NRL has a strong case for receiving more money, but it has a real job on its hands making sure it succeeds and the clock is ticking.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Greatest Game, "I know what you said. You buy it, you use it, simple as that." Err, no. If you buy it, you have the choice of whether to use it or not. If something is sold with covenants - like it has to be shown in markets you'd rather show something else - you need to sell it cheaper, which in the case of a sports league means giving the existing clubs less money. The AFL can get away with this, as the AFL Commission broke the power of the clubs a while ago. The NRL can't, as evidenced by the recent demands for MOAR MONEY from the clubs, even before the new media deal is signed.
The Truth Hurts
Guest
You really don't like the NRL ourating the AFL, do you Jaceman. "When he said Harrigan used to “massage” games to make it a better TV spectacle to stop teams running away with the game, no-one said a word or denied it or came to harrigans defence – I wonder why…" Only a fool would take up a fools argument. Oh sh*t, looks like I done that here.............. And it Harrigan really said that, plese provide a reference to the quote other wise its just another porkie on your part So do you now want to talk about the AFL stacking new teams with good players due to draft allowances and cap exemptions. Sounds unfair to me and makes the AFL look desperate to create specticals to attract new fans. Even Eddie Mcquire would agree with me here. Actually you and Masters a very alike. He prints his anit AFL tirads and you do just the same with the NRL. Not once have I seen you post something positve, or even neutral for that matter, about the NRL. Even the Cattery and GoGWS have the odd good thing to say. All that comes from your direction is vile.
p.Tah
Guest
Good point. I presume its Union (but you never know with Google) because the search terms are Super Rugby, Rugby World Cup and then Rugby by itself. Would someone searching for rugby league in Australia just type rugby as the search term? Perhaps our Southern/Western state brothers, but the term rugby would probably be followed by "TV ratings" ;) Who knows? Apparently may people type google into google to find the google website...
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Wouldn't mind a bit of clarification on this line either. AFL haven't really been putting in too much effort to bring back Origin aside from token gestures. But, I think the use of the word 'create' here is telling -- that implies the AFL would be starting a brand new competition from scratch and does not acknowledging the history Origin already has in Australian rules football. 'Create its own Origin series', really? Really? A more balanced article would have used a word like 'revive its Origin series' or 'bring back Origin'.
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
rugby. everyone knows what i am talking about. if it was league, then i would have said league.
The Truth Hurts
Guest
Well we won't get on to all the porkies you tell Jaceman. The site isn't big enough.
Jaceman
Guest
As we have said he lacks understanding on financial matters but the SMH still print his anti AFL tirades. On pure RL matters he has been a sports journo for 25 years so one assumes he kept his job because they liked what he wrote. When he said Harrigan used to "massage" games to make it a better TV spectacle to stop teams running away with the game, no-one said a word or denied it or came to harrigans defence - I wonder why...
Jaceman
Guest
It shows the lack of depth of Masters analysis on many issues..
Jaceman
Guest
"The other FTA stations maintain 9 will have to pay $120m pa to retain the rights.How they arrive at the figure i have no idea,but they stated so." All part of negotiating tactics. All stations bid for rights just so they dont miss a bargain - you maintain this fallacy that 9 and 10 didnt bid for AFL...it got too rich...
Jaceman
Guest
Lane Cove RL is starting up again!. Now thats good news as a former club member
Tiger
Guest
Kovana is one of the biggest league death riders on here!
Jaceman
Guest
CC you have hit a new low. A known rugger head with an opinion on everything death rides it 5 years ago... Tish
Jaceman
Guest
Its 2004, its close and as CC says surveys can be biased. 3K over 8 states seems a small sample. It wouldnt pass the ABS reliability test. How did they pick the sample? Etc...Was it a reply type survey - were they only interested in SOO. It needs more work...
Tiger
Guest
Union or league?
Jaceman
Guest
Before you get off your high horse, what percentage Aboriginal makes you Aboriginal ?? And he was a reserve grader was my main point - they must have been short of players...
Jaceman
Guest
Still not in the SMH during League downtime - its in the Coffs advocate so that makes it OK...
Jaceman
Guest
News have been suggesting Nine pay more for NRL and have been bagging Nine programs hoping maybe to send them to the wall and News are the only ones with financial clout to buy Nine subject to cross media rules - the Australian financial pages have been talking about News not paying any more for NRL just because Tel sports journos say the rights will get more doesnt mean News will pay anymore . Williams now head of News Australia said they wont pay more which made Gallop say he will open it all to FTA (good luck)
Tiger
Guest
The amount of time a game goes for means nothing to fox sports!
Jaceman
Guest
Channel Ten dropped out of the bidding for AFL when the price got too much - you have been peddling the fallacy of Ten not bidding for 6 months now..
Tony
Guest
I suppose the teachers in Brisbane catholic schools who had Aussie Rules teams in the 60's were all Vic public servants! Or maybe a Melbourne Jesuit plot :-)