Let me start by saying this, I’m an AFL person. I have always been an AFL person. My allegiance to the Broncos in the NRL is more to do with it being tied to my birthplace than any hardcore support like that I reserve for my beloved Carlton.
So this article may well come as a surprise to some.
We’re hearing all sorts of numbers and theories concerning the NRL TV rights deal.
One thing is certain – it will be a lot more than the current arrangement. Given the scope of the AFL broadcast deal and given similar, if not better, ratings to the AFL, it should be patently obvious that the previous rights were woefully undervalued for a variety of reasons.
However, these have nothing to do with this article.
Supporters of the AFL are milling about various forums including The Roar with the idea that the NRL cant get as much as the AFL, expressing the view that the AFL is more national and thus more deserving of the greater slice of TV revenue. Yet, viewing numbers on Foxtel and elsewhere indicate support levels are almost the same.
Then there’s content.
The Foxtel AFL deal includes the Under 18s championships, the Foxtel Cup, the NAB Cup preseason competition, and nine games a week live on Foxfooty and Fox Sports 1. The Channel Seven AFL deal includes the NAB Cup grand final, and four games a round simulcast on Fox. Both outlets will show the finals and grand final. Telstra have the mobile and internet rights. With contra, this garnered the AFL 1.253 billion dollars – a record for Australian sport.
The NRL has plenty of content, eight games a week – the season is two weeks longer – and the Toyota Cup. Then there is representative fixtures including City v Country, Kangaroos Test matches, the World Club Challenge and the big daddy of rugby league in Australia, State of Origin. There are calls from some quarters for a pre-season tournament, as well as a return to reserve grade. There may even be an extra game if expansion is approved during this deal.
Oh, and then theres the New Zealand rights. I’d suggest that the NRL has plenty of content to offer.
Then there is obviously ratings. Theres no denying that while home and away games run neck and neck with the AFL – especially this year, Origin blows everything away with the exception of the AFL grand final. No matter how you interpret the ratings from Oztam and RegionalTam, the NRL rates highly despite most of its ratings originating in two states (and three of the four biggest ratings areas).
It remains a phenomenon that isn’t matched even in Melbourne – Sydney viewers of the NRL usually outnumber Melbourne viewers of the AFL. Melbourne is meant to be AFL mad, whereby Sydney is meant to be less earnest in its pursuit of the NRL (although such opinions are generally based on crowds, which has little or nothing to do with TV ratings).
Finally, what was once lambasted in league media as a shortsighted arrangement, the NRL deal being negotiated after the AFL deal will be seen as a moment of genius when the dust settles. The Independent Commission will have a year to see how the AFL handles its arrangements with simulcasting and anti-siphoning legislation. The Commission will then be able to iron out those bugs during the process. Likewise, with free-to-air broadcasting and digital channels. In short, the NRL will get similar benefits, without many of the problems. Some predict – including myself this time last year – that the NRL figure would be about $850 million. We are going to be wrong.
The NRL has undergone massive changes in the lead-up to the season. Theres a new Commission made up of genuine business people and several previous obstacles to progress have been removed.
The News Limited and Fox entanglement is almost gone, and for the first time in years, the NRL has a genuine chance to put a firm foot on the sporting landscape. There’s a determination to do better that has been absent for some time.
On every relevant benchmark, they meet or exceed, the AFL on raw data.
They’ll get the billion. They deserve it.
zacbrygel
Roar Guru
Very well written article. I too am an AFL person however I also believe based on the facts the writer produced, that the NRL deserves just as much for its TV rights deal as the AFL got. The NRL has just as much to offer, if not more.
Boomshanka
Guest
Very good audience when one considers that the game was not shown outside of NSW or QLD until after midnight.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
My sanity is fine, thanks.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Before people start making things up as usual (and becoming the experts well after the fact, as happens all too often), here we go: I say $850 million (cash value of the Australian NRL broadcasting rights) over 5 years. Furthermore: 1. 7/10 WILL NOT put in a bid that gets even close to $1.2 billion. 2. A tripling of the current $83 mill per annum figure is an impossibility.
Boomshanka
Guest
Last nights respective football games into non heartland cities (mediaweek); Melbourne 30k Gem (NRL Bulldogs vs Eels) Sydney 34k 7mate (AFL Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs) I'd still say comparable and vastly different to what is quoted above.
Yeah Sure
Guest
And it was 700 Mil to begin with.
Yeah Sure
Guest
Please don't embarass TC to much. I fear for his sanity.
Yeah Sure
Guest
I think TC was more suprised he got one actually right (and a 50/50 decision at best) with the Optus mobile phone appeal. That the thing with TC, he lets his passion for the AFL overide logic, and makes his choices in that vain. The AFL not going to win or be way ahead every time. And because of that simple fact TC lest then reliable when looking for information when comparing both codes (waits for the smoke and mirrors from TC in a desperate attempt to show thats he right).
Poor Boy Blues
Guest
just got offered 1 billion...hmmm, see my comments above, who was saying 850 mil? lmao. :p we are all experts tho.
Poor Boy Blues
Guest
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ************1 billion ************** ************1 billion ************** ************1 billion ************** ************1 billion ************** ************1 billion **************************1 billion ************** ************1 billion ************** ************1 billion ************** $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nines-audacious-bid-to-stop-matches-for-more-ads/story-e6freuy9-1226347259953 Read that and weep. I am rarely wrong. If ever. And thats before channel 7 or 10 are taking a look. nz tv money, internet rights. ect. Hold on......where's that guy who said to us that the NRL WON'T GET MORE THAN 850 MILLION MAX! Wow - what a pessimist! Not that I am an optimist, I am just careful about which information I allow into my head to theorize with and of course, there is one more thing - THE REALITY FACTOR. I just came to say here, I told you so. I was also not the only one saying 1 billion. ___ And its going to be one awesome season next year. Can't wait to look at all those ads, and get a warm, fuzzy feeling, and buy the products in the ads, and get a warm fuzzy feeling again - knowing all along, you're supporting the NRL.
Queensland's Game is Rugby League
Guest
Aussie rules began as a winter training regime to keep the players of the Melbourne Cricket Club fit. So don't give me this rubbish that Melbourne held the first Ashes Test for no reason other than Melbourne was the so-called capital of the continent. The M.C.C. was the strongest cricket club in the country. Cricket was strong in Melbourne. Always has been. That's why the MCG was chosen as the host venue. The other day I read on here that QLD and NSW abandoned Aussie rules and took up rugby league for no other reason than the colonies in Botany Bay and Moreton held very strong ties with England, whereas Victoria and South Austraila were more independent, or some nonsense along those lnes. If that's the case then how come Queensland didn't enter a team in the Sheffield Shield until 1926? No game is more English than cricket. South Australia and Victoria had their own teams in the Shield from day one. You don't know what was written in the VFL TV contracts that were in effect during the 1980's. You have no idea what's written in the current AFL contract. You're just assuming that you have knowledge. Show me an official copy of the contract so that I can read it myself. Can you do that?
Jaceman
Guest
PS - good grief - AFL may have peaked but all your comments are crystal ball gazing and hoping and have no basis in logical fact.- you may want this to happen but yuo have no idea it will currently AFL has twice the revenues, crowd, etc - maybe you will get a bigger TV rights deal - we will see.....
Australian Rules
Guest
"it is like Channel 9 is afraid of waking a sleeping giant " Channel 9 are the rights holders!!! Why on earth would they be afraid of maximising their own viewership for a broadcasting product they paid millions to secure exclusive rights to??? This conspiracy theory stuff is truly baffling and void of any common sense!
Australian Rules
Guest
Well there you go. That's a good audience.
Australian Rules
Guest
Qgirl I'll help you out again with some facts (I realise that's not your strong suit). The first Ashes Test was played at the MCG because Melbourne, as the most populated city and the booming centre of commerce, was the virtual capital city in Australia. So "I think that proves the Melbournians were just as eager to play against England in organised sporting competition."...um yes, but it was an AUSTRALIAN team made up of Vics, NSWmen, SA etc. AS FOR "Queenslanders aren’t fearful of Aussie rules. If we’re scared of it then hocome the fellas who run the FTA networks have given the VFL/AFL so much air time since the 1980′s?" ...wow...ok...um, because it's written into the Broadcast contract that the networks signed with the AFL. Similarly, NRL games are shown on delay in Melbourne because it has never been part of the NRL's contract with Ch9 that all games must be shown on tv. Just so we're clear...it has nothing to do with people (or the media) being fearful of something. It has to do with the contracts that the networks sign. Ok then
Crosscoder
Guest
Always a pleasure to provide the source AR. .BTW not from Roy Masters or one of those rl "spin"journos,as they are fondly designated ,but the NRL itself:- http://www.nrl.com/1.3miilion-tune-into-all-stars/tabid/10874/newsid/65780/default.aspx I do not make claims on crowds or ratings unlessIi can back them up.
Queensland's Game is Rugby League
Guest
I've gone to Lang Park to watch the Broncos play my team, the Cowboys, in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. I know how much tickets cost. I doubt you've ever been to a game. Tickets for the Broncos start at $29. If you want a good seat then you have to pay $55. I do not recall the Lions charging much when I went to a match in 2006. The Ticketmaster website says the most you have to pay for a ticket is $44. It doesn't have much info, but the highest figure I found was $44. You're citing figures from when the Titans played the Broncos at Skilled Park. Why? I got the Suns vs Lions match mixed up with the one against the Cats. 15,000 for a game against the premiers is pretty crap. Even the Victorians who live in Brisbane didn't flock to the game in huge numbers.
Crosscoder
Guest
There is a world of a difference between targetting those who do'nt make it,than chasing junior and senior rugby leagu eplayers who have made it . Much of ther recruitiing is NZ,Qld ,NSW and local rl .IOW players who have experience with the game.That is teh beauty ofhaving the code played on a growing basis in NZ,and Fiji and PNG. I i have not seen too many( if any) who missed out on the draft playing for the u20 and u18.Please enlighten me? There would be only one FTA game on saturday, and any idea for a saturday FTA game,came not from Carr but the many complaints by rl fans.It has been going on for years.So your notion on Carr is wrong, he is not the final arbiter. . If it is supposedly so obvious ,please show where this öbvious"sticks out.And I will concedeif that is so. Meantime he is just about due for retirement. I have never in my life read so much conspiracy theory coming from a poster,ranging from Masters,Gould,to rl journos,Carr,Searle,News Ltd,the Storm,the list goes on. You really don't like them,it is plainly obvious.. If a code comes in stating they are spending huge sums, paying the highest price for the best athletes ,do you expect other codes to just lie down and think of England?
Australian Rules
Guest
Where is the 1.3M figure? Have you got a link? If it was 1.3M, then yes, that's a more substantial figure for a one-off game. The numbers I've seen indicated about 600k in 2011, 730k in 2012 - which is on par with an ok Friday night.