Live and primetime netball on free-to-air: Netball Australia seals landmark TV deal

Have been watching netball on tv for years first channel 2 then had to buy foxtel package to watch netball where was able to watch EVERY match - now what am I going to get 4 games on channel 9 .. then WHAT IS TELSTRA TV AND NETBALL LIVE APP ????

Channel 10 you cannot even up hold your end of a deal. Do the netballers have to run around naked to get prime time t.v viewing. You guys are an absolute disgrace. You put motor racing on surely you could workout to put netball on channel one instead and live tommorrow. As have a look at the junk and repeats you have on once again left the netball fans disgraced. You would end up with more viewing time and get better numbers if watching this tommorrowcthan on a fricon work day.

It's not simply the money. It's the time, the resources, the sport. Every $1 that is spent by Collingwood on its netball team is $1 less that can be spent on operating its Women's AFL team, or promotion & marketing the sport of Aussie Rules to women. This may be a terrific deal for the Collingwood brand. Having AFL & NRL involved with netball is, to me, a terrible deal for: a) women's AFL, in general; and the Collingwood Women's AFL team, in particular b) Netball I want my football club MVFC spending every dollar on the MVFC football teams: A-League men, W-League women, NYL men, NPL men (senior team which is u20 MVFC players; and u20 team which is u17 MVFC players). There will be an MVFC women's team in an NPL competition in the future. Plus MVFC teams in every age group in the NPL in the future.

Collingwood is most definitely owned by its members - this means they get a vote on board appointments and such votes as the club might deem necessary, such as significant changes to the club itself. It doesnt mean they get a say on every business decision the club makes - especially when the club is profitable and professionally run. In the case of GWS, the AFL is referred to as the Transition member, theretically operating the same way - it elects the majority of the board (see also: Sydney, Adelaide and Port Adelaide) No doubt netball see the AFL and NRL sides as a means of reaching an audience through the media that Netball has never been able to reach.

GWS involvement is likely to raise a few eyebrows at clubs given its almost wholly reliant on AFL direction and funding. Collingwood is a different story. Collingwood already generate more revenue and profit than they are allowed to spend on the AFL, and the womens league is going to face a miniscule cap. Collingwood already has all its facilities for mens and womens sides, and the training facilities for the womens netball already exist.

@offsider If Netball is getting $40m/yr from these new TV rights then your snipe at ALeague is meaningful. Otherwise it just exposes you as another Egg Ball fan who can only speak ill of the competition. The current ALeague broadcast rights do not expire until end of May 2017. Nothing to do with 'sitting on the shelf'. Lots to to with Contract Law.

Another sport on commercial FTA while the A league sits on the shelf waiting. Maybe tvsn could show games inbetween infomercials.

Jack I've read quite a few irate comments on Collingwood's Facebook page. Many are upset that the club is putting money into this when the on-field performances (save for the Essendon and Brisbane walkovers) have been piss poor and a premiership seems more elusive than ever. After the debacle that was the Hunter Sports Group I'd like to know if the netball clubs will function as independent entities or if it will need to be bankrolled by the affiliated men's sporting clubs. If times get tough is the support of the netball club guaranteed?

@Jack Russell For the past 4 months, AFL HQ has been spinning a story about the massive growth in women's AFL. They even want to start a national Women's AFL competition. But, the CEO of the AFL has expressed concerns about the lack of players capable of playing at an elite level to create a viable competition. Based on this information, it is ridiculous for any AFL club to inject funds into a sport that directly competes with AFL for female athletes. Young girls wanting to play AFL will wonder: why is my club giving money to netball, instead of promoting the sport I want to play. This is NOT an issue if AFL decides to abandon Women's AFL. Then, by all means, it's a terrific partnership. But, if AFL is serious about having females play (allegedly) "the greatest sport in the world", why are AFL clubs going to inject millions of dollars to operate a Netball club? It would be as ridiculous for Cricket Australia to inject funds into softball, or baseball. Or for Basketball teams to inject funds into Netball.

Poor fuss. So blind to the world around him. You know the majority of the other clubs in the league have sponsorship deals with AFL clubs already? And that there is a strong history of affiliation between football and netball clubs in Australia, particularly in regional areas? But you keep thinking there's a war going on.

Interesting to read that AFL franchises have decided to take ownership of Netball franchises. We are constantly told: AFL franchises are owned by members. So, how much input did the "members" of these 2 AFL franchises have on the decision to get involved with Netball? Was this major strategic change put to a vote at an extraordinary meeting of members? I think Netball Australia are crazy for allowing a competitor to take control of 2 franchises. An timeless adage for Netball Australia to consider: He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.

Not sure about Melb Coatia (not even sure a team still exist in this name) or Sunshine George Cross, but the A-league sides all have patnerships with women's sport. So nothing new here.

I guess as with other sports on commercial television, they will interrupt the ads with a few minutes of the game here and there. If the tennis is anything to go by, half the time there have already been two points played by the time the ads are finished.

So after all the hype about a women's AFL comp they are already getting involved with a sport competing in the same market! Previous forays into this type of arrangement were n part driven by the idea that in some ways some footy codes and netball were kissing cousins but that was when the AFL in particular were conscious of having no playing pathways for women.

One of the three new clubs is partnering with the Storm Even if one of the new netball clubs had decided to partner with Melbourne Croatia or Sunshine George Cross, I would have been supportive.

Amazing you to read something positive in your posts for a change, must be the AFL connection!!!!

Just listening to an interview on SEN radio with Netball Australia, confirming the three partnerships, but they now need to actually establish the clubs and teams.

The reports out of NZ are they're more than happy to get out of the TT partnership as it was there TV deal that propped up the league ... Aussie provided better quality sides but NZ the $ ... the kiwis have done a far more lucrative deal with Sky where all their games are live and staggered throughout the week so not to clash with rugby ... the Aust deal isn't all it's cracked up to be by the sounds ... think this time everyone seems to be happy .. But it will be interesting to see if Netball Aust can sustain their league

Oh did they? Completely missed that if they did. In that case - good acquisition by Nine to have the double header on Saturday.

Interesting isn't it, absolutely no $$$ mentioned any any of the press stories. Makes you wonder