The AFL this week secured the most valuable broadcast rights deal in Australian sports history, with the total value coming in at $4.5 billion over seven years.
In comparison, Rugby Australia’s current deal with Channel 9 and Stan Sport is a worth a little over $100 million, across three years.
The difference is just astounding. Here is a sport played in one country absolutely dwarfing the value of a game played worldwide.
The AFL is always going to have the Victorian market cornered off but it is certainly growing enough in other states to put the NRL on notice; and, frankly, shame rugby union.
While the Wallabies are the cash cow of Rugby Australia, the national body must prioritise rejuvenating Super Rugby if it wants its income to increase from TV deals.
The average home Wallabies match on Channel 9 (of which there are six this year) gathers around 650,000 viewers (including Stan Sport numbers), according to data from Media Week.
The average AFL match, to compare, brings more than 500,000 people on average to their screens; while this is fewer than Wallabies matches, there are a whopping 407 games played in a season.
This demonstrates clearly where Rugby Australia needs to prioritise its resources if it wants the game to grow: the domestic game.
(Photo by Oisin Keniry – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
With a home World Cup just around the corner, the time is now to start thinking of new solutions to get people engaged again in their provincial teams.
A way of doing this is going domestic; with more teams winning week in week out, as well as more games involving Aussie franchises, the interest of the public will be far more piqued than at present.
The obvious downsides to this idea is the high performance perspective and the need for new franchises, with existing fan bases being demolished.
This is where the 2027 Rugby World Cup, hosted by Australia comes in. This is the perfect platform to launch a new domestic competition. With thousands of people walking through gates daily, not only will Rugby Australia be more financially able to sustain a competition by themselves, they will have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advertise it to millions of Australians.
Setting the new competition up in 2024 will allow time for teething issues to sort themselves out in time for the potentially hundreds of thousands of people who may watch the 2028 edition of Aussie domestic rugby.
If RA can replicate the AFL and NRL’s domestic success, the Wallabies will only benefit from the influx of cash from more lucrative TV deals as a result of increased engagement in the domestic game.
If Rugby Australia wants to make the game more sustainable into the future it must use the World Cup for something more than a financial boost.
It must use the spotlight on rugby to get fans engaged in a competition that will grow the game’s wealth long term.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Yep for sure. Why dont RA have their own NPC? I see lots of value in that for RA.
Dionysus
Guest
AndyS wrote "Rugby missed its chance decades ago, probably even when League formed" Yeah, if only Rugby had allowed those northern clubs to compensate miners for loss of wages then League would never have happened.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Which games though JB?
Malotru
Roar Rookie
' Global rugby revenues (half a dozen pro leagues, world cup and international competitions) are about double the AFL.' Source for this information please Maximus.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Eagles are a big fish in a very small pond Doc.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Spain, Portugal, Georgia, Uruguay, the Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Belgium and many others Hoolifan.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
'This elitist attitude is exactly why rugby is in the hole its in. Don’t dismiss and disrespect other sports who are more successful that rugby'. If that was the case AFL would have died years ago, Rugby is managing quite nicely to bury itself in Australia.
Randy Ruga
Roar Rookie
I have been saying this forever. RA must follow the lead of the AFL by increasing junior participation before it even thinks about the domestic competition. Simply put, the more juniors you can get involved in the game the more kids and their families will grow up loving rugby and remain interested in the game long after they've hung up their boots. The problem now is that it is only the diehard supporters that once played the game and therefore understand what makes it so special, that still support the code. If we start at the bottom and increase participation and keep juniors and their families in the game the rest will follow. RA should have a long hard look at what Randwick are doing with their Summer Junior Academy replicate it and more importantly FUND it and roll it out across the country. If we ignore the juniors eventually there will be no one left alive that has played the game and it will die out.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Quite a few Aussies playing in the NPC this year Jacko, they obviously see the value in the comp.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Too true Sheek.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
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Malotru
Roar Rookie
Before you fix the distribution you need to fix the product. Common sense. Pull the pin on Super Rugby. It’s a dead duck nobody wants to watch. In your opinion. Play more domestic Rugby with a balanced competition any team is capable of winning. Easier said than done, more teams will mean higher costs without necessarily improving the product. Who is going to sponsor / pay for it? Reduce the number of test matches we play. 16-17 a year is way too many and cheapens the brand. No more than 6 test matches a year. Not easy to run a succesful national team with ony six matches a year. Fix the officiating. Rugby is over officiated right now. True, but the laws are set by World Rugby, therefore not sure how you can fix this. Introduce an orange card. Get rid of stupid laws. What's an organge card, I'm guessing a blend of red and yellow. Does that mean a 30min sitting down? Fix juniors. Rugby is so expensive to play as a junior compared to other sports. Again who pays?
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Correction: it's Seven AND Fox, the latter having a 60+% share of it all. Also, Telstra still provides something for digital rights, not sure what the situation is there. Initially, there were doubts about the amount and time period, but it has become progressively clear that it really is $4.5 billion over 7 years.
Pete
Guest
Pistol your aussie rules ranting and raving on what a great game it is i have travelled far and wide been to many sports bars over the years overseas and quite frankly aussie rules is never seen on the big screens... sorry correction had a game on the big screen in Bangkok two people watching next TV was showing the premier league couldnt move to the bar it was that packed.
Paulie
Guest
Monster in Australia only no cares for aussie rules outside of this country...
Pete
Guest
Maybe they need to put their thongs and singlets and stubbie shorts on and try and dig up international league...its been buried for a very long time.
Tree Son
Roar Rookie
Well played
Micko
Roar Rookie
It won't work simply because NZR will never agree to a draft in my opinion. Basically, a draft concept could only be implemented in an Australian comp.
piru
Roar Rookie
Hence the term "change"
piru
Roar Rookie
Because it's better to have players stay in super rugby than go to Europe or Japan if they miss out? Seems obvious to me idk