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Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

Omar Comin'

Chilla Wilson (44)
How much revenue could the ARU make from a digital streaming product similar to the NBA League Pass?

Say if Australia ever left Super Rugby and created a new top level domestic competition we had full control over.

You could have different offers. Some sort of premium pass with a few bells and whistles, basic access to every game live, access to the games of a limited number of teams, finals only etc.

How many rugby fans in Australia (and for that matter, the world) would sign up to this and what could you charge?

Because I'm thinking there must be at least 50,000 big Australian rugby fans that would sign up to a premium offering. If you could charge $200 for that it'd be $10 million of revenue. If you had another 50k sign up to a more basic option at $100 each then that's another $5 million. Get another 100k signing up to limited games at an average of $50 each and that's another $5 million.

Given the ARU currently make $25 million per year out of the SANZAR deal (which includes test matches), that would be considerably more than what the ARU generates for Super Rugby alone.

And you could still sell TV rights in addition to that.
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Startup costs are massive for those ventures, and you'd need an IT partner to make it happen.

The internet isn't free :)

And it doesn't help attendances if you make the TV product more accessible.

EDIT: I'm not saying it shouldn't happen, because its the way of the future, but it does require caution.

Foxtel has fucked itself by making Foxtel GO! only available on certain devices, IMHO.
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Right - so now that is sorted for the five years up until 2020 or whatever, we need to start cracking on with NRC to give ourselves more power at the negotiating table.

Look on the bright side, fuckers: we've got five years to make our domestic national competition as good as anything the ITM or Currie Cups can produce. How good would it be if we keep these teams solvent, start making profits for each club, and then have enough cash in the kitty for expansion? FTA TV definitely comes a-knockin at that point and we get 1-2 games per week to showcase the game to everyone.

And the next time the SANZAR negotiation comes back up, we walk into the room, flop out a massive cock with "Potential Australian Audience" tattooed on it, and start the dick measuring contest for funding.

Winning!
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Over on the Rams thread Belly made a good point: facilities at most suburban grounds are pants. Having played at a few premier rugby grounds I can assure anyone listening that the change sheds are like a fucking bomb shelter, but without the charm.

And a Saturday night broadcast means you need decent lighting - therefore count out most of the regular suburban grounds as their facilities and lighting are poo.

Of course, there is no guarantees that Foxtel won't simply say they'll broadcast a daytime game to get around all that shite.
 

Sir Arthur Higgins

Dick Tooth (41)
am i right in breaking the league tv deal down as such
$1bn a year for 5 years = $200M per annum
with 16 teams it equates to $12.5m per team per year.
does this include all ARL games (i.e kiwi v aus games?)\
if so, then when you break down a potential ARU deal, the numbers aren't that different.
I think $40M per annum is a minimum. our current deal is old and the proposed structure, as weird as it is, means we have a lot more games that rate (all the kiwi teams for example) we will have maximum 3 games a year in an unfavorable time zone (per team).
with the NRC and 7's picking up on the back of the rio olympics, i think $60M per annum should be the aim which breaks down to $12M per super rugby team.
i'd like to understand the breakdown of the deal in terms of how much goes to the ARU for wallabies etc and how much goes to the super rugby teams.
there is every chance this new structure will deliver. in melbourne and most cities the games against the top kiwi outfits rate the best.
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Nine News here in Sydney just had a feature on Tony Popovic as the Wanderers head into their Grand Final weekend. Band wagon jumping, sure. But when you get your sport on Channel Loig that kind of exposure it's not hurtful
 
T

TOCC

Guest
Pfitzy, when you mention Pulver has been doing the rounds on FTA for rugby union i think you are confusing super rugby and the NRC..

Channel 10 has expressed interest in broadcasting some Super Rugby games, Pulver has reciprocated this interest as its in the best interest for the game.

The NRC won't be on FTA for a long time, the only reason the NRC is financially able to go ahead for the 2014-2015 season is because Foxtel offered a couple of million in sponsorship/exclusive broadcast rights.

For those who haven't been in the Western Sydney thread, the discussion was also about which day should the game be broadcast on, the rumours currently are that Foxtel will push for a Thursday night broadcast of NRC rugby as it avoids clashes with the other codes and provides live sporting content on a night otherwise devoid.

Others have pointed out that a thursday night game will be at the detriment of the crowds, which i agree, a drop in crowd figures is probable. But i think the embryonic stage of this tournament means that chasing ratings is more important then chasing an extra 2 or 3 thousand in gate takings. The ARU need respectable ratings so that when they renegotiate for the broadcast rights in 18months they can push for a greater figure.

At the end of the day, there will only be one match broadcast per round, so for the entire season a team will play twice on a thursday night and only one of which is a home game.
 
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Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Pfitzy, when you mention Pulver has been doing the rounds on FTA for rugby union i think you are confusing super rugby and the NRC..

Channel 10 has expressed interest in broadcasting some Super Rugby games, Pulver has reciprocated this interest as its in the best interest for the game.

The NRC won't be on FTA for a long time, the only reason the NRC is financially able to go ahead for the 2014-2015 season is because Foxtel offered a couple of million in sponsorship/exclusive broadcast rights.

You don't sow seed today and expect a crop tomorrow :)

Pulver will be busily laying the groundwork with anyone who will listen in media land - particularly after the new expansion has all the Super CEOs onside - and buttering them up for the filthy lucre they'll make from broadcasting our great game.

If the NRC can't appear on FTA until 2016 them it's an even lower risk for a few TV networks to lodge an expression of interest now - they'll know by then whether it will work, and how much they should invest into it, either on their own (as Ten did with the BBL) or in partnership as with AFL, NRL, or A-League.

It could even be at a stage where online delivery is possible so steaming companies could be in the mix.

Den we gots da BENJAMINZ!!!
 

BDA

Jim Lenehan (48)
I'm surprised to hear they will only be broadcasting 1 game of the NRC per week. Surely they should have a couple to increase exposure and income. Will the NRC have a finals series?

On the side note, I watched the A League Final last night. I haven't watched any other game of A League this year. The final hour of the game was pretty interesting, the first half was a yawn fest. Although seeing the fan fair and turn out for the game made me realise what the ARU is missing by not having a genuine domestic league. I competition final between say the Tahs and the Reds or the Rebels would cause a lot of interest even among people that don't follow the competition closely.
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Yes - NRC will have a finals series involving the top four. Ideally that would be shown on FTA at some point, or like the A-League last night, Fox get exclusive live rights and FTA get delayed rights.
 

Omar Comin'

Chilla Wilson (44)
I hope the ARU stream the non-televised NRC matches. They should do it cheap but decent and offer it free through youtube.

If the IRB can afford decent streaming (with commentary) for the women's 7's series and many American colleges and amateur clubs can afford streaming for their matches then it can't be that expensive! It doesn't have to be HD with 8 camera angles.
 

Highlander35

Steve Williams (59)
I hope the ARU stream the non-televised NRC matches. They should do it cheap but decent and offer it free through youtube.

If the IRB can afford decent streaming (with commentary) for the women's 7's series and many American colleges and amateur clubs can afford streaming for their matches then it can't be that expensive! It doesn't have to be HD with 8 camera angles.

May have difficulties if Foxtel has signed an exclusivity agreement with the ARU.

Don't get me wrong, it would be brilliant. Especially if it was Similar to the SRUs coverage of the RBS cup finals, simply a couple of cameras and a trio of commentators. But still real good to watch.

Sent from my LG-P713 using Tapatalk
 
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