Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

[I like to watch]

Compare the interest in the SS and NRC.


SS had to pay to get air time.

I can’t see how anyone would broadcast it on a stand alone basis, unless their costs were covered.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Compare the interest in the SS and NRC.


SS had to pay to get air time.

I can’t see how anyone would broadcast it on a stand alone basis, unless their costs were covered.

Could be a case of RA taking over broadcast much in the manner they did this season.

 

[Adam84]

A lot of unknowns, arguably the most important broadcast agreement RA have ever been through

 

[Adam84]

Article has been updated, also mentions that NRC is part of the broadcast deal.

Senior Foxtel sources confirmed it had withdrawn its offer for the five-year rights to the Super Rugby competition, the National Rugby Championships and Wallabies Tests. However, they said there was still a chance the pay TV company and Rugby Australia could reach a deal.

News Corp-controlled Foxtel has played hardball in sports rights negotiations before. It threatened to walk away from cricket rights in 2018, only to eventually sign them.

RA's broadcast rights include Super Rugby, the National Rugby Championships and Wallabies Tests, the latter which is also screened on the Ten Network due to anti-siphoning requirements.

Optus also outbid Foxtel for rights to air the recent Rugby World Cup in Japan. But the code's global governing body decided to stick with Foxtel.

 

[Slim 293]

If true, it would seem that while Foxtel doesn't want to get rid of rugby as part of their budget cuts, they're not willing too pay much to keep it.........

The Herald understands Optus has expressed interest in the broadcast rights, potentially looking to expand their digital live sport offering with a deal worth in the ballpark of $30 million per year.

 

[cyclopath]

You think it has any value to a broadcaster on a stand alone basis?

No. Not currently.

 

[Forceright]

With Clyne steadfastly refusing to go and determined to have his grubby mitts all over these negotiations- the chances are of yet another major clusterf##k by the No 1 klutz at RA. He needs to be turfed out and as far away from any deals as poss otherwise we’re facing yet MORE years of his stinking mess.

 

[Omar Comin']

I can't see moving to Optus being a good thing unless it also means getting some Super Rugby games on FTA.

While Fox Sports has limited reach it's far greater than Optus Sports - there's still the potential for NRL and AFL fans, and more casual sports fans to watch some games of rugby. With Optus you'd only have the big rugby fans signing up and watching, so the audience will shrink even further.

 

[RebelYell]

I can't see moving to Optus being a good thing unless it also means getting some Super Rugby games on FTA.

While Fox Sports has limited reach it's far greater than Optus Sports - there's still the potential for NRL and AFL fans, and more casual sports fans to watch some games of rugby. With Optus you'd only have the big rugby fans signing up and watching, so the audience will shrink even further.

Exactly, people will want to keep Fox/Kayo for the cricket too.

 

[Derpus]

I cant speak in general terms but personally i would be happy for rugby to go to Optus. I use it for the EPL and its quite good.

Is there any reason to have fox for other stuff? Arent most NRL and Cricket events televised FTA?

 

[wamberal]

I cant speak in general terms but personally i would be happy for rugby to go to Optus. I use it for the EPL and its quite good.

Is there any reason to have fox for other stuff? Arent most NRL and Cricket events televised FTA?

Totally depends on your stage of life, I would guess. We have the maximum Foxtel package, and we watch movies as well as sport, of course, not to mention our FTA viewing, which is all through Foxtel.


We would retain Foxtel even if the rugby rights go elsewhere, simply because it is the conduit for our mainstream viewing. I doubt that we would want to bugger around with Optus, and I reckon there would be a lot of the older (and possibly pretty affluent) rugby audience who would feel the same way. We certainly would not want to sit hunched over our iPads watching Super Rugby after dinner, thanks very much.

 

[Slim 293]

We certainly would not want to sit hunched over our iPads watching Super Rugby after dinner, thanks very much.

You wouldn’t watch it on your TV?

 

[Derpus]

Totally depends on your stage of life, I would guess. We have the maximum Foxtel package, and we watch movies as well as sport, of course, not to mention our FTA viewing, which is all through Foxtel.


We would retain Foxtel even if the rugby rights go elsewhere, simply because it is the conduit for our mainstream viewing. I doubt that we would want to bugger around with Optus, and I reckon there would be a lot of the older (and possibly pretty affluent) rugby audience who would feel the same way. We certainly would not want to sit hunched over our iPads watching Super Rugby after dinner, thanks very much.

You can stream through the tv in a whole variety of pretty straightforward ways these days

 

[fatprop]

RA should take the punt and produce their own content, create their own app and sell subscriptions

 

[VassMan]

Will pubs show super rugby then if it isn't on Foxtel. Pubs in Perth usually have main screen showing AFL and then smaller screens with NRL/Super/ALeague. If it's not on in pubs then it's even more out of sight out of mind.

 

[Lorenzo]

Totally depends on your stage of life, I would guess. We have the maximum Foxtel package, and we watch movies as well as sport, of course, not to mention our FTA viewing, which is all through Foxtel.


We would retain Foxtel even if the rugby rights go elsewhere, simply because it is the conduit for our mainstream viewing. I doubt that we would want to bugger around with Optus, and I reckon there would be a lot of the older (and possibly pretty affluent) rugby audience who would feel the same way. We certainly would not want to sit hunched over our iPads watching Super Rugby after dinner, thanks very much.

You should be banned from the thread if you seriously think streaming = watch on ipad

 

[wamberal]

You can stream through the tv in a whole variety of pretty straightforward ways these days

Yep, and we do that occasionally. But we have a Yamaha Aventage Receiver driving a couple of big (probably old-fashioned) JBL speakers, Foxtel is the source.

 

[Omar Comin']

I cant speak in general terms but personally i would be happy for rugby to go to Optus. I use it for the EPL and its quite good.

I would consider myself a casual EPL supporter, I used to watch some of the big games on Fox Sports - maybe 2-3 per month, but I never watch it anymore as it wasn't worth it for me to get Optus for a couple of games per month. If rugby goes to Optus then I'll get it so from a personal perspective I guess I would start watching the EPL again!

But there would be thousands of people who currently watch rugby in the same way that will stop watching it completely. And those are generally the people you have the best chance of converting into bigger fans of the game - or they at least get on the bandwagon every now and then. I don't see much hope of gaining new fans if Super Rugby is exclusively on Optus, and a lot of casual fans will be lost.

 

[Ignoto]

We certainly would not want to sit hunched over our iPads watching Super Rugby after dinner, thanks very much.

Buy a casting device and this problem goes away. You just fire up the Optus app on your iPhone/iPad/Tablet/Android phone, and tell your casting device (Chromecast) to play the game instead of it being on your device.

With the rise of streaming services; Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime, AppleTv, Disney+, Foxtel box days are coming to an end. Most people, especially the younger generation are moving away from the set-top boxes. This streaming has boomed in the last 5 years and in the next 5, it'll get larger and more popular.

Anyway, I hope Super Rugby goes to Optus, it will mean we can clear the fossils off the commentary team.

 

[Lorenzo]

Anyone have an idea on the costs associated with running a vertically integrated live sport streaming operation for a couple hundred matches a year? I bet it's a lot.