Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

[The Marketing Pigeon]

Surprised no one has mentioned the domino effect of DAZN likely buying Foxtel and the implications for current negotiations - in my eyes with domestic leagues (NRL and AFL) being with an international broadcaster it places more importance on 9 securing the Rugby rights by the end of the year and if it passes creates competition for the rights with DAZN looking to add content on their spending spree

 

[Adam84]

Should know more in the next 2 weeks, Stan will no doubt have a clause on their current offer which expires at the end of the exclusive negotiations period on NYE, so if no deal struck prior we will know RA are angling for something bigger from Foxtel.

not to say Stan may not come back with a bigger offer again, but it’s a gamble…

 

[Strewthcobber]

it places more importance on 9 securing the Rugby rights by the end of the year

More importance for who? Nine or rugby?

 

[Adam84]

SVOD is a constant evolution of new players and disrupters…. Last negotiation round it was Optus… Paramount have floundered… Netflix are making a sports SVOD push with NFL..

Biggest issue for Nine/Stan Spot is completely new board of executives from those who were around at the time they last acquired Rugby… visions may have changed

 

[JRugby2]

Surprised no one has mentioned the domino effect of DAZN likely buying Foxtel and the implications for current negotiations - in my eyes with domestic leagues (NRL and AFL) being with an international broadcaster it places more importance on 9 securing the Rugby rights by the end of the year and if it passes creates competition for the rights with DAZN looking to add content on their spending spree

Iain Payten specifically mentioned it in the fairfax papers yesterday

 

[Rob42]

SVOD is a constant evolution of new players and disrupters…. Last negotiation round it was Optus… Paramount have floundered… Netflix are making a sports SVOD push with NFL..

Biggest issue for Nine/Stan Spot is completely new board of executives from those who were around at the time they last acquired Rugby… visions may have changed

Hopefully the new Stan management sees the push by Netflix and DAZN in this area as evidence that big streaming players need to be into live sport.

 

[JRugby2]

Hopefully the new Stan management sees the push by Netflix and DAZN in this area as evidence that big streaming players need to be into live sport.

Highly doubt they would be thinking otherwise on Sport in general - considering they announced this year that the product will carry dynamic advertising for the first time ever.

They were one of Australia's early adopter of sport content being integrated into a wider general entertainment SVOD platform. Would be a big U-Turn and a very confusing one.

My gut feel is that we'll probably see a new deal struck either by EOW or first 2 weeks of January. Can't imagine that RA will want a public examination of their value - didn't exactly pan out well last time.

 

[LeCheese]

Netflix are making a sports SVOD push with NFL..

NFL, Paul v Tyson, WWE, and a multitude of sports documentaries - (basically) unlimited cash and a clear strategic direction. It won't surprise me if we see a big global event (a world cup, Olympics, etc.) on Netflix in the next decade or so. Competition is only a good thing.

 

[JRugby2]

NFL, Paul v Tyson, WWE, and a multitude of sports documentaries - (basically) unlimited cash and a clear strategic direction. It won't surprise me if we see a big global event (a world cup, Olympics, etc.) on Netflix in the next decade or so. Competition is only a good thing.

Good for streamers maybe - not really panning out that way for customers however.

More aggregation has so far only meant that people have to spend more money on new platforms, and with sports rights being incredibly expensive - existing customers are seeing price rises.

 

[Braveheart81]

NFL, Paul v Tyson, WWE, and a multitude of sports documentaries - (basically) unlimited cash and a clear strategic direction. It won't surprise me if we see a big global event (a world cup, Olympics, etc.) on Netflix in the next decade or so. Competition is only a good thing.

An NFL podcast I listen to (The Athletic Football Show) did an episode on the future of broadcast rights recently which was interesting.

The feeling generally is that the streaming services are more interested in big one-off events rather than huge catalogues of content. That makes sense in terms of Amazon buying the rights to Thursday Night Football and Netflix buying the Christmas Day games.

Seems unlikely that any of them will ever look at acquiring the rights to a lot of lower value games.

In terms of other sports it will be interesting to see whether they move into trying to bid for parts of the broadcast rights (i.e. The Bledisloe Cup or similar).

 

[JRugby2]

An NFL podcast I listen to (The Athletic Football Show) did an episode on the future of broadcast rights recently which was interesting.

The feeling generally is that the streaming services are more interested in big one-off events rather than huge catalogues of content. That makes sense in terms of Amazon buying the rights to Thursday Night Football and Netflix buying the Christmas Day games.

Seems unlikely that any of them will ever look at acquiring the rights to a lot of lower value games.

In terms of other sports it will be interesting to see whether they move into trying to bid for parts of the broadcast rights (i.e. The Bledisloe Cup or similar).

Can see the NRL breaking this ground before Rugby does. Can't see RA not wanting to package up the events that would form a large portion of their value offering, or trying to sell SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) on it's own merits

 

[Braveheart81]

Can see the NRL breaking this ground before Rugby does. Can't see RA not wanting to package up the events that would form a large portion of their value offering, or trying to sell SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) (Super Rugby Pacific) on it's own merits

I'd say neither are overly likely but rugby more likely overall (just not Australian rugby).

International rugby's selling point will always be the larger global market which feeds into their global model.

What makes it tricky is the current segmentation of broadcast rights globally. In relation to the NFL Christmas games, I have seen them advertised on Netflix here but I am pretty sure I will still be able to see them all on NFL Gamepass on DAZN which has all the games. In the US that is different and there is no single option that provides access to all games.

It wouldn't make sense for Netflix (or another streamer) to step in and acquire games in other sports if they were still going to be available on other platforms in key countries.

 

[Ignoto]

Surely that model of the Netflix's/Amazon's buying the rights to the biggest games won't work here as we've got the broadcast arrangements regulated i.e. any International game is on FTA along with the largest national finals (i.e. AFL and NRL GF's).

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Do they really regulate all of that anymore or care? Aus has a number of Cricket games behind a paywall all the time now.

 

[Slim 293]

Do they really regulate all of that anymore or care? Aus has a number of Cricket games behind a paywall all the time now.

Yep, the anti-siphoning laws are still in place... off the top of my head cricket is limited to matches in Australia involving the Australian team, and the Ashes.

 

[Wilson]

Do they really regulate all of that anymore or care? Aus has a number of Cricket games behind a paywall all the time now.

Not the Ashes and none played on Australian soil though - the anti-siphoning laws distinguish between the two:

Anti-siphoning laws in Australia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

For rugby it's:
- Any test match between involving the Wallabies, played here or in New Zealand (so a Wallabies vs Springboks game played at Eden park would still be included)
- Any of the Wallabies world cup matches and the final, whether or not the Wallabies are in it

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Not the Ashes and none played on Australian soil though - the anti-siphoning laws distinguish between the two:

Anti-siphoning laws in Australia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

For rugby it's:
- Any test match between involving the Wallabies, played here or in New Zealand (so a Wallabies vs Springboks game played at Eden park would still be included)
- Any of the Wallabies world cup matches and the final, whether or not the Wallabies are in it

Recent ODIs v Pakistan in Australia where only through Foxtel and Kayo....

The watering down has begun and it will continue sadly.

 

[Wilson]

Recent ODIs v Pakistan in Australia where only through Foxtel and Kayo....

The watering down has begun and it will continue sadly.

That's just because free to air passed on them, not because of any watering down of the laws. That's not going to be the case on any of the big ticket events that were being discussed, almost by definition.

 

[Slim 293]

FTA might have passed on them - but if they we're protected, laws would compelled CA to ensure they are broadcast for free.

Nah, that's not true...

Australian domestic ODI's are still on the anti-siphon list.

The list doesn't guarantee FTA broadcast if they pass on the option, which is what happened in this case.

They can't be compelled to broadcast something by the government.

 

[Strewthcobber]

One dayers haven't been protected for quite a while now, from memory it's been at least 5-6 years since we had ODI's on FTA.

Australian ODIs and T20 matches are still on the anti-siphoning list. Seven acquired the rights in it's deal with CA, but chose not to broadcast them (preferring to broadcast Big Bash matches instead.)

https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/broadcasting-services-anti-siphoning-list-instrument-year-november2023.pdf

Federal minister Mitch Fifield said the anti-siphoning list "does not guarantee or mandate that those sporting events (on the list) are on free-to-air TV".

"The anti-siphoning list gives the free-to-air broadcasters the first right to negotiate," Senator Fifield said on 2GB radio.

"It does not mandate that free-to-air broadcasters have to purchase events. It does not mandate that if they do purchase, that they have to show them. And it does not mandate that if they do purchase events that they can't then on-sell them to other platforms.

"The list ... is there to increase the likelihood some of these significant events are on free TV.

"But it's not possible for any government to mandate that free-to-air broadcasters have to purchase certain events.

"What it does is give them the first opportunity and makes it more likely that these events will be on free-to-air TV."