Where to for Super Rugby?

[The Honey Badger]

If there was a market for it there would have been offers over the years. The FTA broadcasters already know that half the tests they pay for don't rate well enough for them but they buy it as a package on the basis that the key test matches are good content to show.

Every bit of evidence available suggests the ratings aren't good enough. It's a sad reality but it's the reality.

Every bit of evidence says that Women's sport is unwatchable and wont rate. Then one day they put on the WSOO and it rated.

We need consistent product at regular time slots and it needs years of investment.

The problem is not so much what it will rate, as I am sure it would rate highly enough for a digital second channel.

The problem is how much the FTA broadcaster will pay, verses the loss in value from the Pay broadcaster. And that is where FOX held all the power and made sure it never happened. Fox wanted the exclusivity to pick up the wealthy people that followed rugby and would happily pay to get it.

 

[half]

stuck waiting and bored.

So to help pass the time...

This thread has been going for 1, 344 days.

At this point.

17, 241 posts & 1, 022, 895 views

So 17, 241 / 1, 342 is a tad over 13.97 say 14 posts per day or 70% of a page per day in posts.

With 1, 022, 895 views is a tad over 828.96 say 829 views per day.

Back on topic, Tis funny reading the thread with people asking and saying how good a TT or NDC will be, yet until a few months ago only a few believed it was possible.

 

[Up the Guts]

I think regular fixtures on both Saturday and Friday night are contributing to the positive feedback for the Aus only comp. It frustrated me when there would be one Australian derby, one Australian team with a bye, and another off travelling (particularly in SA) so there was only one prime time Australian game. I reckon it also helps attract casual viewers if they know that a game will be on at a fixed time.

I also think Saturday afternoon is a dud time slot for rugby because a lot of the core fan base is at schoolboy or club fixtures. Sunday afternoon is a lot better.

 

[qwerty51]

If we did a 10 team or 12 team TT, the scheduling would be perfect:

AEST:

5pm and 7pm Friday
5pm and 7pm Saturday
3pm and 5pm Sunday and potentially a Thursday night game instead of the 5pm Sun

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Pretty shameful skullduggery shit from NZRFU. My guess is the new CEO wanted come in and be the businessey hardman "oooh, he is a tuff little negotiator isn't he" and it's backfired all up the flaps of his ironic Herb Tarlek jacket. Now he's unwittingly provided enough "these c***ts said we're not good enough to play them" locker room whiteboard material to motivate the aussie sides and Wobs an entire season AND Bledisloe series.

It is almost like NZRU is hell bent on destroying Australian Rugby

Fail to see where you're going with this.

 

[Dan54]

Pretty shameful skullduggery shit from NZRFU. My guess is the new CEO wanted come in and be the businessey hardman "oooh, he is a tuff little negotiator isn't he" and it's backfired all up the flaps of his ironic Herb Tarlek jacket. Now he's unwittingly provided enough "these c***ts said we're not good enough to play them" locker room whiteboard material to motivate the aussie sides and Wobs an entire season AND Bledisloe series.


Fail to see where you're going with this.

Yep I not keen, but will wait until I hear what was asked etc, I think it should always be done through the RA or main body, but I didn't have a problem with Twiggy dealing with BOP etc, without going to NZR for GGR, so I suppose I should just wait and see what was said.

 

[Wilson]

I think regular fixtures on both Saturday and Friday night are contributing to the positive feedback for the Aus only comp. It frustrated me when there would be one Australian derby, one Australian team with a bye, and another off travelling (particularly in SA) so there was only one prime time Australian game. I reckon it also helps attract casual viewers if they know that a game will be on at a fixed time.

I also think Saturday afternoon is a dud time slot for rugby because a lot of the core fan base is at schoolboy or club fixtures. Sunday afternoon is a lot better.

100%. Regular, scheduled rugby is so much better as a viewer. It's something I'm pretty sure the broadcasters vastly prefer as well because it makes their lives much easier in terms of scheduling and ad sales, as well as drawing in that subset of casual viewers who just want to put some sport on on a Friday/Saturday night.

 

[Wilson]

Yep I not keen, but will wait until I hear what was asked etc, I think it should always be done through the RA or main body, but I didn't have a problem with Twiggy dealing with BOP etc, without going to NZR for GGR, so I suppose I should just wait and see what was said.

That is a different situation, Twiggy was not running a national rugby body with over a century of association and an existing partnership with NZR.

Why NZR thought this would work and not blow up in their face is beyond me, all the franchises (except the Force) are utterly reliant on RA.

 

[RebelYell]

If we did a 10 team or 12 team TT, the scheduling would be perfect:

AEST:

5pm and 7pm Friday
5pm and 7pm Saturday
3pm and 5pm Sunday and potentially a Thursday night game instead of the 5pm Sun

I'd still love to see some matches scheduled when there is no AFL or NRL on and we can have a free hit. I understand that makes it tough from a fixturing perspective, but Wednesday night for example would be awesome

 

[KOB1987]

Remember a month or so ago there was going to be zoom hookup between the 5 NZ franchises and 4 Aussie ones to nut out a way forward, but that was hijacked by RA and NZR? That was the correct approach.

 

[KOB1987]

Going to put some popcorn in the microwave

SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux:

"There is a legal and binding agreement with the SANZAAR alliance, and anyone in breach of that would put themselves in a position to be held liable.

"We have not been kicked out of Super Rugby. If anything, New Zealand kicked themselves out of it."

 

[Braveheart81]

Every bit of evidence says that Women's sport is unwatchable and wont rate. Then one day they put on the WSOO and it rated.

We need consistent product at regular time slots and it needs years of investment.

The problem is not so much what it will rate, as I am sure it would rate highly enough for a digital second channel.

The problem is how much the FTA broadcaster will pay, verses the loss in value from the Pay broadcaster. And that is where FOX held all the power and made sure it never happened. Fox wanted the exclusivity to pick up the wealthy people that followed rugby and would happily pay to get it.

I disagree with that first bit. People were skeptical about women's sport but the ratings for the men's games in those same sports are very strong so I don't think it is a surprise that people will watch women play. It is mostly a bunch of naysayers who love to deride women's sport saying no one will be interested. Women's cricket has rated pretty well for a number of years.

We're working with the situation where they have a bunch of available data of ratings from test matches against different levels of teams right down to Shute Shield games on FTA TV. They know what each rate and can make assumptions based on that. It's correct that they haven't had a Reds vs Waratahs game to show in prime time on FTA but likewise, they can see the level of interest in that on Foxtel relative to the test matches that they have FTA ratings for.

It might rate well enough that it for a secondary FTA channel but that's essentially competing against a show that costs that network almost nothing and very likely they already own it and it's a repeat. How does that work for rugby that needs broadcast dollars to survive?

The concept that we forgo the revenue on our best games and pay to have them broadcast on FTA? What's the long term plan there? I don't think there is a situation where that suddenly swings around and the FTA broadcaster decides they want to pay significant money for that content.

 

[Dan54]

I read an interesting post in Planet Rugby by a poster from England that has pretty much sums up what exactly is happening.

'

This current situation has been the best PR for the ARU. Years, no decades of dismay by Aus supporters at their own union have been forgotten and eradicated all because the nasty and dictatorial NZR Might want to reduce our 5 teams to 3 or 4 sides.

An organisation that was inept, bankrupt, on the verge of civil war after a coup now has united the whole ruby community because the kiwis might only want 3-4 Aussie teams, conveniently forgetting that your union dropped the western force for a Japanese side because your teams were shit and the ARU couldn’t actually afford 5 teams.'

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Going to put some popcorn in the microwave

SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux:

"There is a legal and binding agreement with the SANZAAR alliance, and anyone in breach of that would put themselves in a position to be held liable.

"We have not been kicked out of Super Rugby. If anything, New Zealand kicked themselves out of it."

haha good luck with that one

SA: "You owe us 5 more years of rugby for our telecawsts"
NZ: "What part of GLOBAL PANDEMIC do you dipshits not understand? Maybe you should be more concerned with your abandoned hospitals in the Eastern Cape where rats feast on human blood"
SA: "FAKE NEWS"
NZ: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53396057

SA: "RAAAAAACIST"

 

[sunnyboys]

I disagree with that first bit. People were skeptical about women's sport but the ratings for the men's games in those same sports are very strong so I don't think it is a surprise that people will watch women play. It is mostly a bunch of naysayers who love to deride women's sport saying no one will be interested. Women's cricket has rated pretty well for a number of years.

We're working with the situation where they have a bunch of available data of ratings from test matches against different levels of teams right down to Shute Shield games on FTA TV. They know what each rate and can make assumptions based on that. It's correct that they haven't had a Reds vs Waratahs game to show in prime time on FTA but likewise, they can see the level of interest in that on Foxtel relative to the test matches that they have FTA ratings for.

It might rate well enough that it for a secondary FTA channel but that's essentially competing against a show that costs that network almost nothing and very likely they already own it and it's a repeat. How does that work for rugby that needs broadcast dollars to survive?

The concept that we forgo the revenue on our best games and pay to have them broadcast on FTA? What's the long term plan there? I don't think there is a situation where that suddenly swings around and the FTA broadcaster decides they want to pay significant money for that content.

At some point there will be a tipping point. when Fox deals continue to shrink in line with viewing numbers - there will be a time when "something else" makes sense. Interestingly, an article last week quoted an Aus equities analyst saying he believes Foxtel is worth $0. Valuation of about $1.1b and debts of $1.7b.

at some point, the model is going to break. (however it might also just mean that Newscorp repays all debts on behalf of Fox).

 

[Dan54]

Remember a month or so ago there was going to be zoom hookup between the 5 NZ franchises and 4 Aussie ones to nut out a way forward, but that was hijacked by RA and NZR? That was the correct approach.

Exactly KOB, and when it came time to plan getting back to play after Covid 19 almost all the discussions were had on Zoom by a committee of players from each country and not involving RA or NZR boards!

 

[Derpus]

I read an interesting post in Planet Rugby by a poster from England that has pretty much sums up what exactly is happening.

'

This current situation has been the best PR for the ARU. Years, no decades of dismay by Aus supporters at their own union have been forgotten and eradicated all because the nasty and dictatorial NZR Might want to reduce our 5 teams to 3 or 4 sides.

An organisation that was inept, bankrupt, on the verge of civil war after a coup now has united the whole ruby community because the kiwis might only want 3-4 Aussie teams, conveniently forgetting that your union dropped the western force for a Japanese side because your teams were shit and the ARU couldn’t actually afford 5 teams.'

SANZAAR dropped a team - just saying. And everyone here was livid with them for accepting it and not fighting harder.

But yeah NZR being tools has been useful and hardened the resolve. Reminded us who the real enemy is.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

This current situation has been the best PR for the ARU. Years, no decades of dismay by Aus supporters at their own union have been forgotten and eradicated all because the nasty and dictatorial NZR Might want to reduce our 5 teams to 3 or 4 sides.

An organisation that was inept, bankrupt, on the verge of civil war after a coup now has united the whole ruby community because the kiwis might only want 3-4 Aussie teams, conveniently forgetting that your union dropped the western force for a Japanese side because your teams were shit and the ARU couldn’t actually afford 5 teams.'

 

[Dan54]

SANZAAR dropped a team - just saying. And everyone here was livid with them for accepting it and not fighting harder.
.

ARU dropped Force because they couldn't afford 5 teams, they said it at time, there was a bit of spin afterwards, but basically that was reason!!

 

[Derpus]

ARU dropped Force because they couldn't afford 5 teams, they said it at time, there was a bit of spin afterwards, but basically that was reason!!

Sounds like something one of the bad guys would say