Rupert Murdoch "We've always preferred Aussie Rules"

Post by **Beaussie** » Thu May 28, 2020 7:00 pm

Look out, could old Roy be onto something here?

After softening-up period, stand by for big hits in TV rights stoush
By Roy Masters
May 27, 2020

Hard man Peter V'landys has softened up the rugby league "family", using the media to warn of an inevitable decline in the code's income, ahead of the imminent announcement of a reduced, long-term, pay TV deal with News Corporation's Foxtel.

The mechanics of the reported 2020-27 deal are the reverse of the current contract, which then NRL CEO Dave Smith secretly negotiated with Channel Nine's David Gyngell, leaving Foxtel furious it had been sidelined.

Three days later, Smith and then ARLC chairman John Grant were positioned "next to the shithouse" at a welcome to News' Rupert Murdoch in a Sydney restaurant. V'landys, the ARLC incumbent chairman, can be expected to be seated at the head table on the media mogul's next visit to the city.

But will the NRL clubs also be fawning over V'landys in, say, three years' time if Channel Nine or Ten pay minimal fees for the free-to-air rights which include the finals, grand final and State of Origin?

Australia's leading media and sports rights analyst, Colin Smith, warns against TV contracts not being co-terminus, saying pay and FTA deals must have the same beginning and end date to maximise competitive tension and therefore the biggest sum at the end.

Nine Entertainment Co boss Hugh Marks has reportedly told V'landys he will see out the existing 2018-22 deal before deciding to bid again.

Do the maths: according to reports, the News Corp deal is $1.7 billion over eight years without FTA rights compared to the existing $1.8b over five years, with FTA rights.

Sure, V'landys has indicated digital rights will be kept back from the next deal, allowing the code to develop its own streaming service - potentially aimed at Generation Z, who will presumably follow the habits of millennials and watch packaged highlights of NRL matches on mobile phones, rather than invest two hours on a Friday night in front of linear TV.

Following the last deal which eventually resulted in Smith's resignation and Grant negotiating a revised deal with Nine and a still angry Fox, the AFL moved swiftly.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan flew to Sydney and a couple of days later in Melbourne, Rupert announced a $2.6b, six-year deal saying, "We have always preferred Aussie Rules", adding on an estimated $150m in a vengeful, "up-yours" rebuke to the NRL.

There is every indication AFL will follow the same path this time, waiting for the NRL to conclude the pay TV deal and then come over the top, boasting of a superior final figure.

"We've always preferred Aussie rules": Rupert Murdoch announces Foxtel's bumper deal with the AFL in 2015.Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

Sources say McLachlan is currently negotiating with incumbent broadcaster Channel Seven to extend the current FTA deal past 2022, ahead of a pay TV deal.

Some media analysts say this is the wise course because FTA TV is the more financially distressed industry, compared to pay TV.

In other words, AFL will extract as much money as it can from Seven, taking Kerry Stokes's network out of the bidding for the NRL's FTA rights, leaving V'landys to negotiate for 2023 with budget network Ten, as well as Nine.

The AFL will have gone to Foxtel and said, "You require three products to be successful. You have NRL and movies and you need AFL."

Fox reportedly paid two and a half times more than last time for HBO movies to stream on their new over the top service, Binge.

The monies News Corp paid for HBO in a bidding war with Nine's Stan raises the question why NRL must take less, as V'landys has repeatedly insisted.

"We don't want to send our partners broke," he has been quoted as saying, yet News paid a motza for movies for a new OTT service some analysts say will be a repeat of the failed Presto venture between News and Seven.

In fact, legal sources say the current TV contracts do not obligate the NRL to take a cut. When the former NRL CEO, Todd Greenberg, went to Nine boss Marks and pointed out the 2018-22 contract did not even require the NRL to takes less in this Covid-19 interrupted season, it was the end of his rugby league career.

It would be almost heretical to suggest V'landys, following his brilliant strategy in bringing NRL to our TV screens on Thursday night, could one day be shown the door.

But while the rugby league "family" has been softened up for a long-term cut in income, the reality of NRL clubs actually receiving less, compared to AFL, is a very different matter.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/after- ... 54wih.html

pussycat · Post by **pussycat** » Thu May 28, 2020 7:42 pm

And yet Murdoch chose to spearhead his new PTV network with Rugby League, I wonder why? I wonder if it has anything to do with Rugby League being the most popular sport in Australia. With more potential for growth than any other sport

T - 19m

Post by **Beaussie** » Thu May 28, 2020 7:46 pm

pussycat wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 7:42 pm
And yet Murdoch chose to spearhead his new PTV network with Rugby League, I wonder why? I wonder if it has anything to do with Rugby League being the most popular sport in Australia. With more potential for growth than any other sport

Yet you lot have never achieved a bigger tv rights deal. Most popular eh? Rupert disagrees

Post by **Beaussie** » Sun May 31, 2020 5:33 pm

Interesting analysis made on Offsiders by Waleed. Why hasn’t Foxtel or the NRL revealed how much their new deal was?

Post by leeroy*NRL* » Sun May 31, 2020 9:28 pm

Wasn't the NRL Deal with FOX extended
Under the same terms as this deal
But a 5 year extension.

AFLcrap1 · Post by **AFLcrap1** » Sun May 31, 2020 9:57 pm

Lol
Now quoting that idiot who knows fuck all about RL

Fred · Post by **Fred** » Sun May 31, 2020 10:27 pm

AFLcrap1 wrote: Sun May 31, 2020 9:57 pm
Lol
Now quoting that idiot who knows fuck all about RL

That’s your only comment on all that was posted ?

What do you think about the deals with fox and Nind given the information posted?

Do you have a view on where the money may be cut from ?

pussycat · Post by **pussycat** » Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:15 am

The Deals are great Fred , especially the Fox one. Economic cuts are needed in these times. In 2003 Fox will extend it deal for as much or more than the original total. With another QLD team coming on board I suspect the FTA carrier will do similar.

I think I read the AFL will be taking a reduction for there extension.

Post by **Beaussie** » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:19 am

pussycat wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:15 am
The Deals are great Fred , especially the Fox one.

Then why the secrecy around the finer details and how much exactly the Foxtel deal actually is. I have seen many comments posted elsewhere suggesting V’Landys is just a News Ltd lackey. Any truth to that?

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:58 am

Beaussie wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:19 am

pussycat wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:15 am
The Deals are great Fred , especially the Fox one.
Then why the secrecy around the finer details and how much exactly the Foxtel deal actually is. I have seen many comments posted elsewhere suggesting V’Landys is just a News Ltd lackey. Any truth to that?

It's a thing called commercial in confidence beatup. You wouldn't understand!!!!

Fred · Post by **Fred** » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:15 am

Terry wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:58 am

Beaussie wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:19 am

pussycat wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:15 am
The Deals are great Fred , especially the Fox one.
Then why the secrecy around the finer details and how much exactly the Foxtel deal actually is. I have seen many comments posted elsewhere suggesting V’Landys is just a News Ltd lackey. Any truth to that?
It's a thing called commercial in confidence beatup. You wouldn't understand!!!!

Wasn’t the GWS stadium rights deal also Commercial in Confidence?

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:43 am

Fred wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:15 am

Terry wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:58 am

Beaussie wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:19 am

Then why the secrecy around the finer details and how much exactly the Foxtel deal actually is. I have seen many comments posted elsewhere suggesting V’Landys is just a News Ltd lackey. Any truth to that?
It's a thing called commercial in confidence beatup. You wouldn't understand!!!!
Wasn’t the GWS stadium rights deal also Commercial in Confidence?

No. That's what is called in the industry TOTAL BS!!!!!! Or fumblehouse's go to strategy of propaganda 101. For references see 'hush money', 'MOU with Vic Police' & 'AFL 3 strike drugs policy' for a start Frederico!!!!!

Post by **Beaussie** » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:52 am

Terry wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:58 am

Beaussie wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:19 am

pussycat wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:15 am
The Deals are great Fred , especially the Fox one.
Then why the secrecy around the finer details and how much exactly the Foxtel deal actually is. I have seen many comments posted elsewhere suggesting V’Landys is just a News Ltd lackey. Any truth to that?
It's a thing called commercial in confidence beatup. You wouldn't understand!!!!

Code for was NOT a great deal negotiated by a News Ltd lackey. lol

pussycat · Post by **pussycat** » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:15 pm

According to yesterday Courier mail we will get Similar or more from fox for the 5 year extension. According to the Australian the AFL is looking at taking a reduction for any extension.

Hope that helps Bea.

Post by **Beaussie** » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:29 pm

pussycat wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:15 pm
According to yesterday Courier mail we will get Similar or more from fox for the 5 year extension. According to the Australian the AFL is looking at taking a reduction for any extension.

Hope that helps Bea.

You would then think it would be something to boast about. Instead silence from V’Landys and Foxtel. That’s a first too yeah?

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