Game must change to match AFL: Nine boss

[Beaussie]

Hmm, more stoppages and advertisements seen as the only hope for the NRL to can get anywhere near the amount of money the AFL got from broadcasters. Am thinking Rugby League fans will not appreciate more stoppages and ads being dictated by tv networks. How much more can the game of Rugby League offer in its pursuit to sellout to tv broadcasters? Already have double headers on a Friday night, night grand finals. It seems the broadcasters run the show at NRL headquarters.

Game must change to match AFL: Nine boss
Greg Prichard
July 21, 2011 .

CHANNEL NINE boss David Gyngell has told the NRL that if it hopes to match the AFL for money from television rights holders the game must make dramatic changes to its packaging that open up new opportunities for advertisers.

Gyngell yesterday chose a Canterbury Bulldogs lunch to express his level of desire to keep the free-to-air rights to the game, saying he was a ''sucker for league'' and that Nine would be ''fighting to the death for it''.

''What I'm saying is Channel Nine will not be losing the rugby league rights,'' Gyngell declared.

The annual SMS [sport, media and social responsibility] lunch was the perfect opportunity for Gyngell to effectively launch a public campaign, as he was on stage as a guest speaker with three other CEOs, including Bulldogs boss Todd Greenberg.

During the lunch, Gyngell sat alongside NRL CEO David Gallop. During his speech, Gyngell stressed the need for change if the code was going to get the money it wants after the current free-to-air and pay-TV deals run out at the end of next year.

It was great theatre as Gyngell, like a politician hell-bent on keeping his seat, said: ''Not for a second are we going to damage the integrity of the sport. Cricket went from eight-ball overs to six-ball overs and the game didn't get destroyed.

''If we keep on benchmarking the AFL, which has all these differences with more commercial opportunities, it's unfair to put pressure on David Gallop and his team to say he's got to get this [financial] number, because it's impossible, but the game can evolve to get greater commercial opportunity into it.

''You look at everything without damaging an incredible product. I've stated time and time again that it's the best product in television, so I don't want to be damaging it, but if you look for subtleties that can find you another couple of minutes per hour it may well be worth $50,000 to $100,000 per game.''

Gallop was not perturbed by anything Gyngell had to say. To the
contrary, he rightly saw it as further indication of league's solid position, as the NRL prepares to get serious with negotiations amid interest from both the Seven and Ten networks to challenge Nine for at least some of the pie.

''David's comments only reinforce the fact of how valuable our game has become,'' Gallop said. ''As a live television sport, rugby league is compelling. Put simply, it's a winner, and David has indicated that Nine is willing to go after it again in a big way.''

It emerged after Gyngell's speech that the sort of changes he is talking about have already been discussed at length by NRL management. The league's director of football operations, Nathan McGuirk, said last night there were several areas he and other officials were looking at.

''One is the possibility of a stoppage for television advertising when a kick downfield forces a scrum,'' McGuirk said. ''The average time it takes for players to get to the area where the ball went out and form the scrum is 37 seconds, which fits in well as a possibility. On average, there are three to four scrums a game forced by such circumstances.

''Another is a possible stoppage for line drop-outs, although that is a potentially more difficult area because teams sometimes look to take quick drop-outs according to the state of the match and we don't want to interfere with the basic nature of the game.

''Another thing we are looking is possibly extending the half-time break from 12 minutes to 14. Another two minutes … would obviously be quite valuable.''

Gyngell flagged the possibility of short advertising spots before scrums are set at other times, saying a 15-second spot is a worthwhile minimum. He said Nine and the league had ''touched on'' the possibilities in casual discussions, but that nothing would become serious until the game's independent commission was in place.

''If we get more commercial breaks and allow sponsors to get greater benefits, that will get passed through to the league and they will in turn pass it through to the clubs,'' Gyngell said.

Asked if he thought the league would be able to match the $1 billion-plus deal the AFL got from free-to-air and pay TV, Gyngell replied: ''I doubt it, but I would say that. There are other people out there who would say they can. It depends on how hard they work. They are going to have to work hard to get to $1 billion.''

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... z1Sgvb0dtN

[Raiderdave]

Hmm, more stoppages and advertisements seen as the only hope for the NRL to can get anywhere near the amount of money the AFL got from broadcasters. Am thinking Rugby League fans will not appreciate more stoppages and ads being dictated by tv networks. How much more can the game of Rugby League offer in its pursuit to sellout to tv broadcasters? Already have double headers on a Friday night, night grand finals. It seems the broadcasters run the show at NRL headquarters.

Game must change to match AFL: Nine boss
Greg Prichard
July 21, 2011 .

CHANNEL NINE boss David Gyngell has told the NRL that if it hopes to match the AFL for money from television rights holders the game must make dramatic changes to its packaging that open up new opportunities for advertisers.

Gyngell yesterday chose a Canterbury Bulldogs lunch to express his level of desire to keep the free-to-air rights to the game, saying he was a ''sucker for league'' and that Nine would be ''fighting to the death for it''.

''What I'm saying is Channel Nine will not be losing the rugby league rights,'' Gyngell declared.

The annual SMS [sport, media and social responsibility] lunch was the perfect opportunity for Gyngell to effectively launch a public campaign, as he was on stage as a guest speaker with three other CEOs, including Bulldogs boss Todd Greenberg.

During the lunch, Gyngell sat alongside NRL CEO David Gallop. During his speech, Gyngell stressed the need for change if the code was going to get the money it wants after the current free-to-air and pay-TV deals run out at the end of next year.

It was great theatre as Gyngell, like a politician hell-bent on keeping his seat, said: ''Not for a second are we going to damage the integrity of the sport. Cricket went from eight-ball overs to six-ball overs and the game didn't get destroyed.

''If we keep on benchmarking the AFL, which has all these differences with more commercial opportunities, it's unfair to put pressure on David Gallop and his team to say he's got to get this [financial] number, because it's impossible, but the game can evolve to get greater commercial opportunity into it.

''You look at everything without damaging an incredible product. I've stated time and time again that it's the best product in television, so I don't want to be damaging it, but if you look for subtleties that can find you another couple of minutes per hour it may well be worth $50,000 to $100,000 per game.''

Gallop was not perturbed by anything Gyngell had to say. To the
contrary, he rightly saw it as further indication of league's solid position, as the NRL prepares to get serious with negotiations amid interest from both the Seven and Ten networks to challenge Nine for at least some of the pie.

''David's comments only reinforce the fact of how valuable our game has become,'' Gallop said. ''As a live television sport, rugby league is compelling. Put simply, it's a winner, and David has indicated that Nine is willing to go after it again in a big way.''

It emerged after Gyngell's speech that the sort of changes he is talking about have already been discussed at length by NRL management. The league's director of football operations, Nathan McGuirk, said last night there were several areas he and other officials were looking at.

''One is the possibility of a stoppage for television advertising when a kick downfield forces a scrum,'' McGuirk said. ''The average time it takes for players to get to the area where the ball went out and form the scrum is 37 seconds, which fits in well as a possibility. On average, there are three to four scrums a game forced by such circumstances.

''Another is a possible stoppage for line drop-outs, although that is a potentially more difficult area because teams sometimes look to take quick drop-outs according to the state of the match and we don't want to interfere with the basic nature of the game.

''Another thing we are looking is possibly extending the half-time break from 12 minutes to 14. Another two minutes … would obviously be quite valuable.''

Gyngell flagged the possibility of short advertising spots before scrums are set at other times, saying a 15-second spot is a worthwhile minimum. He said Nine and the league had ''touched on'' the possibilities in casual discussions, but that nothing would become serious until the game's independent commission was in place.

''If we get more commercial breaks and allow sponsors to get greater benefits, that will get passed through to the league and they will in turn pass it through to the clubs,'' Gyngell said.

Asked if he thought the league would be able to match the $1 billion-plus deal the AFL got from free-to-air and pay TV, Gyngell replied: ''I doubt it, but I would say that. There are other people out there who would say they can. It depends on how hard they work. They are going to have to work hard to get to $1 billion.''

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... z1Sgvb0dtN

Its not news & has been widely discussed amongst our fans
if the " reach " issue is a huge factor then maybe we do need to change the rules to have the clock stopped every time the ball is dead to increase the length of a broadcast
It would only be in the NRL ... not any level under that
its been mooted for about 5 years

as for Gyngell saying we'll need to work hard to get a billion
he's started the mind games already
the same ones broadcasters tried on the AFL

" oh they won't get a billion "
didn't work on them
won't work on us

[Onions]

No one did any such fucking thing, Raider Boy! The AFL got the billion because it deserves it. The NRL don't because it's only popular in two states compared to six! Stick that up your arse and shit it, kid!

[Raiderdave]

No one did any such ******* thing, Raider Boy! The AFL got the billion because it deserves it. The NRL don't because it's only popular in two states compared to six! Stick that up your arse and **** it, kid!

theres 100 articles from last year & this .. all stating no one thought the AFL could get a billion dollars

it was cr@p being put out by the broadcasters to try & bluff the AFL into accepting less
As Ch 7's boss said ... it was a bar room brawl everyday for a year
the AFL got well in excess of a billion ... while their game continues to suffer from a downward spiral in popularity on TV .. but they got what they wanted & good luck to them

we will get something near what they got
our game is the most watched in the land & unlike the AFL...our audience is growing every year
those 2 NRL states more then cover the AFL ones ..
nothing will stop us with a pocket full of cash
I smell the fear in all of you boggerball fans .. relax it will be painless . & you won't even see us coming

[Onions]

Fear? You're scared shitless, little boy, because your obsession is coming to a dirty end! AFL is the biggest game in the land and you can't stand it!

[Raiderdave]

Fear? You're scared shitless, little boy, because your obsession is coming to a dirty end! AFL is the biggest game in the land and you can't stand it!

:_<> :_<>

oh you are the funny one

this is part of a comedy routine right ?
a damn good one too

[Onions]

Facts are funny according to you. Did you know that humour is the world's best shield against fear? Fucking wimp.

[Raiderdave]

Facts are funny according to you. Did you know that humour is the world's best shield against fear? ******* wimp.

Thats why you're so funny

[Onions]

That's why you're so fucking scared!

[Beaussie]

No one did any such ******* thing, Raider Boy! The AFL got the billion because it deserves it. The NRL don't because it's only popular in two states compared to six! Stick that up your arse and **** it, kid!

theres 100 articles from last year & this .. all stating no one thought the AFL could get a billion dollars

it was cr@p being put out by the broadcasters to try & bluff the AFL into accepting less
As Ch 7's boss said ... it was a bar room brawl everyday for a year
the AFL got well in excess of a billion ... while their game continues to suffer from a downward spiral in popularity on TV .. but they got what they wanted & good luck to them

we will get something near what they got
our game is the most watched in the land & unlike the AFL...our audience is growing every year
those 2 NRL states more then cover the AFL ones ..
nothing will stop us with a pocket full of cash
I smell the fear in all of you boggerball fans .. relax it will be painless . & you won't even see us coming

Seriously, you are delusional. If as you say the NRL is the most watched, how come you can't name any week of the respective seasons where the NRL rated better than the AFL.

Go have a look sunshine and get back to us.

www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2011.php

[Raiderdave]

No one did any such ******* thing, Raider Boy! The AFL got the billion because it deserves it. The NRL don't because it's only popular in two states compared to six! Stick that up your arse and **** it, kid!

theres 100 articles from last year & this .. all stating no one thought the AFL could get a billion dollars

it was cr@p being put out by the broadcasters to try & bluff the AFL into accepting less
As Ch 7's boss said ... it was a bar room brawl everyday for a year
the AFL got well in excess of a billion ... while their game continues to suffer from a downward spiral in popularity on TV .. but they got what they wanted & good luck to them

we will get something near what they got
our game is the most watched in the land & unlike the AFL...our audience is growing every year
those 2 NRL states more then cover the AFL ones ..
nothing will stop us with a pocket full of cash
I smell the fear in all of you boggerball fans .. relax it will be painless . & you won't even see us coming

Seriously, you are delusional. If as you say the NRL is the most watched, how come you can't name any week of the respective seasons where the NRL rated better than the AFL.

Go have a look sunshine and get back to us.

www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2011.php

I said our game... Rugby League not our premier comp .. as you know we have more then just a comp

the NRL is beaten aggregate wise .. barely .. but just when up againt the AFL
mainly due to the AFL having more content on FTA then the NRL
FTA reaches nearly all households increasing exsposure to more people

if the NRL adds another game or 2 to FTA in 2013
well its game over for the AFL in that dept too

per NRL V AFL game on FTA however
we are in front
our regional audience is vastly larger then the AFL's & that puts us ahead of the AFL's combined auidence V ours ... about 9 games out of 10

[Beaussie]

theres 100 articles from last year & this .. all stating no one thought the AFL could get a billion dollars

it was cr@p being put out by the broadcasters to try & bluff the AFL into accepting less
As Ch 7's boss said ... it was a bar room brawl everyday for a year
the AFL got well in excess of a billion ... while their game continues to suffer from a downward spiral in popularity on TV .. but they got what they wanted & good luck to them

we will get something near what they got
our game is the most watched in the land & unlike the AFL...our audience is growing every year
those 2 NRL states more then cover the AFL ones ..
nothing will stop us with a pocket full of cash
I smell the fear in all of you boggerball fans .. relax it will be painless . & you won't even see us coming

Seriously, you are delusional. If as you say the NRL is the most watched, how come you can't name any week of the respective seasons where the NRL rated better than the AFL.

Go have a look sunshine and get back to us.

www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2011.php

I said our game... Rugby League not our premier comp .. as you know we have more then just a comp

the NRL is beaten aggregate wise .. barely .. but just when up againt the AFL
mainly due to the AFL having more content on FTA then the NRL
FTA reaches nearly all households increasing exsposure to more people

if the NRL adds another game or 2 to FTA in 2013
well its game over for the AFL in that dept too

per NRL V AFL game on FTA however
we are in front
our regional audience is vastly larger then the AFL's & that puts us ahead of the AFL's combined auidence V ours ... about 9 games out of 10

If the NRL which is thrashed week after week is not your premier comp, what is?

Fox pays you a premium for 5 Pay TV games. You add more FTA content and you dilute the value to Foxtel.

[Raiderdave]

Seriously, you are delusional. If as you say the NRL is the most watched, how come you can't name any week of the respective seasons where the NRL rated better than the AFL.

Go have a look sunshine and get back to us.

www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2011.php

I said our game... Rugby League not our premier comp .. as you know we have more then just a comp

the NRL is beaten aggregate wise .. barely .. but just when up againt the AFL
mainly due to the AFL having more content on FTA then the NRL
FTA reaches nearly all households increasing exsposure to more people

if the NRL adds another game or 2 to FTA in 2013
well its game over for the AFL in that dept too

per NRL V AFL game on FTA however
we are in front
our regional audience is vastly larger then the AFL's & that puts us ahead of the AFL's combined auidence V ours ... about 9 games out of 10

If the NRL which is thrashed week after week is not your premier comp, what is?

Fox pays you a premium for 5 Pay TV games. You add more FTA content and you dilute the value to Foxtel.

I said ... I wasn't talking about our premier comp ... the NRL
of course its our premier comp

& the Pay issue won't be a problem
they'll keep their 5 a week provided they fork out the equivalent per game $$ that the AFL got .. if they don't we don't care if they lose content .. they'll go bust without the NRL because if they lose content .. they lose subscribers .. 77 out of the top 100 shows each year .. all programming on FOX is League .. indicating a lot sign up for it ... & it alone

FTA will go to a minimum of 4 games Sat night up against both the swans or Lions on purpose to ruin what ever ratings they have left
or Monday night as a result of a huge bidding war for this ratings bonanza

we can't lose ... there are going to be some very happy days ahead in the next 9 months for the greatest game of all

[Onions]

All programming on FOX is League, Raider Boy?? What fucking planet are you living on? Tell me how this programming on FOX is League, huh?

After the Bounce
On the Couch
AFL Teams
The Rugby Club (that's Union!)
ICC Cricket Show

And what about this morning?
Right now;
1 - Live Baseball
2 - Football Asia (Soccer)
3 - Golf

And what's live tonight on FOX?
Test cricket from England!!

All programming my fucking arse!

[Raiderdave]

All programming on FOX is League, Raider Boy?? What ******* planet are you living on? Tell me how this programming on FOX is League, huh?

After the Bounce
On the Couch
AFL Teams
The Rugby Club (that's Union!)
ICC Cricket Show

And what about this morning?
Right now;
1 - Live Baseball
2 - Football Asia (Soccer)
3 - Golf

And what's live tonight on FOX?
Test cricket from England!!

All programming my ******* arse!

ah


77 out of the top 100 shows on Fox .. All programming .. ( that means all types of shows ... sport .. & non sport > )

is league
do you understand now