On the flipside, AFL games run significantly longer, which naturally results in more viewers watching an average AFL match compared to an NRL one. The extended game time also increases its value to advertisers. This is why AFL tends to dominate the TV advertising market — it delivers basically the same average audience as the NRL, but over a much longer broadcast window, and with a substantially higher unique audience. The fact is, both the AFL and NRL offer both a lot to Kayo and they cannot afford to lose either one of them.
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Of course you do…
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Streaming giant DAZN rejects newspaper report it is unhappy with its AFL rights deal
The Australian understands The Age sent DAZN an email at 5.57am London time (4.57pm AEDT) on Wednesday, with the streaming company given two hours to provide a response before the Nine-owned tabloid was to publish.
By the time DAZN representatives had seen the email, The Age had published the story. A DAZN spokesman subsequently sent The Age a statement totally refuting the claims in the story, but it was too late for inclusion in Thursday’s print edition of The Age, given the time difference. “We categorically refute any claims we are unhappy with Foxtel’s AFL deal,” he said. “We stand by Foxtel’s commitment to the AFL and fully support continued growth of the partnership.”
The Australian asked The Age editor Patrick Elligett if the masthead had given DAZN a reasonable opportunity to respond to the story, and whether he stood by McClure’s report. “I’m confident in the accuracy of the story, and the response of DAZN subsidiary Foxtel featured prominently,” he said.
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Typical save face from The Age when they know they should’ve given them another 12-24 hours.
Sounds like Nine’s trying to run interference to drive down the price and get the AFL for itself and Stan.
Or am I reading too much into this?
I think you might be.
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Probably. But it sounds like something Nine would wanna do to try and get a lower price and the inside running for AFL rights, or anything really, to screw up DAZN/Foxtel and Seven and anyone else wanting it.
They’re signed into 2031. It’s going to take more than ‘planting’ a newspaper article to change that.
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NRL’s biggest advantage is that they’re the only one fighting for tv rights. If reports about DAZN dumping the AFL started to surface, that would significantly weaken NRL’s position because those networks would spend just as much attention on the AFL rights as they would with the NRL one. While I don’t believe DAZN would dump the AFL rights, I do believe there may be some truth in the argument about how they view the AFL. This has been reported on throughout the whole year and there’s too much smoke here not to be fire. Also, two things can be true. DAZN can be happy with having the AFL rights because they know how well it performs. However, they don’t like how much they’re paying for it.
I don’t think it’s for 9 to get AFL but to show weakness with Fox so 9/Stan can get NRL. AFL deal is pretty much not going to change unless DAZN dumps Fox
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True. But it’s something they’d wanna do to be a pack of shits at any time.
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Ahhhhh corporate espoinage and tomfoolery. As old as time itself. 
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I think there is a bit of 4D chess going on here, possibly from both the AFL and the broadcasters, perhaps to try and see if there is room to tweak the current arrangements.
I’d have greater confidence if there wasn’t an established history of DAZN walking away from deals they dont like, mid-term. Will be an interesting test of whether DAZN trust the Foxtel leadership or not.