I bet David Ellison is working the phones as we speak @BigVic
6 Likes
He is on the phones with PVL. 10/P will want the lot and not split with with different broadcasters
I think I recall them wanting the full AFL broadcasting rights when negotiations for the 2025-31 period were underway in the first half of 2022, before Seven/Foxtel ultimately retained them.
So fans wanting access to every game will have to pay for both Paramount and Stan? That’s not going to be well received.
2 Likes
Fragmentation of sports rights.
The NRL won’t agree to this for a few extra dollars if it makes the game less accessible to fans which will hurt the game in the long term.
Or you can go to a pub and watch all games for free (and drink and eat at home before heading to the pub. lol).
And they lost the CA contract this way too. It was pretty much 10’s if they wanted it but they didn’t want to share with Fox. So they ended up not putting an offical bid or anything because they said All or nothing.
That’s why Fox asked 7 to rejoin or something and why 7’s new CA contract is lower than the 2018 one. It’s Fox paying the increase with 7 only paying more if the product & ratings are good etc.
I can see 10/P+ holding the same line with NRL. I feel 9/Stan will be the same to begin the negotiations and offers but will end up agreeing to share with Fox if it’s between losing the rights or keeping them (within reasonable price)
3 Likes
Yes but it was a corrupt process. Instead of accepting that bid they went back to seven and Fox and disclosed the amount to ensure they were outbid. It should’ve been last offer then no more bids. But Fox told the afl that 10 are a risk and they were beholden to the corrupt process.
1 Like
I don’t think it’s corrupt process - it’s just business.
It was quite clear they would have preferred to keep working with 7/Fox if they could come to the same financial terms. And sports rights in country (not externally like Olympics etc) are rarely first past the post financially. I don’t know whether they had an ability to match written into their previous contract but being the incumbents does afford you some leverage.
11 Likes
Offering the incumbent the ability to match (or better) the best offer at the end of the negotiation is something that is common in our media deals.
6 Likes
I wonder if Seven would have been able to show some matches as part of the 2002-2006 broadcast deal had the rights been fragmented.
The NRL’s $4 billion broadcast rights battle has heated up with one of the world’s richest men attending Sunday’s Las Vegas extravaganza.
Len Blavatnik, owner of sports streaming giant DAZN, has appeared at Allegiant Stadium for the season-opening double header.
3 Likes
Not just ROFR in contracts, but ENP clauses as well.
I recall it was this which triggered the disastrous Seven-TA collapse in March 2018. And the rest is history. Ended up so bad in fact that it caused Seven to take their rebound partner in CA to court, seeking to terminate said deal.
Let’s hope the ARLC have a good legal and commercial team and have carefully structured this process, especially given what they’re looking for and working with.
1 Like
EXCLUSIVE: The NRL is poised to fast-track broadcast rights negotiations and plans to announce a new deal within the next three months.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys made the shock reveal as the game’s latest Las Vegas venture played out in front of more than 45,000 fans – plus a roomful of TV and streaming suitors.
.The impact on fans would be forefront in considerations, he promised, especially if options to carve up and distribute the rights through various platforms emerged.
3 Likes
If Foxtel/News could’ve got the AFL pay TV rights (and killed C7 Sport) without having to orchestrate a plan for the FTA rights, they probably would have. But I’m guessing the AFL would’ve got a whole lot less money out of the deal.
However, for the NRL today, fragmenting the rights into packages seems a good way to keep DAZN/Foxtel in the game if Nine is refusing to negotiate with a Stan competitor, also put a fire up their arse by talking to 7 about selling Origin.
1 Like
The more they rush this the more I wonder what the NRL are worried about, for wanting to lock in as fast as possible for a long of a deal as possible?
1 Like
I think they just want to know future revenues to plan for future global rounds & expansion. I don’t think they’re necessarily worried about anything, maybe want to cash in on last years ratings?
A longer contract so PVL can claim he topped the AFL’s $4.5bn total, even if the per year figure is lower.
PVL’s ego is so huge that there’s minimal chance of P+/10 getting the rights, no matter what their bid. He couldn’t bring himself to putting his beloved NRL on the hot mess that is 10, he wouldn’t consider 10 to be up to scratch.
1 Like