Any link to the podcast
EDIT: I found the link to the podcast. I’ll post it here if anyone wants to listen to it.
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You have no understanding how the process works. 10 didn’t have anyone related to cricket prior to them having the big bash rights. Likewise in 2001 they had no one that could host/call the AFL (Quartermaine aside) yet they went onto broadcast that sport for 10 years.
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I’m partially agreeing with you although it was mentioned somewhere in an interview that whilst they have no sports atm they would look at the rights to different sports as they became available on a case by case basis and if the price is right.
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10 showed Rugby League in the 90s so would be good if they get a big sport.
Phil Rothfield spoke on radio today about the nrl rights, also Peter V’Landys spoke about how for the first time in a long time there is genuine interest in the FTA rights. He also went on to say that 3 networks could share the rights mabe splitting Origin and Finals in one package. Exclusivity is going to be alot more expensive this time round
Buzz 03:44 mark
Peter V’landys 07:08 mark
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If the ARLC is successful in splitting the NRL FTA rights, then I think the AFL will follow suit for the next rights starting in 2025.
3 FTA networks to cover NRL? What a joke. Too messy for my liking.
Maybe not 3, but this situation was very successful for the AFL in the 2000s with Nine-10 and then Seven-10.
And was set to continue, until 10’s new board and executive in 2011 lead by Lachlan Murdoch destroyed the network and Seven couldn’t believe their luck since.
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It’s the norm in USA where three FTA networks (CBS, NBC, Fox) share most NFL matches during each week of the regular season. They also split the playoffs and take turn to show the Super Bowl.
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And the end of the day, it should come down to the experience for the fans.
If having the rights shared between Seven, Nine and Ten means more games will be shown than currently are on FTA, then that’s a win in my eyes.
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Not sure about everyone else, but I personally hope Nine (who’ve IMO had it far too good for too long, just as the case was with cricket until a few years ago) will lose all broadcasting rights to the NRL for at least a few years. Give Seven and/or Ten a go for a change! 
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The NFL is different though. The sheer number of games means the rights can be split between five networks (CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN & NFL Network) with likely ABC and Amazon to join them in the next 12 - 18 months.
If their extended deal until 2027 with Fox ensures they’ll get the same number of exclusive games they currently get, the NRL only has 3 regular season games per week, finals and Origin they can sell to the FTA networks. While splitting those rights between the 3 commercial networks (eg; 2 split the regular season & finals while the other has Origin) is obviously possible, it will be messy and likely confusing for viewers
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I would assume the fact the Foxtel portion of the rights are already sold will mean no modification to the existing amount of FTA games per round is possible.
I have seen it floated that Seven wants to buy just Origin before - but it would be very difficult/expensive to put together decent coverage of just a handful of matches per year. On the flip side - no one will ever be Channel 9 AFL deal dumb again, and make a deal to have no finals at all.
I’d do an A/B package split, if you were going to try and pre-sell a bundle - so there’s content throughout the year and no one’s getting scraps:
Bundle A - Thursday Night, 5x Saturday Night, 2x Origin, 1/2 Finals
Bundle B - Friday Night, Sunday Afternoon, 1x Origin, 1/2 Finals, Kangaroos Tests
You’d alternate which 2 origin games based on who had the Grand Final, Bundle A would get Origin 1, but the non Grand Final broadcaster could then pick Origin 2 or Origin 3 based on which one they thought would be the decider.
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Don’t mind this proposal seeing the NRL split
My split will be
Bundle A - Thursday night, 3x Origin, 1/2 finals, Kangaroos tests, All Stars
Bundle B - Friday night, Sunday afternoons, 1/2 finals including grand final
will also allow Nine to reset and if they get the rights back make it better than before because they’d then know they could easily lose the rights
Seven and Ten used a flip of the coin to decide which bundle they got. This is why Ten ended up with 2007, 2009, 2011 GFs/Parade with the Seven having 2008/2010 GFs/Parades
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It would be cool if they televised the coin toss to show the viewers at home, but wait - who gets exclusive rights to show the coin toss? Do we need a coin toss for that coin toss? 
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The schedule will be very messing if 2 or more networks share the rights. Imagine Nine having Friday, Seven having Saturday and 10 having Sunday. This will confuse the viewers and likely the ratings will be low at some networks and NRL would hate that.
They were just flipping for the grand final - the ‘bundle’ as in Ten having the Saturday games and Seven having Friday/Sunday was pre-determined.
I would expect you’re never agreeing to that again, it’s too much of a reduction in value to leave up to chance - and would either pre-assign the years to the bundles, or have a 4/6 year deal.
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