Discussion of the NRL television rights that expire at the end of 2022.
If we are going to have this topic 2.5 years before the rights expire, let’s be sensible and not descend into mock territory too quickly.
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I’m calling it right now:
Ten / Telstra will take everything shutting out News and Nine.
The company that is currently called “Foxtel” won’t be around as it will be finished off and News Corp will be buying retranmission rights from Telstra for Kayo.
What?
You are one of my primary concerns about having this thread open now.
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what have I said that makes you worried?
So far the only thing that has come my way is that TEN with serious backers CBS want NRL, this is not “secret” information, Ten are building a war chest that will blow News Corp out of the game, again this is not a “secret”.
Lets just wait and see where Telstra fit into this, I know that all teclos in the 5G space want content, they see it as a way to knock out NBN with its AVC/CVC charges and since its over their own network they can control the content for their subs as this is the new battlefield, you know “streaming”, old tech like FTA will be around for the masses but that is fixed whereas mobile is where $$$ is to be made and they (telcos) need a ROI and that ROI is sporting rights.
Why do you think Optus is going for Union rights? because they see value in it? hmmm.
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I do not know what Nine have planed, they will need a telco partner, reports are that Nine and News are not on friendly terms of any more (re: AAP issues), for Nine it’s a matter of wanting everything they do to be exclusive, this is correct just look at tennis and Ashes Cricket, I think I mentioned it last year around August that for Nine everything they buy from now on has to be exclusive to Nine and Nine Now otherwise they won’t be bothered.
So again Nine have to have a telco partner otherwise they won’t have the $$$ to go at it alone, also Nine no longer have any “exclusive” 1st and last right matching bids (they gave that away for the current rights) - one of the better thing former NRL CEO Dave Smith did (lol same applies to News Corp, no more exclusive BS to stymie everyone else from bidding).
Can NINE go at it alone for lets say 4 games per week exclusive + SOO, Test / Internationals and the Finals Series/GF?
Anyone want to guess how much that will cost? (remember exclusive to Nine and Nine Now)
Can we all agree that Seven will only want SOO and international / World Cup (which is sold by the international rights holder) so that basically rules out Seven from NRL rights.
These two threads will be closed before midnight…
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Prophetic.
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