The 2017 Rights Deal Discussion thread

[Our Game]

they also now hold a 25% stake in MCN, which means any joint bid for sports rights with foxsports & MCN can sell ad packages that go across both FTA & STV, that makes Ten a genuine threat

The more bidding the better for the AFL = market forces.

 

[Our Game]

This will throw a bomb into the mix


Google to broadcast the AFL?
Date
June 16, 2015 - 2:01PM

• • The AFL broadcasting landscape could experience a massive transformation in the next rights agreement after reports emerged that the league had approached Google about lodging a potentially multi-billion bid for rights to the code.
    
    With the current five-year rights agreement set to expire at the end of the 2016 season, the AFL is rumoured to be seeking a $2bn price tag for the rights. Google would have the capacity to stream live games on its online video streaming platform YouTube.
    
    Telstra has had the digital rights to the AFL since 2002.
    
    A report on media website Mumbrella said both the league and Google had declined to comment about the potential partnership.
    
    "Google buying the rights, or even discussing buying the rights is interesting, because it declares their long term intention of distribution of live games through over the top (OTT) content," one media buyer told the website anonymously.
    
    More to come

 

[peppy la pew]

If foxtel don't show the games I'm going postal

 

[deck]

If foxtel don't show the games I'm going postal

Need the same deal as this broadcast rights with Foxtel showing all games live.

 

[ringleader]

This will throw a bomb into the mix


Google to broadcast the AFL?
Date
June 16, 2015 - 2:01PM

• • The AFL broadcasting landscape could experience a massive transformation in the next rights agreement after reports emerged that the league had approached Google about lodging a potentially multi-billion bid for rights to the code.
    
    With the current five-year rights agreement set to expire at the end of the 2016 season, the AFL is rumoured to be seeking a $2bn price tag for the rights. Google would have the capacity to stream live games on its online video streaming platform YouTube.
    
    Telstra has had the digital rights to the AFL since 2002.
    
    A report on media website Mumbrella said both the league and Google had declined to comment about the potential partnership.
    
    "Google buying the rights, or even discussing buying the rights is interesting, because it declares their long term intention of distribution of live games through over the top (OTT) content," one media buyer told the website anonymously.
    
    More to come

Google have not talked to the AFL http://mumbrella.com.au/nrl-approac...pped-to-split-games-across-tv-networks-299824

 

[Our Game]

Google have not talked to the AFL http://mumbrella.com.au/nrl-approac...pped-to-split-games-across-tv-networks-299824

Maybe a bit of spin fed to Fairfax from the AFL media unit?

 

[ringleader]

Maybe a bit of spin fed to Fairfax from the AFL media unit?

No. Mumbrella originally had the article saying AFL but later corrected it.

Nic Christensen

*Correction a previous version of this story stated the AFL was the sporting code involved. This was incorrect it is now understood that it was the NRL that approached Google. Comment is being sought from the NRL.

 

[Our Game]

No. Mumbrella originally had the article saying AFL but later corrected it.

Nic Christensen

*Correction a previous version of this story stated the AFL was the sporting code involved. This was incorrect it is now understood that it was the NRL that approached Google. Comment is being sought from the NRL.

Still its a good idea for the AFLto approach google the media landscape should be as broad as possible to maximize the return.

 

[Seedsfan]

Hope 9 gets it and netflix get the streaming rights

 

[HowYouDoin]

Hope 9 gets it and netflix get the streaming rights

I would ****ing love this. Netflix's HD streaming is absolutely incredible and having AFL on it would seriously increase it's lead amongst those crappy australian alternatives.

lol @ stan and presto

 

[Our Game]

I would ******* love this. Netflix's HD streaming is absolutely incredible and having AFL on it would seriously increase it's lead amongst those crappy australian alternatives.

lol @ stan and presto

With Murdoch taking a bigger slice of CH 10 he will no doubt use his usual successful strategy of paying big bucks for live sport as he has done all around the world.
CH 10 need a big sport like the AFL for an anchor so the AFL is in the box seat to play the TV stations against each other

 

[Demonoid]

Interesting and Relevant Discussion today on SEN

listen to this on Audioboo

 

[Rob]

I would ******* love this. Netflix's HD streaming is absolutely incredible and having AFL on it would seriously increase it's lead amongst those crappy australian alternatives.

lol @ stan and presto

I've had netflix for about a month, and i'm convinced that if netflix gets live sport then Foxtel is doomed.

DOOMED!

 

[RUNVS]

The AFL should get considerably more for our online streaming than the NRL based on these figures

The AFLs 2014 Annual Report said that downloads of the AFL live app, club apps and Fantasy app totalled 3.8 million compared with 2.9 million in 2013, while the NRL 2014 Annual Report said more than 1.4 million Australians now have the NRL app on their mobile devices.

For AFL - Aggregate video streams of 84 million increased by more than 23 per cent as against 2013 (2013 was up 23 per cent on 2012).

28 million video views across the NRL network in 2014.

http://www.footyindustry.com/?page_id=486

 

[Our Game]

I've had netflix for about a month, and i'm convinced that if netflix gets live sport then Foxtel is doomed.

DOOMED!

Yep is very exciting times,the media platforms are almost changing daily which will suit the AFL down to the ground..

 

[1873 United]

The AFL should get considerably more for our online streaming than the NRL based on these figures







http://www.footyindustry.com/?page_id=486

From the above SEN interview the data that suggests that State of Origin is worth $100M complicates the 'NRL is in a dog eat dog world with itself'. The question is, can Rugby League shun $100m and hopefully offset that money due to the competition (NRL competition) being of higher standard for the 6-8 effected weeks?

People often bring up the old topic of Football Origin, however, I'd like to remember those days, not relive them. Last night the Adelaide Oval sold out, tonight Richmond will attract a further 50K against West Coast, do we really need exhibition football?

Further data above also states that Football is much stronger than its competition with digital uptake, if this is what the analysts say it is, then the AFL will soon sign a near $2B agreement. All that without disturbing the weekly running of the competition. Whilst I like the idea of Wednesday night standalone matches, the realist in me recognises that the means is hardly worth the ends.

Simply, say no to Origin (unless played as a one off every decade to celebrate the game turning another 10 years older).

 

[bigleague]

Digital rights are going to soar this deal with so many new players competing in a a relatively new market, Lightbox Sport are going after the NRL digital rights in NZ and Coliseum Sport Media are apparently interested in the global rights to stream the NRL, they outbid Sky Sport NZ for the EPL rights. Only 3 years after the last broadcast rights deals the world is a lot smaller and Telstra may have genuine competition, although I think the AFL is more likely to leave Telstra than the NRL, which between it's JV and sponsorship doesn't have the independence of the AFL, who are well set up with AFL Media and own infrastructure.

John Drinnan: Spark aims to be in Sky's league

By John Drinnan

The Spark-owned video-on-demand service Lightbox will be bidding for streaming rights for NRL games, forcing Sky to defend its stranglehold on mainstream TV sport.

Sport is what keeps New Zealanders wedded to Sky, and about 75 per cent of its subscribers pay extra for the sports package.

But Lightbox chief executive Kym Niblock makes no bones about it - Spark wants to get sporty.

"We made it clear at the start we wanted to be an alternative to Sky," she said.

Negotiations have now begun for the 2017 season. But how deep are Spark's pockets if Sky decides to shell out more money to keep Lightbox out of the picture?

Sky has its own video-on-demand service, Neon, but is unlikely to offer live games there.

Sky chief executive John Fellet insists Sky does not have endless resources, even for important content like rugby league - something that was apparent back in 2013 when it risked losing league rights rather than meet NRL demands for a big increase in prices. Sky picked up the streaming rights to the NRL at that time, but only in a short-term deal.

Those rights were used for a "Fan Pass" internet TV package, where subscribers pay for a single competition. Sky will deny it, but in my opinion Fan Pass is an expensive package that seemed designed to keep the competition out, rather than offer consumers a choice.

Now those rights are up for renewal, and Sky is under pressure from a raft of newcomers such as Lightbox.

Back in 2013 Sky played brinkmanship and ignored the NRL demands. As a result, it secured the rights in a real nail-biter, right on the day the season began.

Sky is still really the only player in New Zealand for broadcast rights, as used by traditional TV services.

But a lot of companies are now looking at streaming.

Sky's competition this time looks to be coming from Lightbox Sport, which is a joint venture with Coliseum Sport, the company which made its name by winning streaming rights to the English Premier League soccer competition.

And it appears that Coliseum will also be seeking global rights to stream the NRL, making it a significant bidder in the negotiations. Coliseum would then sell off streaming rights to other countries to recoup its costs.

Niblock confirmed that Lightbox's sports joint venture with Coliseum would be pursuing streaming rights for the NRL, and for other codes as they come up.

"I can tell you we are talking to the codes and that the NRL is very attractive," she said, stressing that negotiations were still in their early stages.

But it is important for Lightbox to make its New Zealand subscription services more mainstream.

If it could offer a cheaper package for a streamed NRL than Sky's Fan Pass, that could help Lightbox break through.

In Australia, the Age newspaper has reported that Google and the telco Optus will be seeking streaming rights to the NRL.

Sports rights negotiations have many permutations, but they are largely built around the sellers making as much money as they can. Some sports codes look to sell full packages of rights to consortiums of buyers. Sometimes rights are sold individually.

But with the entry of global players such as Google, the sports rights game is getting very complicated.

It may be that Google would seek to obtain rights beyond Australia, to screen games and highlights on YouTube.

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11467422

 

[bigleague]

Facebook now in the mix as well for the digital rights of both codes.

NRL wants to be friends with Facebook in revolutionary deal
Date
June 20, 2015 - 10:00PM

Adrian Proszenko
Chief Rugby League Reporter

The NRL has held secret talks with Facebook about the prospect of forming a revolutionary partnership as part of the next broadcast rights deal.

The governing body is thinking outside the square about rights negotiations, particularly when it comes to digital assets. There is a belief sport will increasingly be consumed via smartphones and other devices in the future in a potential shift away from traditional mediums such as television and radio. Google already has a seat at the negotiating table, a move likely to put pressure on incumbent digital partner Telstra to ensure it retains rights ownership. Other digital multinationals have also been approached, but none are bigger than Facebook. According to the NRL's latest financial report, more Australians follow the NRL on Facebook, the world's largest social media platform, than any other team or sport in the world. The NRL already has a Facebook audience fast approaching one million on its official page. Global Media and Sports boss Colin Smith, who worked for the NRL on the last TV deal and has also advised the AFL and ARU in previous negotiations, believes the NRL's decision to engage potential new media partners will pay off.

"If you have the view that young people stay with smartphones and tablets [in favour of traditional media], digital in the next 10 years becomes the pre-eminent media," Smith said.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/sin-bin/nrl-wants-to-be-friends-with-facebook-20150620-ghst9a

 

[bigleague]

Footy codes talk to Netflix, Fetch TV and others as rights bonanza beckons
by John Stensholt and Jared Lynch

The big football codes have held discussions with giant multi-national digital companies such as Netflix, Fetch TV and Google over joining the race for broadcast rights as a bold new era of sports broadcasting beckons.

Both the AFL and NRL are understood to have met with the online steaming services and digital companies in recent weeks, adding them to the list of likely bidders for broadcast rights later in the year alongside free-to-air and pay-television networks and the big telcos.

The AFL and NRL are both in the market for huge new broadcast deals, with each set to reap somewhere between $1.5 billion to $2 billion for five-year contracts thanks to unprecedented levels of interest in live sport, highlights on demand and digital content.

Talks are expected to formally heat up in the second half of the season, after several media and football executives take midwinter holidays, with both the AFL and NRL hopeful of resolving new deals by Christmas.


The entrance of the streaming services companies will add a completely new parameter to the negotiations, which have previously mostly been the exclusive domain of the free-to-air and pay-TV networks and telecommunications giants Telstra and Optus.

It is likely, however, the new digital companies would not win rights to stream live matches but potentially join with existing broadcasters and offer replays to consumers directly on-demand and highlights packages. They could follow in the footsteps of Apple, which struck a deal earlier this year with Cricket Australia to create a dedicated cricket channel on the Apple TV network to show highlights, news packages, historic matches and player interviews.

'COLD HARD ECONOMICS'
"There's no doubt [the football codes] are talking to everyone but ultimately what path they go down will come down to cold hard economics," said one digital media company executive.



AFL commissioner Kim Williams, a former Foxtel CEO, told a Collingwood corporate lunch earlier this month he did not expect the new entrants to play a significant part in the next rights deal, but they definitely would in the one after. "Television as we know it will change completely in the next decade," he said.

It was revealed last week that the NRL has spoken to Google, while Singtel-Optus chief executive Allen Lew revealed his company would fight rival Telstra to be part of the next rights deal for either code.

Both the AFL and NRL have established working committees to gather information and lay the groundwork for what will be intense negotiations. AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan will play a major role, alongside AFL commissioners Kim Williams, formerly the CEO of Foxtel, and SEEK co-founder Paul Bassat and AFL executive Simon Lethlean. Macquarie Capital boss Robin Bishop is also understood to be assisting the AFL.

NRL CEO Dave Smith will be assisted by Australian Rugby League Commission member Graeme Samuel, once an AFL commissioner, and NRL strategy head Andrew Fraser, the former Queensland state treasurer. Credit Suisse boss John Knox is also part of the NRL broadcast rights team.


Both codes have also held several meetings with the free-to-air broadcasters and Foxtel and Fox Sports management in recent weeks. The networks have told both codes they are extremely keen to bid for all or at least some of the rights.

DEALS UP FOR RENEWAL
The AFL's current $1.25 billion five-year deal with Seven West Media, Foxtel and Telstra expires at the end of the 2016 season, while the NRL's $1.20 billion five-year contract with Nine Entertainment Co, Fox Sports, Telstra and Sky Sport in New Zealand ends in 2017.

Nine will fiercely defend its NRL rights and also compete for at least a slice of the AFL. But it could also pitch a huge bid for both in an attempt to wrestle the top ratings position from rival Seven.


The NRL is keen for networks to bid separately for the State of Origin series, which averaged 3.9 million viewers nationally for game 2 last week, and for a dedicated NRL channel on Foxtel as the AFL has with Fox Footy.

Ten's tie-up with its new shareholder Foxtel could see it join the bidding for at least one AFL match per round and the State of Origin, while Seven will defend its AFL rights and lob a bid for at least some NRL games and State of Origin. Telstra and Optus will compete for digital rights.

The NRL is also understood to be considering as many as 12 Thursday night games in a new deal, while a possible source of additional revenue could be placing a new team in Brisbane to rival the incumbent Brisbane Broncos. It is estimated a new team could add $100 million to $200 million to a rights deal.

http://www.afr.com/business/sport/f...ers-as-rights-bonanza-beckons-20150621-ghq212

 

[RUNVS]

I don't think the NRL can have both Thursday night and Monday night football as it has been suggested fans would face a burn out of sorts if they had football for 4 days every week. The NRL will probably have to pick a day as I don't think they can have both.

For the AFL that day is clear as Thursday night has been way more successful than Monday night.

 

[Demonoid]

http://www.theage.com.au/business/m...ays-ten-network-boss-mclennan-20150621-ghqvo9

Ten Network boss Hamish McLennan has described rumblings of Google making a bid for AFL or NRL sports rights as "10 out of 10 scary" as the week-old $1.2 billion MCN-Ten Network advertising joint venture declared an all-out assault on Google, Facebook and other hungry online video networks.....

 

[bigleague]

I don't think the NRL can have both Thursday night and Monday night football as it has been suggested fans would face a burn out of sorts if they had football for 4 days every week. The NRL will probably have to pick a day as I don't think they can have both.

For the AFL that day is clear as Thursday night has been way more successful than Monday night.

I wouldn't put it past them, they have both for 6 rds a year now, but I agree, I don't think they should, most hate Monday nights, at least Thursday is close to the weekend.

 

[The_Wookie]

I don't think the NRL can have both Thursday night and Monday night football as it has been suggested fans would face a burn out of sorts if they had football for 4 days every week. The NRL will probably have to pick a day as I don't think they can have both.

For the AFL that day is clear as Thursday night has been way more successful than Monday night.

sure they can. Swap the delayed Friday out for Thursday and they can even keep the rest as is. Instant ratings boost. The only reason the AFL doesn't do it is because they still give a damn about crowds.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

all i care about is screen size restrictions being lifted on digital passes. allow me watch every game full screen on any device i want where ever i am!

 

[Ned_Flanders]

all i care about is screen size restrictions being lifted on digital passes. allow me watch every game full screen on any device i want where ever i am!

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