Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

[Pfitzy]

I get all of these games available live and recorded as I want in IQ from Foxtel for about $25 per month.

??? Which package are YOU on? $50 minimum I thought.

 

[Brumby Runner]

As a long term subscriber who has stuck with original packages over the years, I get everything bar movies for $75/month. Will take a lot of beating by other platforms/providers.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

$5 to stream each of at least 5 (involving 5 Aus and 5 NZ teams) games per week means a minimum outlay each week of $25, more in most weeks when the Aus/NZ sides are playing those in the SA conferences.

I get all of these games available live and recorded as I want in IQ from Foxtel for about $25 per month. Why would I want to subscribe to a streaming service at about 4 times the cost for usually poorer quality? And just what effect would wholesale migration to streaming have on the SANZAAR/ARU/Fox contract?

Seems like a losing proposition for all but those supporters who only want to watch one game per week.

They'd be mad if they tried to charge you that amount. You'd likely find it would be something akin to the NFL Game Pass which is $99 for the season or a monthly subscription fee. Assuming they ever tried it.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

As a long term subscriber who has stuck with original packages over the years, I get everything bar movies for $75/month. Will take a lot of beating by other platforms/providers.

How much would you be willing to pay both either monthly and yearly for a hypothetical SANZAAR Rugby channel? Serious question. Assume this includes all Super Rugby and domestic competitions. Plus supplementary programming. Live and on demand with archived games.

 

[Braveheart81]

How much would you be willing to pay both either monthly and yearly for a hypothetical SANZAAR Rugby channel? Serious question. Assume this includes all Super Rugby and domestic competitions. Plus supplementary programming. Live and on demand with archived games.

I reckon the price point would be around $100 a season.

$5 or maybe slightly less for a single game would probably work for those only interested in the occasional game or just to watch their side's away games.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I reckon the price point would be around $100 a season.

$5 or maybe slightly less for a single game would probably work for those only interested in the occasional game or just to watch their side's away games.

I think that would be a fair price considering the amount of content. It then comes down to demand. Are there enough Rugby fans not only in the current SANZAAR nations 9plus Japan) to make it viable?

 

[dru]

As a long term subscriber who has stuck with original packages over the years, I get everything bar movies for $75/month. Will take a lot of beating by other platforms/providers.

Think it through though. I have pretty much nil interest in everything else in the package. So 12 months at $75/month would give me $900/ season to spend on streaming.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think that would be a fair price considering the amount of content. It then comes down to demand. Are there enough Rugby fans not only in the current SANZAAR nations 9plus Japan) to make it viable?

I would doubt it because the broadcast costs would be too great particularly given there is currently no expertise or infrastructure in that area.

The games are too separated such that it would mean that each of the main countries would need two distinct teams.

It would be more likely to happen in my opinion as an offshoot to Foxtel whereby they start rebundling their products into streaming services to give them an opportunity to capture more viewers who were only interested in one sport and thus were never, ever going to subscribe to Foxtel.

 

[Braveheart81]

Think it through though. I have pretty much nil interest in everything else in the package. So 12 months at $75/month would give me $900/ season to spend on streaming.

That might be the case, but people are paying for lots of channels and I bet there are very, very few people who don't watch any of the other channels even if the main reason they subscribe is for the rugby.

There's absolutely no way you could offer a streaming service for Super Rugby and charge $250+ for the season. You would have so few viewers.

 

[mst]

Seems like a losing proposition for all but those supporters who only want to watch one game per week.

Minimise the market at the same time me thinks. What advertising would you get for such a small market and how does this promote Aussie rugby and expose the game to a wider audience?

So if we want more than one game do we then need to deal with multiple subscriptions? At how much each?

Happy to pay my Foxtel to get every game in 55inches of HD when I want it with the bonus of all the free extra sports that fill in the gaps between the Super Rugby, ITM, Top14 etc etc.

 

[p.Tah]

The other benefit of Foxtel is that its subscribed to by many people who aren't rugby followers. If they have an interest in a specific game because of media hype (eg final, or Tahs v Brumbies) they'll watch it, but they won't pay per view. Just like I wouldnt pay to watch an AFL or League game but I'd watch it if it was on because it's part of the package.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Minimise the market at the same time me thinks. What advertising would you get for such a small market and how does this promote Aussie rugby and expose the game to a wider audience?

So if we want more than one game do we then need to deal with multiple subscriptions? At how much each?

Happy to pay my Foxtel to get every game in 55inches of HD when I want it with the bonus of all the free extra sports that fill in the gaps between the Super Rugby, ITM, Top14 etc etc.

And those are the salient points imo. What happens to the Foxtel contract (and therefore the ARU coffers) if large numbers leave to take up a streaming option.

And with Foxtel, I get all the overseas cricket tests which are not otherwise on FTA, all of the European and North American cycling that is shown on Eurosports, the MotoGP and F1, and much, much more.

As BH says above, streaming would probably only be a viable option for rugby in Australia if offered by Foxtel.

 

[Scoey]

That might be the case, but people are paying for lots of channels and I bet there are very, very few people who don't watch any of the other channels even if the main reason they subscribe is for the rugby.

There's absolutely no way you could offer a streaming service for Super Rugby and charge $250+ for the season. You would have so few viewers.

This would most definitely be the case. My wife and I got Foxtel solely for (me to watch) the Rugby.

She now enjoys a number of other shows on the main channels not to mention that our daughter is now very used to having about 6-8 dedicated kids channels. We had to tighten our purse strings at home a little while ago and I thought I was doing the right thing by suggesting we ditch the foxtel as I couldn't justify having a luxury like that just to watch the footy when other expenses were more important. I was quickly told that we don't 'just have it for the footy'.

For online streaming I think they could realistically charge $120-$150/season BUT people like me wouldn't be ditching the monthly foxtel fee and replacing it with the season subscription because even though we got fox just for the footy, we now need to keep it to keep the rest of the family happy so the season subscription would be an additional charge that would need to be a lot less for me to be able to justify it.

 

[dru]

This would most definitely be the case. My wife and I got Foxtel solely for (me to watch) the Rugby.

She now enjoys a number of other shows on the main channels not to mention that our daughter is now very used to having about 6-8 dedicated kids channels. We had to tighten our purse strings at home a little while ago and I thought I was doing the right thing by suggesting we ditch the foxtel as I couldn't justify having a luxury like that just to watch the footy when other expenses were more important. I was quickly told that we don't 'just have it for the footy'.

For online streaming I think they could realistically charge $120-$150/season BUT people like me wouldn't be ditching the monthly foxtel fee and replacing it with the season subscription because even though we got fox just for the footy, we now need to keep it to keep the rest of the family happy so the season subscription would be an additional charge that would need to be a lot less for me to be able to justify it.

We got Foxtel solely because I wanted rugby. wife discovered the crap and was completely into it. Now she discovered Apple TV and Netflix.

Wish there was a stream for the rugby.

 

[I like to watch]

Just watched the foxtel ad,where they promote foxtel Go so that you can watch 2 channels at once.
Which reminded me that picture in picture is a thing of the past.

I used to love that function!
What are the hurdles that stop foxtel providing this function?
Do current tv's even have this function any more?

 

[Braveheart81]

Just watched the foxtel ad,where they promote foxtel Go so that you can watch 2 channels at once.
Which reminded me that picture in picture is a thing of the past.

I used to love that function!
What are the hurdles that stop foxtel providing this function?
Do current tv's even have this function any more?

Picture in picture is still a thing but it won't work to show two Foxtel channels at once.

You can do PIP with a Foxtel channel and a DVD/console or a FTA channel etc.

Foxtel should be able to code it as a function because they have multiple tuners in the Foxtel box (i.e. you can be watching something and recording other shows at the same time).

The TV can't tune to two Foxtel shows at once though because they are both coming through the same input.

 

[TOCC]

Foxtel might be worried about losing revenue from Pubs and Bars buying less subscriptions since they could PIP different sports on bigger screens.

Commercial subscriptions generate a lot of revenue for Foxtel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dru]

Foxtel might be worried about losing revenue from Pubs and Bars buying less subscriptions since they could PIP different sports on bigger screens.

Commercial subscriptions generate a lot of revenue for Foxtel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I realise it is inter-related, but I'm not interested in how much Foxtel earns from it. I'm interested in

A) how it promotes the game (poor compared to free to air)
B) Viewing/sporting spectator experience (could be better, but not bad)
C) what the ARU earn from it (OK)

The next negotiations should not be considering Foxtel as a digital monopoly when with streaming it just isnt the case. I'm happy if alternatives are considered, and justifications (including some given here) mean we are back with Foxtel.

The alternatives should be considered all the same.

 

[wamberal]

This might be worth its own thread, Shute Shield starts again this Saturday. SevenTWO at 3pm. Sydney University at home to Eastwood.

 

[boyo]

This might be worth its own thread, Shute Shield starts again this Saturday. SevenTWO at 3pm. Sydney University at home to Eastwood.

Try the "Shute Shield 2016" thread - it's very interesting.