Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

[Strewthcobber]

I don't think it's all just a development issue.

You can see in those ratings that no-one in NZ is watching Aus games. So we are asking NZRU to pay (and subsidise) players to playing in Australia, when the people they represent don't watch.

NZRU want the players they are paying a premium for to be making a commercial return for them, which they won't do playing for Australian teams

 

[PhilClinton]

It’s a great idea that would work well. Create more depth and jeopardy in the competition. It would help to bring it back up to a world class comp, and more eyeballs and money flows in. Look at the NRL, it’s thriving with a similar set up. But to do so it requires NZR and RA to stop viewing Super Rugby as a mere national development tool. But archaic, backwards thinking will likely prevent this from ever happening.

The NRL have nailed the eyes on screens due to state of origin.

I’ll often tune into a game between two teams I don’t care about because they have a couple of potential QLD selections and I’m keen to see how they play. I imagine there are a lot of casual viewers who do the same thing.

 

[PhilClinton]

I don't think it's all just a development issue.

You can see in those ratings that no-one in NZ is watching Aus games. So we are asking NZRU to pay (and subsidise) players to playing in Australia, when the people they represent don't watch.

NZRU want the players they are paying a premium for to be making a commercial return for them, which they won't do playing for Australian teams

Surely some type of marquee player system can come into effect, a seperate pool of money used for one player on each team which tops up that player contract.

For example it would mean NZRU could pay D-MAC $200k less for season 2026 if he signed with the Brumbies and was allocated their $200k marquee player bonus.

 

[Adam84]

The NRL have nailed the eyes on screens due to state of origin.

I’ll often tune into a game between two teams I don’t care about because they have a couple of potential QLD selections and I’m keen to see how they play. I imagine there are a lot of casual viewers who do the same thing.

Likewise, Storm are one of the top rating teams in QLD because of their long standing QLD state of origin ties.

It’s why I watch other Oz Super Rugby teams for the Wallaby connection, if there were more of that across the Tasman I might watch them also. Otherwise I have zero interest in turning on a NZ derby, even if it’s the GF

 

[drewprint]

I definitely watched the Crusaders much more this year due to JOC (James O'Connor). But more than that it’s the genuine competitiveness and health of the competition. Again the NRL and AFL get this; a tight thriving comp with identifiable players across the board is what gets fans engaged. But for those sports the comp itself is the priority, not the national team/s so the priorities are reversed.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Surely some type of marquee player system can come into effect, a seperate pool of money used for one player on each team which tops up that player contract.

For example it would mean NZRU could pay D-MAC $200k less for season 2026 if he signed with the Brumbies and was allocated their $200k marquee player bonus.

Dmac, seeing as we are paying 80% of your salary, we'd like you to come do a photoshoot with our new sponsor. Can you be in at HQ on Monday?

Sorry David, Stephen says I can't make it.

 

[Rob42]

This is an interesting article from Crickey... well worth the read...

As it snares EPL soccer rights, Nine positions itself to become the sports broadcast overlord

Nine appears to be in pole position to sweep up just about every sporting broadcast there is, including both major football codes, for the first time in over two decades.

www.crikey.com.au

It's a shocking statistic that 25% of Seven's overall costs - for their whole operation - goes to the AFL to pay for those rights. Unbelievable.

It sounds very ambitious from 9, but how are they going to make money from grabbing all the major sports, when Foxtel, 7, and Optus are all losing rivers of money with those rights? They must be assuming they'll be able to talk down the value next time around for each.

 

[Dan54]

It’s a great idea that would work well. Create more depth and jeopardy in the competition. It would help to bring it back up to a world class comp, and more eyeballs and money flows in. Look at the NRL, it’s thriving with a similar set up. But to do so it requires NZR and RA to stop viewing Super Rugby as a mere national development tool. But archaic, backwards thinking will likely prevent this from ever happening.

French and Poms seem to have plenty of eyeballs on their comps with policy of all their players stay at home. I pretty confident just letting players go where ever isn't a golden bullet

 

[drewprint]

I’m breaking my cardinal rule here of never engaging with Dan, but what the hell. Once and done. I’m not saying it’s a golden bullet, but it’s a good step towards a competition that finally takes itself seriously. Where the measure of its success isn’t in the amount of national stars it produces. Where it isn’t a fair accompli who the winner will be. Where fans can clearly identify each team and know that the next national talent can pop up anywhere. But I know I’m shouting into the void here. Because the current comp is going so well - more and more players leaving (yes, NZ was later to the party than us with the extra lure of the black jersey but its kicking in steadily now) as the money gap between us and overseas comps becomes ever more stark.

 

[LeCheese]

French and Poms seem to have plenty of eyeballs on their comps with policy of all their players stay at home. I pretty confident just letting players go where ever isn't a golden bullet

The Top 14 and Prem comps don't include teams from other nations....

 

[HogansHeros]

The Top 14 and Prem comps don't include teams from other nations....

And have heaps of Marquee players from wherever they want.

 

[liquor box]

Yep and I think it’s why SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) (Super Rugby Pacific) need to test an open player selection policy in the next season or so. At least see if having some All Blacks playing in OZ and visa versa moves the needle a bit in terms of viewership.

The other issue of course is there aren’t exactly players being marketed well so it may not change anything.

I want to see Australians playing for Australia.

My preference is for Super AU with no other teams. 2 x games a week at set times to drive consistent viewership.

In my opinion this would also add to the intrigue of the Bledisloe, playing against your potential opponent each week (and usually getting beaten) does nothing to increase interest in Bledisloe as if we can't beat their super rugby teams why would we think we can beat their national team.

This may be sacrilege for an Australian Rugby fan to say, but I prefer watching tests against European or South African teams.

I can read rumours of how good their next superstar player is and wonder whether he is really that good.

The Test comes around and it adds to the excitement of seeing something new and whether we can overcome them on the field.

 

[drewprint]

The Top 14 and Prem comps don't include teams from other nations....

And have heaps of Marquee players from wherever they want.

True and true. We’re also not the UK, France, or Japan where we have big populations, vast income potential, and are better equipped to operate within their own bubble. We’re at the end of the world down here.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Very confusing Paul Cully article. Looks like the actual figur is more like 1:1 with Super Rugby and premiership, both around 1 million

Sky reported that it drew “a cumulative audience of 726,000 on Sky Sport 1 and Sky Open, well above the 644,000 who tuned in for the 2024 final [between the Blues and Chiefs].

“An additional 40,000 viewers watched the match commentated in reo Māori on Sky Sport 3, and around 306,000 people watched on digital platforms Sky Sport Now and Sky Go.

The Press

www.thepress.co.nz

More than twice as many kiwis (and nearly 3 times) watched the Super Rugby final than those in the UK who watched the premiership GF.

Sky revealed on Thursday that the total audience for the season on Sky Sport and Sky Open was 2 million, a decline on the “almost 2.1 million” it reported in 2024.

By contrast, a combined 650,000 viewers watched Super Rugby Pacific via the Sky Go and Sky Sport Now apps, an increase of 15% on 2024.

Across TNT Sports and ITV1, the match drew a combined average audience of 973,000 – the highest ever for a Premiership Rugby fixture.

 

[drewprint]

More than twice as many kiwis (and nearly 3 times) watched the Super Rugby final than those in the UK who watched the premiership GF.

That’s awesome. And yet we are still steadily losing the money and talent war, both domestically and internationally. I’d just like us (Aus and NZ) to collectively strive for more. Status quo will have to do I guess.

 

[half]

It's a shocking statistic that 25% of Seven's overall costs - for their whole operation - goes to the AFL to pay for those rights. Unbelievable.

It sounds very ambitious from 9, but how are they going to make money from grabbing all the major sports, when Foxtel, 7, and Optus are all losing rivers of money with those rights? They must be assuming they'll be able to talk down the value next time around for each.

From the article..

""'Per Seven’s most recent financial statements, the $170 million AFL deal represents over a quarter of the company’s entire operating expenses, while revenue has dropped 6.2% over the past financial year. More than one in every four dollars spent at Seven goes to the AFL rights deal, and given the state of the increasingly soft advertising market, it does not appear they will make that money back."""

Consider also Seven don't have all games... Fox also has investments ....

Sorta reads like, AFL, NRL, Cricket to me it seems like Nothing else matters... to the MSM..

 

[Adam84]

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1lnapmu

 

[Wilson]

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1lnapmu

Reasonably large asterisk on those super rugby numbers given they're missing the Stan side of things. Not ridiculous to assume that they might take it past URC at least.