The TV Broadcasting of Australian Rugby

[Braveheart81]

Sorry mate, can't agree with you. I care a great deal about Rugby, and love the sport. I cannot afford fox, and have three young kids, so I want to have the opportunity to watch international Rugby live and not when it suites channel 9. I sat through the league and watched the Rugby, but still think that nines decision to broadcast a game that is only popular on the eastern seaboard of Australia, over an international match is appalling to say the least!

I wasn't saying that I thought it was acceptable for Channel 9 to do it, just the reasons why I thought they did it.

You fell into this category of viewer:

Anyone who really cares about the rugby is either going to have Foxtel, go to someone's house who has Foxtel or go to a rugby watching pub. If none of those options are possible they will sit through the League and watch the rugby afterwards.

If Channel 9 had broadcast the game live on Gem, you would have watched it and not watched the League. The way it went, you had to watch both.

Channel 9 is maximizing their overall viewership at the expense of rugby fans. That is why I think the ARU needs to ensure that the FTA coverage doesn't go to 9 where it is always going to come second to their NRL rights.

If it is Foxtel that gets to onsell the FTA rights, then SANZAR/ARU should stipulate in the Foxtel contract that the rights must be sold to someone who will show the games live.

I am fairly certain that the Rugby Championship is part of the overall SANZAR Super Rugby/Internationals deal so it is SANZAR selling the rights, not the ARU.

 

[Penguin]

Sitting through the league game beforehand. That bloke they call a commentator.... Hadley.... mentioned that the test would follow after the league semi. Fatty Vautin asked if the Wallabies had a chance to win. Hadley answered " I don't know, I haven't watched a game since I called the World Cup semi final last year. I still don't know how a Kiwi can be coach of an Australian team.... it'd be like having a NSWelsman coaching Qld in origin"! Blah blah blah....
This just goes to show that 9 don't give a flying fuck about Rugby, the fact they chose this idiot to call last years WC semi final though he clearly does not like the game coupled with sticking around after the league semi giving us "expert opinion" & going straight into the kickoff of the test match, no anthems etc & leaving the telecast as soon as the final whistle went.
The ARU has to get out of this deal with the devil asap or the game will slide further & further out of the national psyche.

 

[liquor box]

Sitting through the league game beforehand. That bloke they call a commentator.. Hadley.. mentioned that the test would follow after the league semi. Fatty Vautin asked if the Wallabies had a chance to win. Hadley answered " I don't know, I haven't watched a game since I called the World Cup semi final last year. I still don't know how a Kiwi can be coach of an Australian team.. it'd be like having a NSWelsman coaching Qld in origin"! Blah blah blah..
This just goes to show that 9 don't give a flying fuck about Rugby, the fact they chose this idiot to call last years WC semi final though he clearly does not like the game coupled with sticking around after the league semi giving us "expert opinion" & going straight into the kickoff of the test match, no anthems etc & leaving the telecast as soon as the final whistle went.
The ARU has to get out of this deal with the devil asap or the game will slide further & further out of the national psyche.

Obviously he had no issue with a kiwi coach for QLD? Graham Lowe coached them for 2 years.

 

[Tangawizi]

Bit different though - Graham Lowe won!

 

[H...]

From a management perspective it is difficult. People say "we need live games for the long term growth of the game" and that's fine, but the ARU needs to balance the books this period, and next period, and the period after that. They (I don't think) unfortunately don't have so many income streams that they can afford to take a hit on the broadcast deal for the sake of ensuring they get the best coverage.

In summary, I'd say that they can little afford to value their wants as much as their needs.

What they should have done, and this is probably commercially complex also, is play the game at 7:40 Western Time.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's hard to be too critical of the ARU until we know the full picture.

Firstly, the Tri Nations/Rugby Championship is bundled with Super Rugby and is sold by SANZAR. So the ARU only has a partial stake in that to direct how the rights are sold.

The current TV deal runs until the end of 2015.

It is unclear whether Foxtel has the right to onsell the FTA rights in the deal or whether SANZAR also directs this process.

If anyone actually knows any of the answers to these questions, please enlighten us.

 

[H...]

I think that the ARU could make their participation in the SANZAR JV conditional on all tests being broadcast live into Australia, but you would expect that may result in them having to give something else up, or receiving a smaller piece of the pie.

It's money, no matter which way you slice it.

 

[kronic]

Game is delayed by 2 hours in NSW/QLD on Saturday night. 4 hours elsewhere until 12am it seems.

F**kers.

 

[Ignoto]

Firstly, the Tri Nations/Rugby Championship is bundled with Super Rugby and is sold by SANZAR. So the ARU only has a partial stake in that to direct how the rights are sold.

The ARU had the backing of SANZAR in 2009 to approach 10 with an offer to broadcast all rugby (Super Rugby, Tri-Nations (plus the TRC), Currie Cup and the ITM). For some reason, the deal didn't go through. I haven't read any correspondence to whether ten did offer anything and it was turned down or whether nine outbid them.

It is unclear whether Foxtel has the right to onsell the FTA rights in the deal or whether SANZAR also directs this process.

Foxtel is required to offer a licence to a FTA television on and they only had to meet the "minimum FTA Broadcast obligation" which is to show it live in Sydney and Brisbane only. IF they failed to do this, they lose the deal with SANZAR and it diverts to a FTA channel.

 

[It is what it is]

Sitting through the league game beforehand. That bloke they call a commentator.. Hadley.. mentioned that the test would follow after the league semi. Fatty Vautin asked if the Wallabies had a chance to win. Hadley answered " I don't know, I haven't watched a game since I called the World Cup semi final last year. I still don't know how a Kiwi can be coach of an Australian team.. it'd be like having a NSWelsman coaching Qld in origin"! Blah blah blah..
This just goes to show that 9 don't give a flying fuck about Rugby, the fact they chose this idiot to call last years WC semi final though he clearly does not like the game coupled with sticking around after the league semi giving us "expert opinion" & going straight into the kickoff of the test match, no anthems etc & leaving the telecast as soon as the final whistle went.
The ARU has to get out of this deal with the devil asap or the game will slide further & further out of the national psyche.

These comments from Hadley are insulting to his employers and to the game of rugby.
Hadley, like his other commentators toes the line as required by Ch 9 and promotes other upcoming programs on the station during the rugby league game telecast every week.
He is 'obliged' to talk up shows such as Underbelly and promote its time slot, but if directed, he would give Humphrey B Bear a plug, if that's what his employer tells him to do.
So for him to basically show disdain for the Wallaby Test, an upcoming program on Ch 9, and get away with it, is a joke.
What's the difference?
Years ago a commentator was removed from commentating at the US Masters because the Master's Chairman gave the broadcaster feedback that that particular commentator's thoughts weren't appreciated.
Could you imagine AFL's Demetriou sitting back and letting a smart arse boofhead like Hadley belittle the game on the AFL's broadcasting partner's station? ......I think a head or ten would be kicked and it wouldn't happen again.
The ARU mightn't be the AFL or Masters Committee in Augusta, but someone in there grow some nuts and make a phone call.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Sitting through the league game beforehand. That bloke they call a commentator.. Hadley.. mentioned that the test would follow after the league semi. Fatty Vautin asked if the Wallabies had a chance to win. Hadley answered " I don't know, I haven't watched a game since I called the World Cup semi final last year. I still don't know how a Kiwi can be coach of an Australian team.. it'd be like having a NSWelsman coaching Qld in origin"! Blah blah blah..
This just goes to show that 9 don't give a flying fuck about Rugby, the fact they chose this idiot to call last years WC semi final though he clearly does not like the game coupled with sticking around after the league semi giving us "expert opinion" & going straight into the kickoff of the test match, no anthems etc & leaving the telecast as soon as the final whistle went.
The ARU has to get out of this deal with the devil asap or the game will slide further & further out of the national psyche.

Similar deal when I was coming home in a cab after my game on Saturday night I was hearing the Loig game on the radio (pretty sure whatever station it was it was a direct feed from the Nein commentary). I remember hearing some comment along the lines of "they'd love to see that in the other code" or "they'd never see that in the other code". I am genuinely intersted to see how the Loig finals pans out but I get sick of snide comments like that.

Baring all this in mind I don't know how the hell Rugby can stay attached to Nein, it is a very masochistic r/ship. I like the booty call & floozy comparisons but for me it is way worse than that - an S&M dungeon comes to mind when I think of the r/ship between Rugby & Nein.

 

[Elfster]

On Saturday the ARU made an effort to recognize the recent ADF deaths in Afghanistan. Ch 9 totally ignored that effort and kept up their league coverage with f.wit bully boy Hadley with his cohorts.
You would hope O'neill would at least show the ARU's dislike of the coverage. If he isn't too busy working for his new employer and trying to maximize their business by seemingly associating gambling with rugby via woodhouse

 

[TOCC]

ADF members were given free entry to the test match I believe

 

[redstragic]

How much longer do 9 have the rights for? Imagine delay telecasting the lions matches next year so a loig game can be live.

Sorry just saw that 2015 is the end of the deal. Rugby might be dead by then on fta.

 

[kronic]

Interesting read about Football/Soccer's new rights deal: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/s...al-done-with-sbs/story-e6frfg8x-1226471374024

Slightly better then ours, interesting to see Ten are still trying to source some sort of content, clap clap ARU.

 

[cyclopath]

Channel 9 never surprised.I always love to watch it.

You'll have plenty of opportunity. See ya.

 

[Da Munch]

Good to see they are delaying it again this week, so I can watch the AFL finals again before switching across to watch the replay* of the wannas.
Might I suggest others do the same and mention it on the web - advertising and freeing up the time to watch the AFL finals is consequence nine wouldn't want! (and don't watch the nrl, it just encourages them)

* I'll actually watch a recorded replay as the AFL game will finish a bit after the replay starts and I can then skip all the ads nine will stuff in

 

[wilful]

Game is delayed by 2 hours in NSW/QLD on Saturday night. 4 hours elsewhere until 12am it seems.

F**kers.

The telly guide says that Imparja (channel 9 GEM regional subsidiary) has it starting at 9.50 pm on Saturday. Is Gippsland getting a better service than Melbourne??? Or, as has happened before, you can't believe it.

 

[rugbyskier]

I was in Thredbo last week and assumed that WIN would have the game on live. How wrong was I?

I'm home this weekend so I'll be watching it live and uninterrupted on Fox Sports. Gee I hate FTA television and their contempt for rugby followers.

 

[Blue]

I was in Thredbo last week and assumed that WIN would have the game on live. How wrong was I?

Bastard.

I picked the worst two weekends this year. Both times it dumped before I arrived and after I went. And now i seems to be falling in buckets.