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Talks continue over NRL

Nine won't be making its quarterly broadcast payment to the NRL, due on Wednesday.

Nine won’t be making its quarterly broadcast payment to the NRL, due on Wednesday.

Nine-owned newspapers reported Nine wants to renegotiate its current rights deal to extend beyond 2022, that would see the clubs play a major part in the running of the sport.

The NRL has met over the past week with both Nine and FOX Sports.

While Nine is reportedly unenthusiastic about the idea of a 15-round season running from September to December, Foxtel / Kayo is more reliant on proceeding.

Last weekend ratings were down for the free to air network while FOX League enjoyed an eight per cent increase.

Fox also recorded a record share of audience with 297,000 viewers against Nine’s 382,000 for the Broncos v Rabbitohs match.

It was FOX League’s fifth highest rating Friday night regular season game of all-time while for Nine the blockbuster clash was 12 per cent down on the round one match-up between the Cowboys and Broncos.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald, Sunday Telegraph

11 Responses

  1. That’s Free to Air TV Networks for you, unreliable and getting worse.
    I’m So glad So happy I have Foxtel/Fox Sports/Fox League, they are so good and do everything very well, absolutely reliable.!
    Ratings and the Coverage is So much better and keeps improving all the time on Foxtel!!
    So glad, love you Foxtel, Thanks.!!

    1. “Ratings and the Coverage is So much better and keeps improving all the time on Foxtel!!”
      On the Seven Network during the season, the AFL has an average match audience of 336,000 and an average broadcast audience of 511,000. (The difference being games show in 1 or 2 cities or shown in multiple cities at the same time). Over on Fox Footy and Fox Sports, the average match rating is 169,000. During the season, the NRL on Nine has averaged 578,000 viewers per match and broadcast (there’s no difference, all NRL matches on FTA are broadcast nationally).
      On Fox League, the NRL averages 234,000 per game. (TVBlackbox).
      So the cancellation of NRL & AFL games were the fault of 9 and 7 ?

      1. In my view Channel 9 should be paying a prorata amount this quarter as there was two rounds played already. Paying 2/12ths of the quarterly amount. The next rights will more than likely be split between broadcast and online but the overall amount paid for the rights will be reduced.

        1. I do agree. 2/12ths seems fair if only 2 out of 12 rounds were played. Don’t follow either NRL or AFL but gather how the “rounds” works. 9 should only pay for what they’ve received, then pay later if any more rounds this year.

  2. Now I know why Foxtel bundles their packages as oppose to customers picking what they want,this may have to change otherwise as I have done is scale back my packages saying “Do I really Need This”? and Foxtel chum rate will climb regardless how they try to sugar coat it!

  3. Australia will always have big audiences for sports broadcasting, the main question is the solvency of Foxtel in 2021 and beyond, there may need to be some form of business restructure for it to survive for another decade especially with other sports streaming competition.
    Channel 9 is no longer a sure thing with its preference of sports coverage but AFL should feel secure at least in Victoria, league definitely needs to increase the attendance rate at stadiums to make up the money shortfall, making ticket pricing cheaper could be a start.

  4. The gravy train has well and truly derailed for team sports and players-we may well return to a world where they might have to have real jobs during the week and don’t get paid more than nurses or teachers etc etc.

  5. I did not no Nine paid the NRL quarterly. Thought it must have been all up front. Wonder if Seven has has a similar paying structure to the AFL?

  6. God help any sport trying to milk any more money from broadcasters.As they say make hay as the sun shines,well that now comes to an end broadcasters may now talk in low hundred millions instead of the headline figures of the Billion rights

  7. Think you find most broadcasters will be looking to scale back the dollars especially post covid19. The advertising dollars will dry up and all taxes will be increased. Ten is probably glad they are not shelling out big bucks for sports.

  8. If I were channel 9 I’d be in no rush to sign a new deal ,with a reported cost of $13M per round with Foxtel included in that amount I think they should be cautious .I can’t see the value of paying more than they did before which was close to a billion dollars I believe.

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