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Report: TEN chasing NRL rights

Is TEN about to make a bid on NRL rights at the expense of Nine?

There is speculation today that TEN is poised to make a bid on NRL rights ahead of Nine.

TEN is said to be keen about either the Friday game or even the Monday night match. NRL CEO David Gallop has held top-level discussions with acting TEN CEO Lachlan Murdoch in recent months.

Murdoch has also passed on the opportunity re-enter negotiations with Seven West Media for AFL games. Seven commercial director Bruce McWilliam lunched with Nine managing director Jeff Browne yesterday, sparking speculation Nine and Seven could do a deal over football rights.

NRL is looking for $1b for its free-to-air and pay-television rights.

But Nine has a first and last refusal on NRL rights and Seven is also keen to enter the negotiations.

If TEN grabs Monday night football, that could leave Fox Sports with its Super Saturday coverage.

Should TEN win the rights for Friday night, it would leave Nine with only the Sunday afternoon game.

Source: Herald Sun, The Australian

36 Responses

  1. I guess the NRL clocking 15, 000, 000 in ratings over the AFL pitches it much better.

    That is also NRL Telstra premiership and State of Origin. So when you include the ratings of international games like the Four Nations and Rugby League World Cup, and domestic representation like NRL Vs. Indigenous All Stars and the upcoming New Zealand State of Origin (Auckland Vs. Counties) the NRL will be pulling away more and more (Which NRL holds the rights to sell all these games under their media rights deal).

    They are also adding WA Reds who will be in the competition from 2014 or 2015. Which further enhances the demographic appeal. Plus one other team, which is an extra game per week.

    The NRL achieves this with decent hour viewing in only Queensland and New South Wales. If they were granted access to live content everywhere (which steady Eddie and his beloved AFL would never allow) then the NRL would amass easily over their average viewership a season between all these games as the FOX games are incredibly stunted in ratings (Less than 1.4 million subscribers) and free to air games are only available to half the country
    .

    If i was TEN networks, with ONE HD and ELEVEN then i would be trying my hardest to get all those games exclusive to my network. Which the NRL would happily take as they need to get away from an AFL run channel 9 and an unappreciative FOX.

    It would have to happen, because FOX have spent too much on trying to increase viewership in AFL heartland to spend more on the NRL despite the NRL clocking over 70% of the pay-TV top 100 rating shows for the trillionth year in a row, and NINE is basically alive due to the NRL and cricket.

    If the NRL want to transition to a new network, it has to happen all at once. Otherwise they are going to get horribly ripped off by either FOX or 9.

  2. I doubt 10 would be able to afford $1b- , but i would love to see the NRL on SEVEN. I dont like 9, and the sport is the only thing keeping 9 from going downhilla and becoming the next SBS.

  3. As an NRL fan I’d be happy to see the entire NRL franchise lost to 9 as the NRL & Cricket is the only thing that keeps it afloat. I know this and loathe cricket.

    Given TEN has the best NRL show on FTA – The Game Plan, I would be quite content for them to get the Monday Night Game (the one game of the week no one watches unless their team is playing & the fact its on pay tv (30% ppl tv) doesn’t help it.

  4. I suggest the Ch 10 naysayers have a look at the two NRL offerings currently on OneHD on a Monday and Thursday night. They do a damn good job covering Rugby League without the need for dressing up in womens clothing or all of the tosspottery that Ch Nein is famous for. OneHD also seem to be steering clear of hiring commentators who have had issues with alcohol, drugs or women.

    Nein is ruining the game. They decree when games should be shown. The game of the season, the Dragons vs the Sea Eagles, has been scheduled for a Monday Night. OK so I don’t mind this, in fact I’m going to the game. but which mental giant at Ch Nein, who knew that both sides were going to be at the top of the table, that this could be a preview of the Grand Final, decided that it should be the Monday Night game. The NRL doesn’t decide who plays when. Ch Nein does. The fans want the game on a Sunday, and it would have had a sellout crowd. Nein doesn’t care.

    Another example is a game between the Wests Tigers and the Dragons which had been hoped to be played at the SCG to commemorate the 1961 Grand Final. A big family day was to be held on a Sunday, However in their lack of wisdom Nein hath decreed it should be a Friday Night game. Wests have had to move the game to the SFS and have had to curtail festivities commemoriating the history of the game. Won’t get the turnout they wanted. But Nein want it on Friday. Not what’s best for the game or the fans, what’s best for Nein.

    And who could forget the ads for the Rugby Union World Cup during the Rugby League State of Origin. To the highest bidder. Nein doesn’t care about the game, they care about the bucks. Brought to you by some crappy game for the XBox.

    This is the sort of rubbish I’m talking about. Nein need to lose the TV rights. 2GB need to lose their exclusivitiy on the radio rights (There was a big fan call for Roy & HG to call the State of Origin but alas! GB won’t let them)

    Rabbits may be a good caller but he’s nowhere near the greatest ever, and no reason to leave the game on Nein. The late Rex Mossop as a one man show was better. Frank Hyde was legendary. Most of Warrens’ colleagues are gibberers.

    Someone mentioned Lachlan Murdoch. So what if he likes the NRL. Eddie McEverywhere lives and breathes AFL. I just hope that is OneHD/10 get the NRL rights that Murdoch spawn of the man who almost killed Rugby League, has a gentler hand and greater care,

    BTW Ch 7 should be punished for putting Matt Johns on the air, but rewarded for leaving him off!

  5. Noooooo!!!!!!
    This is So Stupid!!!! Please Please NRL stay on Channel 9, they’ve got the Best commentator in the History Ray ”Rabbits” Warren!!! Please Channel 9 pay as much as you can, try to beat channel 10 and channel 7 for the rights, but honestly i wouldn’t mind if channel 10 get 1 game, but thats it just 1 game only and all the rest go to Channel 9 and Fox Sports!!! But all i hope is that channel 7 don’t get the rights at all because they dont care about NRL they don’t even have an NRL show (not like ten they have 2 NRL shows) and also after what channel 7 did to the Matty Johns Show they deserve Nothing!!!!!
    So i reckon NRL should stay on Channel 9 and Fox Sports!!! as the main Channels and 1 game On Channel 10!

  6. No way the NRL rights are worth $1 billion, the same as AFL’s recent deal!

    Murdoch want the NRL as he has a share in the league, plus owns Storm and has a majority share of Broncos. He might as well, own it all! I’m happy that kind of corporate arrangement cannot happen with the AFL its ridiculus (I do know the reasons behind, it was from super league war).

    One can always show Mecure car auctions, fishing shows, NASCAR and whatever dribble that they get second dibs off Fox sports!

  7. One is the perfect fit for NRL fans, providing matches are shown live and in High Def. BTW, David that footy photo is quite dated as John Morris hasn’t been with the Tigers for a few seasons. Did Channel Nein provide it as a current photo? Ha! Ha!

  8. NRL is simply a joke on FTA – no High Def and only 1 Live game….simply pathetic and Fox Sports needs to come to the party and do what it did with the AFL to the NRL and broadcast All games Live and in HD with ten (or nine…geeez I hope they lose the rights) broadcasting the 3 or so free to air matches…along side Fox.

  9. I hope TEN can get the AFL at least a Saturday night game. I think their coverage has been good much better than Channel 7’s. If TEN gets the NRL Monday night game then that’s ok but i’m not sure if NRL will rate in Melbourne unless it’s Melb storm

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