NRL NRL Expansion

[Matiunz]

Manly where able to come back after the Northern Eagles collapse because they owned the license. Who owns the Wests Tigers license? I don't want to assume.

I could be wrong but it was a joint venture so it was a joint owned license- from what I remember Norths we’re riddled with debt and instead of sharing those debts as a joint club Manly let Norths financially fail so that ended up with them being the only stable partner and taking over the license alone. There’s reports they wouldn’t let Norths use the merger incentive payment to help with the debts.
Norths got pretty screwed as they had done all the right things such as agreeing to move to Gosford (stadium delays screwed them) then carrying some of that debt also the fact Manly got home games but north Sydney didn’t didn’t help, Manly essentially took out their NS competition and kept the merger payment.
The post war rationalisation was very poorly done- they had a golden opportunity to sort some issues out and completely shat the bed

 

[Shogun]

I thought I heard somewhere Manly had the license, Florimo clears it up.


View: https://youtu.be/jiTR9yodvao

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I could be wrong but it was a joint venture so it was a joint owned license- from what I remember Norths we’re riddled with debt and instead of sharing those debts as a joint club Manly let Norths financially fail so that ended up with them being the only stable partner and taking over the license alone. There’s reports they wouldn’t let Norths use the merger incentive payment to help with the debts.
Norths got pretty screwed as they had done all the right things such as agreeing to move to Gosford (stadium delays screwed them) then carrying some of that debt also the fact Manly got home games but north Sydney didn’t didn’t help, Manly essentially took out their NS competition and kept the merger payment.
The post war rationalisation was very poorly done- they had a golden opportunity to sort some issues out and completely shat the bed

gotta say well played by Manly if true

 

[Worried2Death]

Can’t see South islanders being too happy about receiving a hand me down team which is the shit partner of the shittest team of the last decade +

Hell no to the Tigers. I always quite liked Wests though, ever the underdog battlers, same colours as the Kiwis. I've given it some thought, what's more Kiwi than keas and magpies? At home in Chch we'll be cheeky keas, vandalising all visitors gameplans while we strip the rubber off their windshield wipers, and when we cross the Tasman we become our birdbro alter egos, black and white pickpockets picking the eyes out of the opposition and stealing their shiny trophies. This could actually work until we establish our own pathways and slowly squeeze them out, go the mighty Southern Magpie Keas!
Nah, not really convincing myself.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Not specifically NRL but the rugby 7’s circuit is imploding running huge losses. The cost of flying 12 men’s and woman’s teams around the world has been crippling.

This is after the commonwealth games were cancelled from Melbourne over the size and cost and is now a scaled down version.

The French league World Cup imploded due to the size and cost with woman’s and wheelchair parts now cancelled.

Clear signals around growing too big; having to much on offer and the challenges of the woman’s game adding enough value.

Will 20 teams grow the game enough to cover the extra cost and will the NRLW build a big fan base? Time will tell.

 

[juju]

Couldn't find the TV rights thread...

But this a big story for NZ Rugby especially as the NRL grows.


View: https://x.com/footyindustryAU/status/1878230287064432935

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

That doesn’t bode well for the Sky part of the NRL rights and NZ expansion, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Couldn't find the TV rights thread...

But this a big story for NZ Rugby especially as the NRL grows.


View: https://x.com/footyindustryAU/status/1878230287064432935

death spiral

 

[juju]

death spiral

The last TV deal Sky gave NZ rugby equity in the business...

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

That doesn’t bode well for the Sky part of the NRL rights and NZ expansion, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

I’d argue the opposite, participation in Rugby Union has been falling for at least the last 10-15 years. And it’s arguably only getting worse, with stupid rules and interpretations of those rules.
NZ Rugby is been run by a bunch of idiots who think they’re more important and smarter than they really are.
Where as, interest in rugby league has only been increasing. Especially from a spectator perspective. The NRL is the most secure domestic rugby competition in the world of either code.
A couple of English rugby clubs only recently just folded in the Uk premiership.

When you see articles of viewership in regards to League vs Union. It’s usually Warriors vs ABs.
Not Warriors vs individual Super rugby franchises.

With 2 NZ NRL teams, I think Sky will pay good money for a 26 week Sunday afternoon 4pm (NZT) prime time spot that doesn’t clash with any other sport outside of PPV combat sports. That’s when the Warriors pretty much used to play and I thought it was perfect.

Who knows, you could be watching NRL on Netflix or Amazon prime soon…….

 

[Worried2Death]

The last TV deal Sky gave NZ rugby equity in the business...

What's the value of that equity now?

 

[Worried2Death]

Where as, interest in rugby league has only been increasing. Especially from a spectator perspective. The NRL is the most secure domestic rugby competition in the world of either code.

French and Brit union comps seem pretty solid, and the Japanese league. Agree on NZ viewership switching to NRL over Super Rugby, new Sky deal reflects that.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

French and Brit union comps seem pretty solid, and the Japanese league. Agree on NZ viewership switching to NRL over Super Rugby, new Sky deal reflects that.

Brit comp solid? I think Worcester Warriors, London Irish and Wasps would have a different opinion about that. They’re all in administration. Plus the RFU is bleeding money.

French Top 14 clubs are backed up by a bunch of billionaires. Arguably to the detriment to their national team.
However the France national team is actually good now, due to (IMO) major funding to their junior (u20) programs. They’ve won like the last 3 and if not for COVID would have probably won more.

 

[Worried2Death]

Brit comp solid? I think Worcester Warriors, London Irish and Wasps would have a different opinion about that. They’re all in administration. Plus the RFU is bleeding money.

French Top 14 clubs are backed up by a bunch of billionaires. Arguably to the detriment to their national team.
However the France national team is actually good now, due to (IMO) major funding to their junior (u20) programs. They’ve won like the last 3 and if not for COVID would have probably won more.

Shame about the Warriors, just need their own Mohawk to sort them out, sounds like the Brits need more shady billionaires.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Sky is a dying model. Super Rugby has been at dying model with South African teams leaving. Sevens rugby is dying, down to 7 tournaments from 12. Australian rugby is dying. Adding content with the female game just adds costs with decreasing income.

Pretty dire for union. Unfortunately I think it’s a bad sign for the long term sustainability of professional sport in NZ…

To many sporting options and to many recreational viewing options for a small population?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

To many sporting options and to many recreational viewing options for a small population?

Add to this parents and contact sport and I don’t see both RU and NRL surviving. Looking like League will be the one left standing

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Add to this parents and contact sport and I don’t see both RU and NRL surviving. Looking like League will be the one left standing

Agree. But if union goes in NZ, then the junior player pool disintegrates.

A worst case scenario is union goes semi amateur again (or at least has no money for junior development) but keeps the school talent within the union with the players totally undeveloped for pro careers.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

The only reason the vast majority of people still pay their sky subscription in NZ is to watch the all blacks, if that deal falls over, sky falls over, then the warriors value as a broadcast proposition shrinks – end up on TVNZ on demand - for a fraction of what sky used to pay for it, that’s what happened to the cricket in this country.

No second NZ team, warriors will be seen as a burden to be tolerated rather than the key pillar in bonus broadcast revenue from the NZ market.

League will become like Aussie Rules, a very popular sport in one country with no global presence at all.

Union isn’t going anywhere, the upcoming 6 nations will push close to a million punters through the gates, at exorbitant ticket prices, not because the product is any good, its dire watching the TMO show the ref a million replays, but because its nation v nation with history and tradition, something league has never been able to get a handle on outside of SOO.

 

[juju]

The only reason the vast majority of people still pay their sky subscription in NZ is to watch the all blacks, if that deal falls over, sky falls over, then the warriors value as a broadcast proposition shrinks – end up on TVNZ on demand - for a fraction of what sky used to pay for it, that’s what happened to the cricket in this country.

No second NZ team, warriors will be seen as a burden to be tolerated rather than the key pillar in bonus broadcast revenue from the NZ market.

League will become like Aussie Rules, a very popular sport in one country with no global presence at all.

Union isn’t going anywhere, the upcoming 6 nations will push close to a million punters through the gates, at exorbitant ticket prices, not because the product is any good, its dire watching the TMO show the ref a million replays, but because its nation v nation with history and tradition, something league has never been able to get a handle on outside of SOO.

I think the NRL is a pretty big part of sky subs.

Rugby Union as a sport is not going anywhere - but in NZ they're about to go into a deal with a partner wanting to drop the rights amount significantly. Thats a pretty tangible dire situation for a organisation and sport already struggling at every level outside of the ABs.
The product sucks and no body cares or is really invested in their competition in the root cause.

The NRL does has options for NZ tbh - they could launch a subscription based app for NZ that might generate close to what SKY pay... They have the means and administration to pull it off currently. Broadcasters are already in place for all the Australian games.
Dazn just purchased Foxtel also so a ready made subscription app ready to go.

 

[Teets]

That doesn’t bode well for the Sky part of the NRL rights and NZ expansion, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

That was my concern as well.