• Podcast
  • ARL
    • Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars
    • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • NRL
    • 2025 NRL Draw
    • 2024 NRL Draw
    • 2023 NRL Draw
    • 2022 NRL Draw
    • 2021 NRL Draw
    • 2022 NRL Podcast
    • 2020 NRL Draw
    • 2015 NRL Draw
    • 2014 NRL Draw
  • ESL
    • International Origin
    • Challenge Cup
  • World
    • World Club Challenge
    • World Cup
    • Rugby League 9’s
    • NRL Auckland Nines Draw
  • Sports
    • AFL
    • Cricket
    • Rugby Union
    • Soccer
  • Guest Writers
  • League Freak
    • NRL Tipping Experts
    • Web Site News
    • Sponsorship
    • Uncategorized

The Glorious League Freak – Covering Rugby League World Wide – LeagueFreak.com

  • Home
  • Podcast
  • NRL Rumours
  • RL World 9’s
  • Features
    • Player Profiles And News
  • History
    • History Books
    • The Super League War
      • The Super League War – The Clubs
      • The Super League War – The Freak
      • The Super League War – The Extras
  • Quotes
  • Look-Alikes
  • Teams
  • Rankings
  • Media
  • About
    • Bio
    • League Freaks Commentary Career
    • Contact
    • League Freak On Twitter
    • I Am Not A Journalist
    • Contribute To LeagueFreak.com
    • League Freak Mentions In The Media
    • Advertise On This Website
    • Rugby League RSS Feed
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Will Broadcasting Rights Negotiations Affect The Media’s Opinions About The NRL?

Aug 19, 2015 League Freak National Rugby League 0


Who makes up your mind about whether the NRL is doing a good job of running the game? You’re probably a stubborn person that right now is thinking “I do League Freak! No one else is going to make my decisions for me!”.

Think about it though, where do you get your information from to come to the decision you make about the NRL’s competence to run a sporting competition/entertainment company? Do you actively research everything the NRL does behind the scenes? Do you study their business model and compare it to other businesses of a similar size, with similar pressures, and rate their outcomes against one another? Do you have some inside information? Do you just guess?

For the vast majority of people, they are guided by the mainstream media.

If enough people in the media are saying the NRL is doing a terrible job at running things, most people will believe them. It doesn’t matter where that message comes from, it doesn’t even matter if there is a possible motive behind it. If enough people in the media push an agenda, it gains traction with the general public, and from there, an opinion can become gospel that is very, very difficult to disprove.

The easiest example to bring up of this phenomenon is when you see NRL clubs who are up in arms about the supposed lack of funding they receive from the NRL. According to many NRL clubs, the NRL just doesn’t give them enough money. This leave clubs in a poor financial situation, and they just can not continue along this path unless something is done urgently.

Of course, it has nothing to do with the manner in which these clubs are run. The people running clubs into the ground financially can’t be at fault! Sure, a very large portion of clubs across the league have been caught systematically undermining the salary cap rules that needed to be put in place so that they didn’t spend beyond their means, but thats beside the point! Yes, the NRL itself has had to step in and completely take over a number of clubs while at the same time providing loans and administrative assistance to others…but that isn’t the clubs fault. Right? Right?

Still, if enough of these poorly run NRL clubs cry about not getting enough money from the NRL…that is what people start to believe. It doesn’t matter if it is true or not.

As the broadcasting rights for the NRL descend into a standoff between the NRL and Pay TV subscription service Foxtel, I can’t help but think we will see a campaign run against the NRL in an effort to pressure its administration.

Foxtel, which is a company partly owned by Telstra and News Corp, find themselves in a bit of a tough situation right now when it comes to the NRL broadcasting rights.

Channel 9 secured the Free Top Air TV rights as well as the digital streaming rights. Both of these moves have undermined Foxtel’s position as a pay television service. Both of these moves are a direct attack on their business model.

Make no mistake, Foxtel NEEDS Rugby League. Without Rugby League Foxtel loses its highest rating programs, it loses its number one selling point to a handful of the biggest media markets in Australia, and it allows the possibility that a rival service can use the sport to establish a foothold and further undermine Foxtel’s business over the long term.

By making a deal with Channel 9 well ahead of the deadline to wrap up the broadcasting rights, the NRL has put Foxtel in a really bad position. The NRL administration knows the situation, and they are in no rush to run in and sign a deal with a broadcaster that desperately needs their content. They are willing to let Foxtel sweat a little, and for the pressure to build. Foxtel simply can not afford to lose Rugby League. Its HAS to carry Rugby League. It is now just a matter of the NRL getting the right amount of money out of Foxtel and on the right terms.

Now, if I ran a business and I was put in the situation Foxtel is in right now, I would be furious! The NRL made an aggressive move and now all the pressure is on Foxtel to make a deal.

Ask yourself this…if you ran a business that is so big that it can legitimately be called an industry in its own right, and you were being forced to make a deal by an outside interest that you really didn’t want to make, but needed to make, would everyone around you be able to pick up on the pressure that you were now under to get the deal done?

Lets change tack a little bit…

If your boss was pissed off about a business deal that they were being forced into, and this deal was so big that you knew it would have an affect on everyone at the company you worked at, would your boss need to come up to you and say anything for you to feel the pressure? After all, this deal needs to go through or a lot of people are going to lose their jobs. Could you possibly divorce yourself from that situation? Could you possibly look at both sides of the deal with any level of impartiality? Wouldn’t you just want to see the deal done with the least impact possible on the company you work for?

I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but, journalists are people too. They have no soul, but they are people…

So the NRL had made a very big, very bold move. 5 years ago News Corp owned 50% of the NRL. They held the Pay TV broadcasting rights and Telstra, a part owner of Foxtel, owned the digital streaming rights to NRL games. They held both at a bargain basement price! They even held the right to match any new offer the NRL received from another broadcaster and retain the broadcasting rights automatically until Willie Mason is closing in on being 50 years old.

Now, all of these companies are being held over a barrel by that same NRL they once had so much control over. That same NRL they made so much money out of.

Is it a stretch to suggest that the people working for these companies may allow the pressure to affect the way they report on these broadcasting rights negotiations? If your boss had so much riding on these negotiations, and was in such a tough situation, and you have to write about these negotiations, could you honestly do it impartially? I don’t know if you could!

I’m lucky in that I own this site and everything that goes along with it. I don’t have anyone to answer to. I don’t have a boss. I don’t have advertisers that are concerned about my future capacity to get them eyeballs on their adverts. I don’t have any of these pressures. I can write about anything I like, and there is no pressure to about that is going to influence my opinion on any matter within Rugby League.

So the next time you read an article about the broadcasting rights, think about who is writing it. Think about what pressures they have. Think about who pays their salary. Think about who their boss ultimately is.

I’m not saying you should dismiss anyone’s opinion on the NRL’s capacity to run the sport, or to negotiate a billion dollar broadcasting rights deal. All I’m saying is, consider whose opinions you take on board as your own. Look at the entire situation and decide for yourself about who is getting the job done, and who isn’t.

Everyone loves to pick up a bargain, and everyone hates to find that the price for anything they need has gone up. That is true for you, it is true for me, and its true for men in suits who just earned more money while you were reading this than most people make in an entire year.

  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • LinkedIn 0
  • Email

Related


  • Broadcasting Deal, Fox Sports
  • tweet
Sam Burgess For England? Will "Stan" Be The Real Winner Out Of NRL's Broadcasting Rights Deal?

League Freak

A well known Rugby League writer, League Freak has established a reputation among supporters of the game for his fearless commentary and unmatched insight. With a reach that spans both sides of the globe, League Freak has produced an independent network that allows him to distribute content to his many thousands of followers. He is the owner and main author of LeagueFreak.com

Related articles
  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Episode 365 – Super League On Free To Air TV And A World Club Challenge In Penrith!
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak –...

    Nov 25, 2021 0

  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Episode 357 – The Business Side Of Rugby League With Jason Lassey (@footyindustryAU)
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak –...

    Oct 20, 2021 0

  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Episode 356 – The Chronicles Of Nineia
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak –...

    Oct 18, 2021 0


You must log in to post a comment.

League Freaks Social Network

Follow League Freak on:

Become a Patron!

Ziad Warwar
Nadine
Coojee
Adam
Andy
jamescunni
Lisa
Rugby League Project
Karsten Brumme
Samuel
Sandy
Katey
Jack
Terry
Gibbo

RSS Fergo and The Freak Podcast

  • There's Quite A Bit To Talk About In Rugby League Today!
  • The 2023 NRL Season Preview
  • The First #AskKenty Of 2023
  • League Freak HUMILIATED As St Helens Beat Penrith To Win The World Club Challenge
  • Street Food In Castleford And The Patron Saint Of Divorce
  • We Will Learn A Lot This Season
  • Breaking In The New Studio As We Talk About Rugby League!
  • Getting Your Kids Into Rugby League With Julie
  • Taken Completely Out Of Context
  • 2022 Fergo and The Freak Christmas Special
  • Fixing S**t Lists Put Out By Fox Sports
  • Rating Everything About The 2022 Rugby League World Cup Out Of Ten
  • Where Have These Two Been?
  • The 2022 Rugby League World Cup Isn't Supposed To Be A Training Run...
  • The Truth About The 2022 Rugby League World Cup!

Polls

In The On Field Quality Of Super League Games Getting Better Or Worse?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive

Latest Rugby League Articles

  • Rugby League Around the World: Exploring Its Popularity and Development in Other Countries
    Rugby League Around the World: Exploring Its Popularity and...

    Mar 17, 2023 0

  • Podcast: There’s Quite A Bit To Talk About In Rugby League Today!
    Podcast: There’s Quite A Bit To Talk About In Rugby...

    Mar 15, 2023 0

  • The Panthers Attack Needs To Evolve Or They Will Struggle To Win The Threepeat
    The Panthers Attack Needs To Evolve Or They Will Struggle To...

    Mar 06, 2023 0

  • The Most Iconic Rugby Stadiums In The Six Nations Tournament
    The Most Iconic Rugby Stadiums In The Six Nations Tournament

    Mar 04, 2023 0

  • Podcast: The 2023 NRL Season Preview
    Podcast: The 2023 NRL Season Preview

    Mar 02, 2023 0

Follow League Freak on Twitter

My Tweets

Tags

Andrew Ferguson (375) ARL (62) Australia (159) Benji Marshall (90) Billy Slater (78) Broadcasting Deal (68) Cameron Smith (60) Channel 9 (74) Daniel Nichols (122) Disgrace (77) Eligibility Rules (64) England (143) Expansion (85) Fergo And The Freak (466) Greg Inglis (100) Guest Writer (337) Israel Folau (71) Jarryd Hayne (78) Johnathan Thurston (82) League Freak (537) Leeds Rhinos (59) Marketing (67) Matthew Elliott (71) Mitchell Pearce (64) New South Wales (106) New Zealand (143) NRL Finals (63) NRL Salary Cap (96) Paul Gallen (64) Phil Gould (59) Player Movement (132) Podcast (490) Queensland (84) Referees (78) RFL (144) Rugby League History (78) Rugby Union (209) Sam Burgess (63) Sonny Bill Williams (91) State Of Origin (181) St Helens (69) Todd Carney (62) Wayne Bennett (83) Wigan (59) World Cup (182)
As featured on NewsNow: NRL newsNRL News 24/7

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Blogroll

  • The Glorious League Freak.
  • League Freak on Twitter
  • League Freak on Facebook
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours
  • RLWorld9s.com

Facebook Pages

  • NRL Gossip
  • NRL Infinite

Features

  • King Of Rugby League
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • Biggest Winning Margins In Rugby League History
  • Biggest Crowds In Rugby League History
  • Rugby League Quotes
  • Rugby League Dictionary
  • The Super League War
  • The New Zealand Haka
  • Funny Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League Rankins Lists
  • NRL Rumours
  • IHateRugbyUnion.com
  • NRL History
  • NRL History Books
  • Record Books
  • Player Profiles

NBA Links

  • NBA Rookie Of The Year
  • NBA MVP Winner List
  • NBA Finals MVPs

Other Links

  • Submit Your Australian Blog
  • Best Junk Hauling Virginia
  • Gutter Cleaning Service Virginia
  • Best Lawn Mowing Service Virginia
  • 2020 NRL Draw
  • Hot Toys Australia

Other Sports

  • Clutch Fans
  • Sportette

Players

  • Cameron Smith
  • Kalyn Ponga
  • Sonny Bill Williams
  • Jarryd Hayne
  • Andrew Johns
  • Semi Radradra
  • Sam Burgess
  • Benji Marshall
  • James Tedesco
  • Cooper Cronk
  • Johnathan Thurston
  • Anthony Mundine
  • Sam Tomkins
  • Greg Inglis
  • Jamie Peacock
  • Ntahan Cleary

Rugby League

  • Rugby League Project
  • Era Of The Biff
  • Darryl's Rugby League
  • Jamie Lyon Web
  • Rugby League Review
  • Rugby League Ratings
  • NRL CEO Fantasy League
  • QLD Panthers
  • Andrew Ferguson's Website!
  • Black Swans RLFC
  • InternationalRL
  • 2021 Rugby League World Cup
  • Rugby League Mums
  • Player Profiles
  • 2024 NRL Draw
  • Watch NRL Games Online
  • NRL Tipping Experts

Rugby League Podcast

  • Best Rugby League Podcast
  • Best NRL Podcast
  • Best Super League Podcast
  • Best Australian Podcast
  • Best Sports Podcast
  • Funniest Podcast
  • Best Comedy Podcast
  • NRL Radio
  • 2021 NRL Podcast
  • Spotify NRL Podcasts
Google+
  • National Rugby League
  • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • Brisbane Broncos
  • Canberra Raiders
  • Canterbury Bulldogs
  • Cronulla Sharks
  • Gold Coast Titans
  • Manly Sea Eagles
  • Melbourne Storm
  • The 2029 Rugby League World Cup
  • New Zealand Warriors
  • Newcastle Knights
  • North Queensland Cowboys
  • Parramatta Eels
  • Penrith Panthers
  • Redcliffe Dolphins
  • South Sydney Rabbitohs
  • St George/Illawarra Dragons
  • Sydney Roosters
  • Wests Tigers
  • The King Of Rugby League Awards
  • Rugby League Player Profiles And News
  • Fantasy Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League World Rankings
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • International Rugby League News
  • National Rugby League
  • European Super League News
  • Featured Guest Writers
  • Other Sports
  • The 2021 NRL Draw
  • The 2022 NRL Draw – Every NRL Game Listed For You!!!
  • The 2023 NRL Draw – Every NRL Game Is Here!!!
  • 2024 NRL Draw
  • NRL Player Profiles
  • NRL Instagram
  • The 2025 NRL Draw – Every Game, Every Venue, Every Club!
  • NRL Tipping Experts
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19
  • 2022 NRL Grand Final Tickets
  • Click Here To Buy State Of Origin Tickets
  • Buy NRL Tickets – Where To Buy Tickets To Rugby League Games
  • Watch NRL Games Online In 2022 – Where To Watch NRL Games Online And Streaming
Copyright LeagueFreak.com 2022 / All rights reserved
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19
  • 2022 NRL Grand Final Tickets
  • Click Here To Buy State Of Origin Tickets
  • Buy NRL Tickets – Where To Buy Tickets To Rugby League Games
  • Watch NRL Games Online In 2022 – Where To Watch NRL Games Online And Streaming