Next TV Broadcast rightd deal.

[Leysy Days]

This is an absolutely sensational deal, huge in the current climate and after the cuts the industry made.

Great for the players and staff, great for the AFLW and great for just about every level of the game.

Awful day for anyone who resents the TV power in the game though, get ready for Thursday nights, lots of Fox exclusive games and a fixture absolutely designed to maximise TV ratings.

We've had massive TV rights money come into the game before.

The problem is the AFL have shown a complete inability to prioritise that money for the good of the game. Everywhere.

ie the disregard of grass roots football everywhere. Get out of our Richmond bubble and talk to country clubs around the country and they will all tell you the same story.

Look at how Gil and the AFL have treat Tasmanian Football for 20 years. They are the single biggest reason it has withered away. Could give you a dozen examples of why.

Only now that they are being shamed into it is action being taken to turn around decades of negligence.

Talk to any Auskick club about the lack of AFL support and involvement. For all the riches of the sport over the past 20 years not enough finds itself there either.

Leysy doesn't expect it to change unless someone external comes in and shakes things up.

If the AFL were truly serious about looking for what is the best for the sport everywhere the Sat AFL games should not be shown on any platform.

Yes as RFC fans we would dislike it, but it would be the best thing that could happen for every suburban and country club in this country.

And that is a far greater prize than more money coming into AFL coffers.

 

[Tigers of Old]

10% of this deal has been put aside for grassroots footy I heard this morning. How that will be distributed though is anyone's guess.

 

[tigersnake]

10% of this deal has been put aside for grassroots footy I heard this morning. How that will be distributed though is anyone's guess.

It hasn't been good here in queensland/ nth NSW. The AFL will be able to point at a budget and say they have spent X amount, But staff, from my experience, are nepotistic appointments and mediocre to poor performers. They get a car, a wage and a region, do stuff-all, and when they do turn up to do something its embarrassing, like addressing the kids at training in a rep side in the style of a wannabe 1970s Barrassi, or getting involved at the pointy end of a tournament when they know very little of the players abilities or stories.

Leysy is correctly bagging them for neglect in Tassie, not spending the money, I'm saying even when they do spend the money they stuff it up, doesn't get spent effectively or filter down to where its needed.

 

[The Big Richo]

We've had massive TV rights money come into the game before.

The problem is the AFL have shown a complete inability to prioritise that money for the good of the game. Everywhere.

ie the disregard of grass roots football everywhere. Get out of our Richmond bubble and talk to country clubs around the country and they will all tell you the same story.

Look at how Gil and the AFL have treat Tasmanian Football for 20 years. They are the single biggest reason it has withered away. Could give you a dozen examples of why.

Only now that they are being shamed into it is action being taken to turn around decades of negligence.

Talk to any Auskick club about the lack of AFL support and involvement. For all the riches of the sport over the past 20 years not enough finds itself there either.

Leysy doesn't expect it to change unless someone external comes in and shakes things up.

If the AFL were truly serious about looking for what is the best for the sport everywhere the Sat AFL games should not be shown on any platform.

Yes as RFC fans we would dislike it, but it would be the best thing that could happen for every suburban and country club in this country.

And that is a far greater prize than more money coming into AFL coffers.

That's a really good post. I do think though that being a major sporting administration is akin to being in government. It doesn't really matter what you do, there's no shortage of people who will say it should have been done better/differently/sooner.

My old home club has been battling to survive for years and on the rare occasion I get up there the sentiment is always the AFL isn't doing enough. The problem is when I ask what they need to do, no-one really knows either. I think the problems facing grassroots footy are very complex and I'm not sure the AFL can even impact them that much. Looking around it seems to me the AFL are pretty good at creating funds for infrastructure but I'm out of touch with everything else.

Auskick is interesting as well. I've been a Dad at an Auskick centre complaining about the AFL process as well, but yet other sports use Auskick as the benchmark model for how to run a junior development program and its raw numbers are sensational.

The Saturday games thing is an excellent idea. The thing is you can't just not broadcast games or you lose a fortune in TV money, so the games would need to move. If you went to Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday twilight, Saturday night, three games Sunday and Monday night it would work with one double header on one night with a WA game. TV would love it, grassroots would love it but fans would hate it. Again hard to win.

 

[Baloo]

Looking forward to seeing how many high powered executives are hired by the AFL to help them spend the money.

 

[Leysy Days]

@The Big Richo

Reckon you would only need to move one Sat game.

Just don't show every game live. Yes less money will come in but think of the benefits it would bring.

Instead of Norm sinking 6 beers on the couch watching AFL on a saturday arvo, he gets off his arse and goes to the local suburban/country game and spends his money there. Which is still cheap food/drink wise.

That then drives all sorts of community benefits as local clubs can start to thrive again.

And we can't say "Oh AFL is now too big to implement that". It's BS.

Look at the English Premier League where the sport dwarfs ours on every level including TV $$$.

Over half there games are at 3pm Sat. The same time as nearly all other lower league competition in the country, from the Championship to the local ammo club.

And all those 3pm premiership games are banned from being shown live.

All in the interests of protecting every level below the elite. Which it does. Unlike ours it keeps the whole football/soccer pyramid healthy.

But here the AFL value the elite level only and to hell with those below it. Especially if it costs them there beloved $$$.

Any local club Leysy talks to says competing against live AFL is the biggest impendiment to getting more people involved, whether that be playing, volunteering or supporting.

Can tell you as fact showing live Sat AFL in Tasmania was the biggest decision that started its decline.

Even with all the benefits it would bring the AFL will never do anything like that as it will cost the execs there bonus with less games to sell.

 

[tigersnake]

Looking forward to seeing how many high powered executives MATES are hired by the AFL to help them spend the money.

Now that is one thing they are very good at. And edited for accuracy.

 

[IanG]

Do the AFL provide any support for increasing costs like insurance costs for the lower level clubs?

 

[Brodders17]

We've had massive TV rights money come into the game before.

The problem is the AFL have shown a complete inability to prioritise that money for the good of the game. Everywhere.

ie the disregard of grass roots football everywhere. Get out of our Richmond bubble and talk to country clubs around the country and they will all tell you the same story.

Look at how Gil and the AFL have treat Tasmanian Football for 20 years. They are the single biggest reason it has withered away. Could give you a dozen examples of why.

Only now that they are being shamed into it is action being taken to turn around decades of negligence.

Talk to any Auskick club about the lack of AFL support and involvement. For all the riches of the sport over the past 20 years not enough finds itself there either.

Leysy doesn't expect it to change unless someone external comes in and shakes things up.

If the AFL were truly serious about looking for what is the best for the sport everywhere the Sat AFL games should not be shown on any platform.

Yes as RFC fans we would dislike it, but it would be the best thing that could happen for every suburban and country club in this country.

And that is a far greater prize than more money coming into AFL coffers.

I reckon a big problem is that the same people who run the AFL- the actual league, are also in charge of aussie rules. i doubt there is any other sport in the world that governing body of the sport also run the main league, or in this case vice versa- the league now run the code.
the game is Footy/Aussie Rules, not AFL, and the decision making should be separated.

 

[Leysy Days]

I reckon a big problem is that the same people who run the AFL- the actual league, are also in charge of aussie rules. i doubt there is any other sport in the world that governing body of the sport also run the main league, or in this case vice versa- the league now run the code.
the game is Footy/Aussie Rules, not AFL, and the decision making should be separated.

1000%

 

[shad]

It hasn't been good here in queensland/ nth NSW. The AFL will be able to point at a budget and say they have spent X amount, But staff, from my experience, are nepotistic appointments and mediocre to poor performers. They get a car, a wage and a region, do stuff-all, and when they do turn up to do something its embarrassing, like addressing the kids at training in a rep side in the style of a wannabe 1970s Barrassi, or getting involved at the pointy end of a tournament when they know very little of the players abilities or stories.

Leysy is correctly bagging them for neglect in Tassie, not spending the money, I'm saying even when they do spend the money they stuff it up, doesn't get spent effectively or filter down to where its needed.

Couldn't agree more with your comment and many of the others on here. I've been involved in a lot of local footy and the corruption and nepotism is shameless. The AFL is a corrupt organisation from top to bottom.

 

[The Big Richo]

@The Big Richo

Reckon you would only need to move one Sat game.

Just don't show every game live. Yes less money will come in but think of the benefits it would bring.

Instead of Norm sinking 6 beers on the couch watching AFL on a saturday arvo, he gets off his arse and goes to the local suburban/country game and spends his money there. Which is still cheap food/drink wise.

That then drives all sorts of community benefits as local clubs can start to thrive again.

And we can't say "Oh AFL is now too big to implement that". It's BS.

Look at the English Premier League where the sport dwarfs ours on every level including TV $$$.

Over half there games are at 3pm Sat. The same time as nearly all other lower league competition in the country, from the Championship to the local ammo club.

And all those 3pm premiership games are banned from being shown live.

All in the interests of protecting every level below the elite. Which it does. Unlike ours it keeps the whole football/soccer pyramid healthy.

But here the AFL value the elite level only and to hell with those below it. Especially if it costs them there beloved $$$.

Any local club Leysy talks to says competing against live AFL is the biggest impendiment to getting more people involved, whether that be playing, volunteering or supporting.

Can tell you as fact showing live Sat AFL in Tasmania was the biggest decision that started its decline.

Even with all the benefits it would bring the AFL will never do anything like that as it will cost the execs there bonus with less games to sell.

I agree 100%. it's a great idea but I think it would have to come by moving the game to a Monday night and having clear space on Saturday afternoon.

The AFL just doesn't have enough games or a long enough season to give up 11% of the broadcast opportunities. I'm all for it though, a Monday game would be awesome.

 

[Ian4]

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in other words, this deal sucks. and it'll be even worse when 2025 comes around and people will see it unfold in front of their eyes, and the realisation hits them at how badly we been F'ed up the A. I am expecting Richmond to play on Thursday night every 2-3 weeks.

the only thing remotely interesting about it is how Fox will go about handling 4 games on a Saturday. If they run one game after the other, and game 1 starts at 12:15pm with a 2:45 minute running time (to allow 10 minutes between games), then game 2 would start at 3:00pm, game 3 would start at 5:45pm and game 4 would start at 8:30pm. that's a long day and a late finish.

the traditional 2:10pm Saturday game has almost certainly dead and buried.

 

[mrposhman]

I reckon a big problem is that the same people who run the AFL- the actual league, are also in charge of aussie rules. i doubt there is any other sport in the world that governing body of the sport also run the main league, or in this case vice versa- the league now run the code.
the game is Footy/Aussie Rules, not AFL, and the decision making should be separated.

Totally agree, this is the biggest issue. Going back to the Premier League example, its the Football Association that have stipulated that 3pm Sat games cannot be televised. The Premier League would likely love to sell those games into the British audience but they are banned from doing it.

I don't think the AFL have the flexibility to not televise all games, so the AFL should move around it.

How about they have an early game on a Saturday. It would need to be about 11am (similar to the Saturday 12.30pm game for the EPL (though this is prime time for the pubs prior to the 3pm kick offs and works a treat), 11am may be a touch too early. They then 2 twilight and a double header on Sat night. Fox already do crossover games at the moment.

 

[Brodders17]

Totally agree, this is the biggest issue. Going back to the Premier League example, its the Football Association that have stipulated that 3pm Sat games cannot be televised. The Premier League would likely love to sell those games into the British audience but they are banned from doing it.

I don't think the AFL have the flexibility to not televise all games, so the AFL should move around it.

How about they have an early game on a Saturday. It would need to be about 11am (similar to the Saturday 12.30pm game for the EPL (though this is prime time for the pubs prior to the 3pm kick offs and works a treat), 11am may be a touch too early. They then 2 twilight and a double header on Sat night. Fox already do crossover games at the moment.

i get the clash with sat arvo footy is an issue, but for years fans have complained about the lack of Saturday arvo games, and now you want to do away with all together? it would be a brave move.

 

[Ian4]

How about they have an early game on a Saturday. It would need to be about 11am (similar to the Saturday 12.30pm game for the EPL (though this is prime time for the pubs prior to the 3pm kick offs and works a treat), 11am may be a touch too early. They then 2 twilight and a double header on Sat night. Fox already do crossover games at the moment.

Seeing that the AFL are claiming to be reinvesting in grassroots footy, I can definitely see Fox dumping Saturday arvo altogether and having 2 Saturday twilight games at 4:35pm and 2 Saturday night games at 7:20pm.

 

[mrposhman]

i get the clash with sat arvo footy is an issue, but for years fans have complained about the lack of Saturday arvo games, and now you want to do away with all together? it would be a brave move.

There probably isn't an easy solution to it is the biggest issue.

3 Options:
1 - Leave it as it is
2 - Remove all Sat arvo games from TV - maybe play them on delay, but then will be played on delay when a live game is on
3 - Move away from Sat arvo games

The Premier League have the luxury to make a lot of money from International streaming deals for their Sat arvo games (as the block is only in the UK). I don't think the AFL have that option as International streaming revenue is low and they probably don't want to lose the revenue from Sat arvo games. If they go this way, TV rights decrease and so does investment back in the game. Its a cycle you don't want to get into.

 

[Tigers of Old]

in other words, this deal sucks. and it'll be even worse when 2025 comes around and people will see it unfold in front of their eyes, and the realisation hits them at how badly we been F'ed up the A. I am expecting Richmond to play on Thursday night every 2-3 weeks.

The creep of Thurs night games as an accepted reality is the pits. It's bloody awful attending Thurs games as a club member. Incredibly difficult for many workers, families, regional supporters etc. All club members have been just bent over on that & it's barely been mentioned by the sycophantic AFL media.
Hardcore supporters shafted for the casual TV observer$.

 

[TigerFlag2017]

After seeing TV rights kill cricket, I am very nervous about this. Amplified by the fact that you have the AFL CEO exiting, it is ripe for distortion.

I would be very happy for the government (state or federal) to have a role in reviewing the deal to ensure it is in the public interest

 

[spook]

Thursday nights should be a niche slot for povvo clubs like Norf in the first month or two when the weather's good, and Gold Coast in the winter.