AFL announces 4.5billion, 7 year media deal (2025-2031 inclusive)

Nov 10, 2013
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Hell no
Expand by two teams (Tas and NT)
Have 21 rounds with two byes each (less overlapping games if there are two byes a season, which means more for TV rights)
Stick with the same finals system
Would be 190 home and away games instead of the current 198
not enough talent, plus players wont want to live in Darwin and/or Hobart/Launy
 
not enough talent, plus players wont want to live in Darwin and/or Hobart/Launy
This is why the draft shouldn't exist, but that is for another thread.

My way of thinking is obviously Tassie deserves to be next cab off the rank but NT cause of the hot conditions means their home games would have to be at night. This means Sunday night can become a permanent timeslot with the game either being played in NT or WA. And if a public holiday in the Eastern states on a monday it can be played in the Eastern states as well. More money for TV rights with minimal impact on crowds
 

NoobPie

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This is why the draft shouldn't exist, but that is for another thread.

My way of thinking is obviously Tassie deserves to be next cab off the rank but NT cause of the hot conditions means their home games would have to be at night. This means Sunday night can become a permanent timeslot with the game either being played in NT or WA. And if a public holiday in the Eastern states on a monday it can be played in the Eastern states as well. More money for TV rights with minimal impact on crowds

Don't think there'll ever be a team in Darwin. A massive travel burden servicing a population of 120K

The Sunday night thing is potentially a goer. Even if it is a 7 o'clock start you could probably play a dozen WA games (i.e both derbies and 5 other home games each). Play the showdowns then as well and show case them nationally. Then you have queens birthday and easter monday eve and a may day in queensland. That would leave 6 normal games on sunday school nights spread across non-perth teams with potential deleterious impacts on the gate.

I'm hoping channel 10 get the rights next time. 7 takes the game for granted. Channel 9 had the Storm on the main channel in Melbourne a couple of friday nights ago. Meanwhile 7 has shunned the AFL coverage off the main HD channel on a number of occasions already this year, and again on Saturday night for the fuggin royal wedding FFS!
 
Yeah ten would be better for the game up here. Even between 2005-2011 when we weren't making finals at least channel 10 showing Lions games primetime and on the main channel and actually promoting the games kept us relevant. Since 2012 I have people like my parents (who aren't footy fans) asking me what channel it is on.
 

BringBackTorps

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Roy Masters (also SMH article) told Maher that :-

.2018 AFL Ch. 7 & Foxtel ratings are averaging 497,390 combined, per game.
2018 NRL Ch.9 & Foxtel ratings are averaging 857,560 combined, per game.

. Overall TV ratings have fallen 8.9% in Aust. in the last 6 months.
AFL ratings are down 13.9%. NRL ratings are down 0.6%. Netflix is increasing its marketshare.

Maher said:-

. if these AFL Ratings' averages continue, there will be a significant $ reduction in AFL Broadcasting Rights in 2023.

. in the current debate over the AFL's state of the game (ie ugly, congested tackleball/stoppageball/scrappy/low scoring style- my words), this AFL Ratings downturn will have a major impact on the AFL's Hocking Review to improve the game as a spectacle.
(My view is the only beneficial salvation is to remove the cancer of interchange completely, to open up the game after half time. Also, revert to two on the bench only, both only substitutes; but with exceptions for the Blood Rule, & head knock/concussion assessment)

.The Commonwealth Games were put on Ch.7's main channel, AFL games went to their minor channel -this had strong, negative effects on the AFL's ratings.
Many Friday night games in 2018 were of poor quality, & unattractive for viewers to watch


I believe the AFL should be embarrassed that it is being pantsed by the NRL in Ratings, & that it only has itself to blame, because:-
. Many experts have been complaining (congestion/short kicking/lack of high marking etc.) since 2004 that the game is degenerating as a spectacle.

. Low scoring (due to forwards, in the constant congestion/flooding, having little space & time to exercise their goal kicking skills) is at its lowest average per game since 1969 : & this has been a long term trend, not a "surprise". And grounds are pristine now, no mud, & rarely negative wind effects (encircling grandstands). Even CEO Demetriou publicly criticised Sydney's style in 2005!

. It is well known by historians & the AFL Commission "experts" that gun full forwards, who regularly kick bags, have been responsible for huge boosts in the game's popularity -often creating almost "hysteria" amongst fans/huge anticipation.

On 27.5.18, The Age's Chief Football Writer, J.Niall wrote "This raises the question of whether the AFL, having intervened on behalf of ruckmen (3rd Man-Up Rule -my words), should do similar for key forwards, whose BOX OFFICE APPEAL (my emphasis) and place in the game's heritage needs little elaboration".

I suspect that the crescendo of calls - & commercial realities - to end the congested tackleball dross blighting AFL games is now too strong to ignore/"rationalise away".

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-on-course-for-tv-ratings-victory-over-afl-20180527-p4zhsd.html
 
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.The Commonwealth Games were put on Ch.7's main channel, AFL games went to their minor channel -this had strong, negative effects on the AFL's ratings..

I heard this interview and just don't get this bit. Are people that stupid that they cant change channels or dont listen to the commentators at the Comm games who said if you want to watch AFL go over to 7mate??

It cant be people saying they wont watch footy in SD because 7 served up s**t coverage in SD and refused to use their HD channel for about 9 seasons.

Are footy followers - in large numbers - that ******* stupid??
 
Jul 2, 2010
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I heard this interview and just don't get this bit. Are people that stupid that they cant change channels or dont listen to the commentators at the Comm games who said if you want to watch AFL go over to 7mate??

Short answer, yes, and the records since multi channeling started reflect this. Theres also a drop off between games broadcast on Foxfooty and Fosports 3.
 
Short answer, yes, and the records since multi channeling started reflect this. Theres also a drop off between games broadcast on Foxfooty and Fosports 3.
Its just bizarre IMO.
 
Its not just AFL. Its any sport that moves to secondary channels.
That's what I meant - all sports, as I have seen the cricket numbers lots of times.
 
Maybe these TV numbers is why Steve Hocking has been in a flap the last 3 weeks setting up committee after committee to look at the state of the game.
 
Jul 12, 2011
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IMO Channel 7 need to have a floating Friday/Saturday night primetime fixture after round 5 or 6, definitely after the bye rounds are over where only top 8 teams are playing each other in these slots, especially Friday night.

No wonder viewers aren't tuning in when you've got the wooden spoon team playing in the most watched timeslot every 3rd week!
 
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IMO Channel 7 need to have a floating Friday/Saturday night primetime fixture after round 5 or 6, definitely after the bye rounds are over where only top 8 teams are playing each other in these slots, especially Friday night.

No wonder viewers aren't tuning in when you've got the wooden spoon team playing in the most watched timeslot every 3rd week!

Its not the 'wooden spooners' causing the concern. Its the game itself. Its becoming an unwatchable rolling brawl/mall. The coaches are responsible for the ugly wrestle we keep seeing. I site the Collingwood v Brisbane game a few weeks ago. It was an old style shootout with lots of one on one efforts. It was great to watch. That has become a rarity.

Most games are mainly slug fests with snippets of good footy. Its putting people off. We want to see the real skills of the game. Not Rugby brawl/malls.

Over to you Gil.
 
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Its not the 'wooden spooners' causing the concern. Its the game itself. Its becoming an unwatchable rolling brawl/mall. The coaches are responsible for the ugly wrestle we keep seeing. I site the Collingwood v Brisbane game a few weeks ago. It was an old style shootout with lots of one on one efforts. It was great to watch. That has become a rarity.

Most games are mainly slug fests with snippets of good footy. Its putting people off. We want to see the real skills of the game. Not Rugby brawl/malls.

Over to you Gil.
Give an extra point to a team who scores over 100 points a game?
 
Jul 2, 2010
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I heard this interview and just don't get this bit. Are people that stupid that they cant change channels or dont listen to the commentators at the Comm games who said if you want to watch AFL go over to 7mate??

It cant be people saying they wont watch footy in SD because 7 served up s**t coverage in SD and refused to use their HD channel for about 9 seasons.

Are footy followers - in large numbers - that ******* stupid??

Case in point

 
What committees are these?
All these different ones analysing how to improve the game, get rid of congestion etc. Ones were presidents CEO's coaches football managers and players have been invited on. He rang up Malcolm Blight last week to come up with some suggestions and apparently a few of Blight's contemporaries have been invited on to another committee. Blight asked his audience on Sportsday SA to ring in or write in with their suggestions and he would take some of them to the meetings.
 

NoobPie

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All these different ones analysing how to improve the game, get rid of congestion etc. Ones were presidents CEO's coaches football managers and players have been invited on. He rang up Malcolm Blight last week to come up with some suggestions and apparently a few of Blight's contemporaries have been invited on to another committee. Blight asked his audience on Sportsday SA to ring in or write in with their suggestions and he would take some of them to the meetings.

Sorry, are you talking about this new committee that was signalled last year ( and started meeting months ago) as a “streamlined” approach to issues resolution that includes a dozen people from across the clubs?

You response is vague but I’m going to assume you are referring to that one plus some old-timers sounding board committee that is as much about reducing the loud public hand wringing of certain usual suspects than actually expecting constructive ideas.

So, two groups, one of which was announced last year
 
Sorry, are you talking about this new committee that was signalled last year ( and started meeting months ago) as a “streamlined” approach to issues resolution that includes a dozen people from across the clubs?

You response is vague but I’m going to assume you are referring to that one plus some old-timers sounding board committee that is as much about reducing the loud public hand wringing of certain usual suspects than actually expecting constructive ideas.

So, two groups, one of which was announced last year
The new Competition Committee was announced on 18 March. I have no idea what was signaled last year but was the committee you are talking about, was its structure and purpose signaled last year and what was it and when was it signaled?. What committee started meeting months ago?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-21/afl-to-introduce-competition-committee
Mar 21, 2018 3:13P
The AFL today announced it would establish a Competition Committee which would guide discussion around decision-making for the AFL Commission and AFL Executive on key aspects of the future direction of the AFL Competition.

AFL General Manager Football Operations Steve Hocking said the 18 Club Presidents, CEOs, Coaches and captains had been briefed at last week's meetings in Melbourne around the season launch with the AFL Commission and the establishment of this new committee would be concluded within the next month, with its agenda to be immediately set with regular meetings through each year, commencing from April...
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-21/afl-to-introduce-competition-committee

And people appointed on the 6th April. I have no idea when they first month but I know it wasnt months ago. See appointees at
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-06/dangerfield-eddie-part-of-new-competition-committee

Then last week when Blight and others got a call from Hocking
https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/s...a/news-story/bc8f070f467042ecbf90244029da2fb5
AFL football boss Steve Hocking has revealed a new element of the competition committee will not just include former players, with several media personalities set to be asked to join a one-off meeting.

Hocking revealed to Fox Footy’s On The Mark on Wednesday night that he plans to introduce a new competition committee component, which has been unofficially dubbed the ‘look of the game’ group.......But Hocking said it wouldn’t just be long-gone or recently-retired AFL players that would sit on the committee, adding that he would reach out to journalists and commentators to share their views in a one-off meeting, which will come together at the start of next month.
https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/s...a/news-story/bc8f070f467042ecbf90244029da2fb5
 
Sep 29, 2003
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I heard this interview and just don't get this bit. Are people that stupid that they cant change channels or dont listen to the commentators at the Comm games who said if you want to watch AFL go over to 7mate??

It cant be people saying they wont watch footy in SD because 7 served up s**t coverage in SD and refused to use their HD channel for about 9 seasons.

Are footy followers - in large numbers - that ******* stupid??

Hardcore fans will know what channel the game is on. Casual fans may prefer to watch Comm Games, Royal Weddings etc. Other very casual fans, who may watch sport if it's on when they channel surf, may be satisfied watching whatever sport they first come across. People who grew up with only the main channels may still go to them first when watching TV. Throw in Netflix, Stan etc then the casual watcher may not even channel surf.

Hardcore fans know when their sport is on TV. If you are a hardcore, lets say, Adelaide fan who lives in Melbourne and don't know that the game is on 7mate rather than the main channel then you have greater issues in life than not being able to change channels.
 

NoobPie

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The new Competition Committee was announced on 18 March. I have no idea what was signaled last year but was the committee you are talking about, was its structure and purpose signaled last year and what was it and when was it signaled?. What committee started meeting months ago?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-21/afl-to-introduce-competition-committee
Mar 21, 2018 3:13P
The AFL today announced it would establish a Competition Committee which would guide discussion around decision-making for the AFL Commission and AFL Executive on key aspects of the future direction of the AFL Competition.

AFL General Manager Football Operations Steve Hocking said the 18 Club Presidents, CEOs, Coaches and captains had been briefed at last week's meetings in Melbourne around the season launch with the AFL Commission and the establishment of this new committee would be concluded within the next month, with its agenda to be immediately set with regular meetings through each year, commencing from April...
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-21/afl-to-introduce-competition-committee

And people appointed on the 6th April. I have no idea when they first month but I know it wasnt months ago. See appointees at
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-06/dangerfield-eddie-part-of-new-competition-committee

Then last week when Blight and others got a call from Hocking
https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/s...a/news-story/bc8f070f467042ecbf90244029da2fb5
AFL football boss Steve Hocking has revealed a new element of the competition committee will not just include former players, with several media personalities set to be asked to join a one-off meeting.

Hocking revealed to Fox Footy’s On The Mark on Wednesday night that he plans to introduce a new competition committee component, which has been unofficially dubbed the ‘look of the game’ group.......But Hocking said it wouldn’t just be long-gone or recently-retired AFL players that would sit on the committee, adding that he would reach out to journalists and commentators to share their views in a one-off meeting, which will come together at the start of next month.
https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/s...a/news-story/bc8f070f467042ecbf90244029da2fb5

As I thought, you are referring to the competition committee which was flagged late last year and commenced this year. The Competition Committee was formed to “replace the laws of the game committee, the player movement advisory panel and the AFL's other advisory boards and committees.”.

This new group appears to be a mechanism to control the hand wringing of the nostalgists in the media. Seems like a smart move to me.

You certainly haven’t demonstrated that Hocking has been “in a flap setting up committee after committee”.
 
You certainly haven’t demonstrated that Hocking has been “in a flap setting up committee after committee”.

My mistake its not committee after committee, but he is in a flap out there in the media going on and on about the look of the game to placate those who want the game to look like the 1980's and 1990's.

That will never happen.
 

wagstaff

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Its not the 'wooden spooners' causing the concern. Its the game itself. Its becoming an unwatchable rolling brawl/mall. The coaches are responsible for the ugly wrestle we keep seeing. I site the Collingwood v Brisbane game a few weeks ago. It was an old style shootout with lots of one on one efforts. It was great to watch. That has become a rarity.

It was notable after that Pies/Lions game that Buckley seemed so disappointed with the high-scoring nature of the contest that he seemed to be acting as if the Pies had lost. Then the following week they kick just 5 goals against the Cats in one of the dullest games of the year.

Coaches are the prime reason why the game is played the way it is imo and until the admin and media stop treating their views as essential, that won't change.
 

wagstaff

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Hocking revealed to Fox Footy’s On The Mark on Wednesday night that he plans to introduce a new competition committee component, which has been unofficially dubbed the ‘look of the game’ group.......But Hocking said it wouldn’t just be long-gone or recently-retired AFL players that would sit on the committee, adding that he would reach out to journalists and commentators to share their views in a one-off meeting, which will come together at the start of next month.
https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/s...a/news-story/bc8f070f467042ecbf90244029da2fb5

This particular committee seems to only exist to placate critics of the game dissatisfied with how the game is being run. Pretend that you're listening to their views and they'll probably dial back their complaints about how the sport is played.
 
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