Channel 9 will make TV bid

[Brad]

Channel 9 will make TV bid

By Jon Ralph

December 18, 2007 12:00am

THE AFL's stunning prosperity seems assured for the next decade, with Channel 9 certain to bid for the next television rights amid predictions of a five-year $1 billion term.

There had been speculation the death of sports lover Kerry Packer and Nine's new ownership structure might see the network decide to opt out of the AFL rights race.

The network has this year slashed costs in all departments under majority ownership from private equity firm CVC Asia Pacific.

However Nine insiders say the network has already considered its options and will throw its resources at the rights, which could be decided much earlier than the end of this deal, which expires after the 2012 season.

Frenzied bidding for the rights would ensure the AFL could continue its expansion plans into Queensland and Sydney, while still funding the 16 existing sides.

While anti-siphoning rules mean Foxtel cannot seal a deal for all eight games, then sell off some games to rivals, it can still be a key player in negotiations.

That would see the rights rise again, possibly as high as the magical $1 billion mark during five seasons.

The Foxtel-Nine deal for the 2012 Olympic Games in the British capital London is considered the prototype for a prospective AFL deal.

The AFL could also boost its broadcast value by selling off the rights in individual packages, dividing Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays.

There will be no first and last rights agreement, which in 2006 allowed Seven to usurp Nine, meaning the highest bid will win.

Should Nine and Foxtel work together for the rights, they could then farm off several games to another network, likely to be Channel 10.

The AFL would be expected to keep one network out of telecasting football to increase competition and ensure the value of its TV rights remained high.

In the days before his death in December 2005, Packer signed off on a monster bid from Nine, but Seven and Ten soon matched it.

It has left Nine frozen out of the AFL market. But after losing the ratings for the first time this year, it is determined to win back rights to a game that is a ratings bonanza.

Last month Nine spent up on a $110 million deal that will see it telecast the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics.

New boss David Gyngell presented the deal to the IOC, but Nine powerbrokers Eddie McGuire and Jeff Browne were also integral to the deal.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...001023,00.html

[Hondo]

There's the 17th and 18th team stitched up by the looks

[Sojourner]

Both groups will likely throw plenty of coin at the AFL to get the rights, yet the more investment they put in, the larger suck of the jar they expect. Which no doubt will lead to a night time grand final in time.

I just hope it does not get to the situation of the american superbowl where the number of ads outnumbers the game time and the game is paused every time the ads are on whether a goal has been kicked or not....

[Magpiespower]

Maybe the glorified car salesmen - sorry, netowork execs - at 9 will stitch up the GF this time.

Typical of Channel 9 to over-pay.

Burn Willoughby burn...

[Psyber]

Eventually it will ALL be on Foxtel or other pay TV options and if you want to see footy you will pay pay pay...

Since I'm nearly 2 hours from the 'G, and can't guarantee getting there if I book, and refuse to subscribe to Telstra/Foxtel on principle, it would be local footy or none at all for me at that stage.

Ahh.. for the days in Adelaide when you could decide in the morning whether you had time to and wanted to go to a SANFL match that afternoon!

[Dutchy]

good news, more g'teed income for the Roos!

[Strawb]

Lets hope Channel 9 win the bid because I have had enough of Bruce and channel 7. Good to see Dutchy has a new love child there in JB.

[am Bays]

good news, more g'teed income for the Roos!

The Gold Coast 'Roos??

[gadj1976]

I don't care who televises it, I want Friday night footy LIVE!

[CUTTERMAN]

Unfortunately I think the days of free to air AFL are numbered apart from maybe 1 game per week eg. Bulldogs v NM or similar.
FTA channels will become similar to the ABC of the last few decades, where the ABC only had minor sports and the commercial channels had the money to buy major sports around the world.
I wont pay for Foxtel, I wont go to a pub to watch a game every week and as an Adelaide supporter but not a member, I wont go to many games. So I can see my interest in AFL waning in the next 5-10 years. I wonder where this will put the game in the future and the supporters. It's all very well to have a huge profit through TV rights but where's it leading the game.
Thank god for the SANFL, there's a huge opening for the state leagues to expand their products.

[Hondo]

There's probably more chance the SANFL would go to Pay-TV first IMO

Follow in the footsteps of basketball - unless the ABC agrees to keep covering it which is never guaranteed

AFL will always be so popular and lucrative the free-to-air will prob always have a part of it .... expect to see more of the high profile games go over to Foxtel

[Magpiespower]

Be interesting to see what the networkd do with their extra digital channels.

Pretty sure they won't want to keep them as dumping grounds for shows that don't rate/have no idea what to do with...

[CUTTERMAN]

Yeh, you're probably right with the SANFL Hondo, I doubt that ABC can keep the heads in Sydney funding that one. But as the personal example that I posted before, the SANFL is alot more accessible during the year than AFL and holds alot more interest and passion for me, so if I can't easily see AFL on tv then I'll lose interest. I'll always try to be a Sturt member but I'll never be an Adelaide member.

[Dirko]

Be interesting to see what the networkd do with their extra digital channels.

Pretty sure they won't want to keep them as dumping grounds for shows that don't rate/have no idea what to do with...

Like Channel 7, they have a heap of channels, they could show footy & the V8's at the same time...

[Blue Boy]

There's the 17th and 18th team stitched up by the looks

Where is the 18th team gonna play from - Adelaide Oval maybe ???

[Hondo]

There's the 17th and 18th team stitched up by the looks

Where is the 18th team gonna play from - Adelaide Oval maybe ???

Gold Coast and Sydney ?

[Rik E Boy]

No, Nadda, Non, NEIN!!

Nine = No live Friday night games
Nine = No late Sunday afternoon games
Nine = Rugby league first

Stick it up your ar5es you greedy ****.

regards,

REB

[Blue Boy]

There's the 17th and 18th team stitched up by the looks

Where is the 18th team gonna play from - Adelaide Oval maybe ???

Gold Coast and Sydney ?

Gold Coast seems as it will happen if Andy D continues - but couldnt see another Sydney team !!!

[Rik E Boy]

Gold Coast seems as it will happen if Andy D continues - but couldnt see another Sydney team !!!

It's bad enough trying to watch the first team form there. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


regards,

REB