Dave Smith quits as NRL CEO

[tommy]

They must have misspelled "ruining" in the headline

 

[Broncoman]

The media are just taking the **** now ... Alan Jones has nominated Rebecca Wilson for the CEO job...

'She'd make a hell of a fist running the game of Rugby League!'

Not only does she hate the sport... But she hates anyone who has ever had anything to do with the sport...

Since when did you expect that fool to say anything worthwhile?

 

[Kimlo]

If Rebecca Wilson gets CEO, I think I'd quit watching league.

 

[Browny]

Can't wait for her attitude to drink driving. COAT

 

[GCBRONCO]

This is how Rugby League would end up with Rebecca Wilson in charge

 

[Kimlo]

Foxtel loses English Premier League broadcast rights in Australia to Optus | Media | The Guardian

Foxtel has lost the rights to the EPL for the next 3 years (from August 2016 onwards) with Optus snapping up exclusive rights.
Say what you will, but I reckon Foxtel would be pretty desperate to make sure they get the NRL now.

Losing the NRL and the EPL coverage would be a huge blow to their subscription numbers.

 

[Foordy]

Foxtel loses English Premier League broadcast rights in Australia to Optus | Media | The Guardian

Foxtel has lost the rights to the EPL for the next 3 years (from August 2016 onwards) with Optus snapping up exclusive rights.
Say what you will, but I reckon Foxtel would be pretty desperate to make sure they get the NRL now.

Losing the NRL and the EPL coverage would be a huge blow to their subscription numbers.

Foxtel and optus are basically the same now ... My mate has Optus pay tv ... But could still watch every NRL match as you can get fox sports on Optus tv.

 

[Nashy]

Foxtel and optus ate basically the same now ... My mate has Optus pay tv ... But could still watch every NRL match as you can get fox sports on Optus tv.

That's only if you get Foxtel from Optus.

I'd say this will be for streaming via Fetch or something like that.

 

[Kimlo]

Foxtel and optus are basically the same now ... My mate has Optus pay tv ... But could still watch every NRL match as you can get fox sports on Optus tv.

I think you've got things mixed up here. That's probably as [MENTION=1976]Nashy[/MENTION] mentioned, Foxtel through Optus. Optus signing this deal means they OWN the EPL coverage rights, so you don't need Foxtel to watch EPL, you need Optus. For EPL fans in Australia, that's a big blow for Foxtel, unless Optus ends up allowing Foxtel to buy back some or all of the games. If Foxtel loses the NRL rights as well, that's two major sports they'll lose in 2017/18, that's going to hit their subscriber base hard. So I'd say their "need" for NRL coverage just went up.

 

[Super Freak]

Maybe this was Smith's plan.. Took a gamble or maybe he knew that deal would happen.

Fox Sports will be pretty damn desperate now.

 

[Nashy]

What are people basing this desperation on? I mean, I know NRL is a big deal to them, but in the scheme of things, I can't see EPL having a massive viewership, and I'm certain that if Fox really wanted it, they would have had more than enough to outbid Singtel.

What's really interesting, and what people aren't looking at, is why is Optus actually buying it? What have they got planned.

Lets not forget who owns the two Foxtel satellites in orbit above Australia. Optus C1 and Optus D3 Sats. And their most recent launch of the Optus 10 also has people questioning them. It has a fair amount of bandwidth, and none of their bandwidth hogged sat fleet are due to end service anytime soon, nor are they completely out of bandwidth up there.

I'd say they have a little more in the pipeline than just EPL that Fox will have to worry about.

 

[Morkel]

Told you Smith nailed it.

 

[Super Freak]

IIRC, EPL is one of their highest rating sports.

It wasn't as popular as NRL and AFL, mainly because of the timeslot, but it still got good ratings and I remember reading that ratings were increasing. Losing both the NRL and EPL wouldn't be a good thing for them. They will likely lose a large number of subscribers.

IMO, NRL have got Fox Sports right where they want them.

 

[broncos4life]

Let's wait and see what happens before we pop the champagne and mourn the loss of our greatest administrator.

Currently this perceived great position is all speculation and assumptions.

Seems odd that if Smith had truly orchestrated such a fantastic position that he would bail before receiving the accolades for his genius.

 

[Nashy]

Yeah, if he'd done such a great job, he wouldn't have left half way through the job.

 

[Morkel]

Unless he was knifed from behind by some Fox-aligned lackeys...

 

[Kimlo]

Let's wait and see what happens before we pop the champagne and mourn the loss of our greatest administrator.

Currently this perceived great position is all speculation and assumptions.

Seems odd that if Smith had truly orchestrated such a fantastic position that he would bail before receiving the accolades for his genius.

I'm sure he didn't "resign".

 

[Nashy]

Of course he didn't resign, he was fired. He was useless in plenty of aspects of the game, not just this farce of a TV rights deal that he's left for whoever to sort out. I hope that deadshit who's 'running' the ARL commission isn't left to sort it out, I'm certain he has to be reminded what his name is every day.