www.theaustralian.com.au/busines ... 5829862967 We really need the NRL, or whatever it ends up being called, to get a strong financial deal. The AFL will undoubtedly get a higher deal, but a close run thing will feel like a victory.

www.theaustralian.com.au/busines ... 5829862967 We really need the NRL, or whatever it ends up being called, to get a strong financial deal. The AFL will undoubtedly get a higher deal, but a close run thing will feel like a victory.

Rugby league should get more than AFL, as simply, it pulls more viewers each year.

This is an article in The Australian - so take it with a grain of salt - when commenting on RL.

It is also full of inaccuracies - including the ratings for the NRL v AFL GFs from 2009 - which refer only to the 5 capital city ratings (a bias which favours AFL given RL's dominance of regional Australia).

Anyone doubting Packer knocked up the last AFL cost from beyond his deathbed is deluding themselves. Enter Mr Mitchell.

each year rugby league generates more than 40 million additional TV viewers than AFL.

despite this massive advantage our way, the sport earns half what AFL does.

RL has paid a very heavy price to news ltd.

each year RL generates 4 of the top ten most watched programs on TV, being the 3 origins and our grand final.

all these games get over 3 million viewers.

AFL just gets a single game being its grand final.

on Pay TV something like 50 of top ten most watched programs are RL, with around 15 AFL.

we have RL shows or games on every day of the week and they all generate good ratings.

its why nrl players are so frustrated generating such fantastic ratings but having to go to rival sports to get paid properly.

Isn't afl mainly based in and around melbourne? With the odd exception?

AFL is watched by people with tunnel vision.

8 / 9 out of 16 teams come from suburbs all next to each other in inner melbourne

WA and adelaide are their heartland too.

but their populations arent that large.

queensland and nsw comprise around 55% of our total population

It's technically closer to 60% (5icon_cool.gif.

I admit to not being an expert on Australia, and their sporting culture, so can you explain the following.

NSW and Queensland have 58% of the population; and they are strong RL areas. In addition I believe RL dominates the rural areas . To top it off RL seems to get the best viewing figures.

So how come Aussie Rules gets the best tv deal? It doesn't make sense.

Not for long!

The NRL are just waking up to themselves!

When you are buyer and seller (News Limited/Nine), you lack the capacity to strike a good bargain.

It can't be explained much more simply than that.

Ah, I see

Hence, the crucial importance of independence in relation to media rights negotiating (irrespective of anyone's individual views on an Independent Commission, this body should deliver that).

At the moment, we box with one arm tied behind our back.

And still compete I might add...

I hope they now get the deal the NRL deserves.

What kind of figures we talking about? (The article doesn't load on my pc sorry)