AFL aims at $1 billion for next TV rights deal 02/04/2009 |
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GLOBAL financial markets may be in meltdown, and television networks are running on empty, but the AFL remains hopeful of receiving a billion dollars for its next set of TV contracts.
With the confirmed addition of a Gold Coast team, and the pledged addition of a western Sydney club, the AFL will have nine matches a week to sell in its 2012-16 broadcast package.
A total of $780 million was reached from the Channels Seven-Ten-Fox Sports arrangement for 2007-11.
Asked if he agreed with the recent assertion made by Australia's premier media buyer Harold Mitchell that a billion dollars could be gained from TV in 2012-16, AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said yesterday: "We respect someone as important as Harold in the industry, and I'd like to think they would be worth a billion dollars."
"Time will tell. All I can say is we are very confident in our product."
McLachlan said negotiations for the next broadcast rights would not be opened for some time.
"But, we are really confident with our rights, and we understand the marketplace, and we believe our quality content will be to our advantage," McLachlan said.
"We certainly think they are worth significantly more than we are currently receiving."
In the current television deals, a round of matches is generally fixtured as such: Friday night match, two Saturday afternoon matches, two Saturday night games, and three matches on Sunday, including a twilight slot.
McLachlan said the AFL was experimenting this year with fixturing with a view to 2012.
"We're looking at a number of spots (to place the ninth match)," McLachlan said.
"Look at this year's fixture - we are trialling a Thursday night, we are trialling a Monday night and we are also trialling a Saturday twilight in Tasmania.
"So, they are slots that are new as we look to go forward as to where we play the ninth game."
The past two broadcast deals have been for five years, with the 2002-06 contract pulling in $500 million.
"There's no comment on that (the duration of the next deal), we haven't even started on anything yet, and we certainly haven't looked at it with that level of detail," McLachlan said.
(Source: news.com.au)
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