There are plans to enforce more stoppages in the game to allow more commercials to be shown during games. Maximising TV revenue is obviously a good thing, but this is a step too far in my opinion. The speed and almost non stop constant play is one of the main advantage league has over other sports. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1v3oc.html

There are plans to enforce more stoppages in the game to allow more commercials to be shown during games. Maximising TV revenue is obviously a good thing, but this is a step too far in my opinion. The speed and almost non stop constant play is one of the main advantage league has over other sports. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1v3oc.html

Simple solution would be for the Aussie government to impose the same advertising regulations that we have here.

I once watched a F1 grand prix in the States, where there's virtually no regulation of ads, Would you believe TWO ad breaks in the final lap?

It happened to the ITV but I think it was the penultimate lap when there was an overtake. Also on the HD channel they missed Englands openning goal in the 2010 world cup for an ad break

Stupid idea.

If and only if they have to, which they don't, split the games into quarters as we do that here mainly in the trials or due to the heat.

There could also be an argument that with a few minutes break between quarters may see the game become faster.

But you can lose momentum, it falsely alters the flow of the game, wouldn't be happy with that, just have a bigger half time, put a show on for fans and fill HT with plenty of ads.

It's all about the TV money.......the AFL gets their cash because fumbleball is littered with opportunities for adverts. This has nothing to do with adding anything to the game other than a couple of extra zeros on the TV deal.......the fans in the stadium aren't of any interest to the broadcast partners

I know. I agree.

Is it right that in one of the American sports with the Timeouts they have that one of the Timeouts is purely for the Sponsers and they can call it when they like?

Not heard that before, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were true.
anyone else concerned as to the level of reliance TGG is placing on broadcast partners.........all the money being ploughed into essentially 30 clubs worldwide with a fraction of a % possibly trickling down to the grass roots........ and potential rule changes to suit the likes of Unilever or PepsiCo?

Can't they just advertise at the top of the screen or something?

This is completely contrary to the strengths of league. Defies logic.

The NRL and SDL are completely reliant upon broadcasting, what worries me more is the insistence by the RFL that the Championships can still somehow benifit from TV covrage, when its plain to anybody outside Red Hall that 1 , it doesn't 2 , it never will 3 , RL at that level needs to take a different course

It shows how short sighted and lacking in genuine intelligence they are

Should be able to "DO" away with the 4 subs then, and get back to the starting 13. That should save them a fortune in wages.

on the broadcasts I have seen from Aus on Sky Sports there are advertising breaks anyway after a try is scored. The commentator usually mumbles on a bit about welcoming fans from the UK, then as they kick off they go back into full commentary mode.

Is true, NFL has TV Timeouts, there is limits on how many can be called and when though. The NFL TV deals for the next 9 years totals 28 billion. I can see why they allow it!

Why not have the ad break, but the game carries on as normal (a bit like sky plus), then everyones a winner, apart from the armchair viewer (although it even gives them time to grab another can)

Some people will moan at nothing.

I bet the TV companies could implement a 30 second commercial break (one ad) between the try and the conversion without anyone really noticing. On an average game, that would amount to, say six or seven commercial breaks during natural 'downtime'.

I would much rather have that than some daft graphic telling me who's scored the try, coupled with increased subscription fees.

I don't think anyone would be particularly bothered if there was a quick ad break after a try is scored, a bit like in between overs in cricket, as long as none of the actual game is missed and the game itself isn't delayed for the tv. I think the problem is if the game is affected just do TV can have an extra ad break. As mentioned it affects the flow and momentum of the game. I'd rather half-time be lengthened if it was necessary but even that has an affect upon the game, length of time to get breath back, length of time physios can work on players etc.
The TV companies involved in RL seem to do pretty well out of RL and make a profit from it so I don't see why this is necessary to be honest. It's where the games administrators in Oz need to grow a pair for a change and say no. There's plenty of competition for RL broadcasts in Oz anyway.

They already do and have for years. Dead easy to spot in the old days cos Rabs and Peter Sterling would start chatting about some bo11ocks. I think they're more aware that other countries get the full feed now.

Enjoy your ads btw, better than this analysis of the game nonsense they're trying to foist on us. Of that there is no doubt at all.

There aren't on the games live on Sky here. There is when it's live on Channel 9.

They tried it before in the 80's in the NRL as I remember - 4x 20 minute quarters. I think it was a midweek cup competition they had back then.
Old idea.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amco_Cup Found it.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amco_Cup Found it.

No. BUT what they do have is an automatic timeout/add-break when there are 2 minutes left in each half. This means the TV companies get their adds but that their is no need to cut away from the action in the closing stages.

One NFL idea I do like, that would help both rugby and wendyball is the "ball out of play, stop the clock" even if is accompanied with a change to "30 minutes PLAYING time" rather than the 40 minutes between whistles we have.

Well, one learns something new every day. Thanks to that link above, I now realise I attended the very last fixture of that competition in 1989.

A Pom was awarded MoM in that final as well despite being on the losing side.

There's more adverts during an NFL game than there is action!

Also, the NBA (and I think also the NHL) have something called an officials timeout. I think these are probably the timeouts that the OP was referring to. I'm not sure whether the ref actually calls the timeout at an appropriate point in the game, or whether they receive instruction from the broadcaster to do so, but they are used as additional breaks in the game so that adverts can be shown.

The breaks themselves are way more annoying for the at-home viewer because usually at the game there is some type of 'entertainment' for the fans during each break. They are also useful for beer/toilet breaks

Did you drink that much beer during the 80's?