March 17th – Industry News – Thu Crowds, Lions, Optus broacasts, Greenburg for NRL CEO, Cronulla

The NRL match between North Queensland and Sydney Roosters drew 8,099 to the Willows precinct (1300SMILES Stadium). Details here.

News Limited is reporting that the Brisbane Lions have no idea when they will be able to start training on the Gabba due to the cricket season and AFL season overlap. If the Bulls lose and Victoria finish on top, they will host the final in Alice Springs, not the MCG, due to the start of the AFL season. Swann says neither scenario is acceptable.

“We have to wait and see what happens with the Bulls because we might be able to get on the ground soon, but if they do host, we’ll hardly get on the Gabba before North Melbourne,’’ he said.

The Guardian reports that Optus has announced plans for its expanded football coverage in Australia, with the subscription provider set to partner with SBS to broadcast the 2018 Fifa World Cup as well as the English Premier League, across their range of TV and internet-enabled devices.

• Under the agreement, SBS will sub-licence the World Cup rights to the pay-TV provider, allowing Optus to broadcast all 64 games of the men’s World Cup live, as well as the 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup and the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
• Under the World Cup sub-licence arrangement, Optus will show 39 exclusive live matches and simulcast the rest with SBS retaining simultaneous free-to-air rights to other 25.
• The SBS free-to-air rights for the World Cup will include one live match per day – for which SBS will have first pick – as well as four matches from the round of 16, two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final.
• This will mean that all of Australia’s potential matches will be shown on free-to-air TV and SBS will also retain rights to daily highlights, a major coup for Australian fans.

Various News sources are reporting that Todd Greenburg will be the new NRL CEO.

Sportsbusinessinsider is reporting that the Cronulla Sharks have signed a deal with innovation accelerator organisation the Lakeba Group. The aim of the partnership is to explore the appetite for sport fans who use a second device during sporting matches and the desire for an enhanced game day experience.