Daytime grand final to be considered in TV talks
Scott Bailey |
The NRL will consider returning to a daytime grand final from as early as 2028, with Peter V’landy’s claiming this finals series could help convince broadcasters.
Sunday afternoon finals have proven a massive winner for the NRL this season, with daytime matches in weeks two and three for the first time since 2007.
The three Sunday fixtures have each been the highest rating matches of the weekend, with audiences easily eclipsing those for night games.
No changes to grand finals would be made during the current broadcast deal, but V’landys confirmed they could now feature in talks for the next TV contract.
“It’s certainly part of the consideration,” the ARL Commission chairman said.
“It’s proven Sunday afternoon football is very successful. We looked at it last year. I said to our management team, we’ve got to move (finals) to Sunday afternoon.
“The beauty about Sunday afternoons, it’s a premium time, and it’s also clean air, so you’ve got nothing else on at that particular point in time.
“We had to convince a lot of people, including the broadcasters, that Sunday afternoon was the way to go.
“And now they’ve seen it for themselves, it might make it a bit easier.”
The NRL have played grand finals at night since 2001, albeit with an evening fixture between 2008 and 2012.
A move to afternoon games would likely leave the NRLW decider starting earlier in the day than its current 4pm slot, unless head office committed to moving it to a different time of the season.
While pleased with the competition’s growth, V’landys on Tuesday admitted he was “not happy with the exact timing” of the NRLW season, which currently runs from July through October.
An announcement is also expected on the future home of grand finals later this week, with NSW’s role as host having continued on a year-by-year basis since COVID-19.
V’landys also revealed a change was coming to the NRL’s fixturing model, with head office to rely on Artificial Intelligence to help develop next year’s draw.
The league have long relied on a Canadian fixturing company to help put together the schedule, with the company a go-to for several leagues around the world.
“This is the first year we’ve used this program,” V’landys said.
“We’ve had a big workshop on the draw because it’s so complicated. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
“The variables that are in it with broadcasters getting a pick, clubs getting a pick. There’s Magic Round, there’s Vegas. All these different things.
“Hopefully because of all the different requests and algorithms, we’ll just see (how it goes).”
V’landys also confirmed talks were ongoing into taking State of Origin to New Zealand for the first time in 2027, with an eye to playing at Eden Park.
AAP
