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Have we made a crazy decision with the TV deals?


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The length of the UK TV contract seems bizarre - how can it reflect what the market may be like in 3-4 years time? I noticed that the NRL has negotiated hard to get nearly A$2b and the Premier League always works in very short chunks for TV deals to maximise bidding.

 

We have also signed away the England tests to Sky when we could have been negotiating potentially as 4N or World Champions in the next 12 months? Internationals back to 6pm on a Saturday night could be in the offing? The BBC ends its deal with England after the World Cup.

 

What was the thinking behind a group of SL clubs, led by so called business men, locking the game away from open market bidding for so long?

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I think that having the internationals on Sky is a bad move.  Whilst it is a big ask to put weekly domestic games on terrestrial TV, then we surely need at least some level of exposure and internationals are ideal for that, especially as they are theoretically the big events and should be of the highest quality and entertainment.  Probably an overstatement but I think that that could be up there with one of the worst moves that the RFL have made.

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Desperation by the RFL leadership and by the weaker (financially) SL clubs (at the time)?

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wise people so full of doubts.

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Desperation by the RFL leadership and by the weaker (financially) SL clubs (at the time)?

 

The kickback from this is that we may also be seen as a pushover when the deal finally comes up for renewal. That may attract more modest bids etc.

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I think the length was naive because it'd lacked foresight into rapidly changing technology. I mean not only have Sky been given the tv rights, they've seemingly got the digital and streaming rights as well. With the increase in 4g mobile technology, arguably more and more people will soon be watching on tablets rather than TV. This deal doesn't seem to be very pro-active in that regard.

 

Overall a total failure to get any competition into tv rights is what is holding the sport back.

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The length of the UK TV contract seems bizarre - how can it reflect what the market may be like in 3-4 years time? I noticed that the NRL has negotiated hard to get nearly A$2b and the Premier League always works in very short chunks for TV deals to maximise bidding.

 

We have also signed away the England tests to Sky when we could have been negotiating potentially as 4N or World Champions in the next 12 months? Internationals back to 6pm on a Saturday night could be in the offing? The BBC ends its deal with England after the World Cup.

 

What was the thinking behind a group of SL clubs, led by so called business men, locking the game away from open market bidding for so long?

Sky are still negotiating the showing of the Oz/NZ game as we speak!

Clubs greed opted for the quick money. Groundhog Day?

Some free to air TV should have been part of any deal, knowing that the BBC were dropping out.

Any future media deals need to be negotiated by experienced, proven people who know how to make money.

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Sky are still negotiating the showing of the Oz/NZ game as we speak!

Clubs greed opted for the quick money. Groundhog Day?

Some free to air TV should have been part of any deal, knowing that the BBC were dropping out.

Any future media deals need to be negotiated by experienced, proven people who know how to make money.

 

I don't know the ins and outs but I recall Sky basically ambushing the RFL with what appeared to be a take it or leave it long term offer with a limited time frame to decide.

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Where does it say England games were included in this deal?

 

They are gone sadly. I am just hoping that the RLIF now owns the rights to future World Cups and Confed Cup and can negotiate these outside of this deal. That would mean Sky have only bought test series and one-off tests happening outside of these competitions.

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I don't know the ins and outs but I recall Sky basically ambushing the RFL with what appeared to be a take it or leave it long term offer with a limited time frame to decide.

They should have had the **lls to wait and think! IMO this just showed how close to profit and loss Clubs are. Whether they've learned from it or not is debatable - thus the Groundhog Day comment. This happened first time around and Lindsay renegotiated.

Not a lover of his ways of working but Koukash would have thought about the future and played the long game with Sky.

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there have been some absolutely idiotic business decisions made by the RFL in recent years including Stobards sponsorship on side of trucks! making P & R purely based on the field performance with no set minimum criteria attached and selling England Test for nothing not even widespread terrestrial TV exposure. Need some competent Administrators ASAP   

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I remember a piece, someone correct me if this is wrong please, which stated there was a meeting to discuss the deal with 24 hours notice. The Clubs met and the deal was struck.

If this is true, to make a decision on the day wasn't good business sense. Minutes of the meeting may exist? Would be interesting.

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If it proves to be a bad deal and had been for 2 years then that would be painful enough, but given the history of the sport's administration not a surprise.

 

But it is the fact it is for 5 years that takes it out into Homer Simpson territory.  

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Was it really agreed 3 years before the last one ended?

Here is a breakdown - correct or otherwise - http://www.totalrl.com/ins-outs-super-leagues-lucrative-new-tv-deal/

 

Dr Koukash - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/26049215

 

Ian Lenagan - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/26023136

     No reserves,but resilience,persistence and determination are omnipotent.                       

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Lenagan;  

 

"I regret immensely that, under the pressure of time and a stated desire for some unanimity, I voted Wigan in favour of accepting the deal because it was clear that financially challenged clubs would support it," he said.

"I awakened the next day and regretted immensely my voting which - given time to consider properly - would have been strongly against this particular deal.

"I also resent being coerced into taking an immediate position on something that is so vital for the future of the game."

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Lenagan;  

 

"I regret immensely that, under the pressure of time and a stated desire for some unanimity, I voted Wigan in favour of accepting the deal because it was clear that financially challenged clubs would support it," he said.

"I awakened the next day and regretted immensely my voting which - given time to consider properly - would have been strongly against this particular deal.

"I also resent being coerced into taking an immediate position on something that is so vital for the future of the game."

Indeed.  The RFL have very special talents in the art of coercement.

Forever in our shadow, forever on your mind.

 

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Lenagan;

"I regret immensely that, under the pressure of time and a stated desire for some unanimity, I voted Wigan in favour of accepting the deal because it was clear that financially challenged clubs would support it," he said.

"I awakened the next day and regretted immensely my voting which - given time to consider properly - would have been strongly against this particular deal.

"I also resent being coerced into taking an immediate position on something that is so vital for the future of the game."

So why are the RFL getting the blame when it's the clubs that made the decision.

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Fascinating this one!

 

It makes you want to ask, if you as a fan, were voting on it would you ever have agreed to that many years of contractual arrangement to a TV deal that then had no guarantee of a magazine programme included. And which has since disappeared! This leaves RL as the one major sport without one on Sky at the moment!

 

And in all this one lone voice spoke up at the time, and much good as it done him to be right!

 

"You don't commit to a single broadcaster for eight years at a time when there are other players in the field,"

 

So why are the RFL getting the blame when it's the clubs that made the decision.

I think Bob, if you don't know the details the clubs take the blame when you are told what happened this is one where the RFL's role has to take center stage, for good or ill.

 

And what governing body in any sport would present a take it or leave it now deal to their members?

 

 

Rugby League the sport that works backwards, thinks backwards and goes in reverse!

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

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The England games are an interesting one as you'd assume the RFL only have the power to sell rights to games/tournaments they organise, so as long as the IRLF continue to organise the world cups and any new tournaments England games should potentially be available on terrestrial TV.

I've always thought a way around the lack of Rugby League on terrestrial TV could be worked around by creating a new comp, something along the lines of the 9's series we saw some years back, which came and went very quickly when clubs realised it would test their existing resources. Of course any such competition/tournament would need the blessing of the clubs and in the current climate the blessing of SKY if they wanted to play at any point on the weekend. A willing and keen terrestrial TV partner would also be a requirement.

With BT Sport rumoured to be showing an interest in RL, prior to signing the new TV deal, it would have been the perfect time for the RFL to test the market value of the game. But sadly it was another of those situations where it was all rushed through.  

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So why are the RFL getting the blame when it's the clubs that made the decision.

Lenagan again:

 

However, I hope that clubs, fans and players will recognise that the process followed by the governing body throughout this, whilst resulting in welcome and much-needed money for Super League and the Championship - has been seriously flawed and should result in a major review of the management of Super League and the dual involvement of the RFL in that management.”

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When the previous rights were negotiated in 2011, the savvy Richard Lewis was keen to point out that they had sold the domestic rights independently of the international rights and that this put them in a strong position to negotiate the international rights to be concluded later that year.

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Has anyone got a link to anywhere that makes it explicit that Sky have internationals from 2018 onwards rather than just hearsay? I remember similar worries a year or so back that Sky had gotten exclusivity of the Cup from 2017 (apart from the final), but then the BBC signed a deal that took us to 2020.

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Lenagan again:

However, I hope that clubs, fans and players will recognise that the process followed by the governing body throughout this, whilst resulting in welcome and much-needed money for Super League and the Championship - has been seriously flawed and should result in a major review of the management of Super League and the dual involvement of the RFL in that management.”

Why though they were given a take it or leave it offer by Sky. This offer was passed onto the clubs and the clubs accepted it. What could the RFL do not pass the offer on I think if they had with held the offer then they would have questions to answer. As it is the clubs accepted and it now appears a few regret accepting and are looking for others to blame.

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