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This is anecdotal, but I went to a public school with a rugby union team (club level, not NCAA). A friend was one of the main guys on the team, and one of the few who played rugby union prior (even then he had no ideal there were two codes). Most of the guys were former high school football players who joined the rugby team more as a social thing than for sporting reasons, win or lose they were going to drink afterwards regardless. We just dont have the class divide when it comes to sports here, yah some sports are associated with the upper middle class do to the expenses of the sport but there wouldnt be anything eye popping about seeing other people play them as well. Ivy Leaguers are watching NFL alongside the working class and if league ever got big in the US would have no problem watching that as well.

Ooof, lets hope thats not the slogan in the US... might remind many of us of a certain Debbie in Dallas...

You can say the same about several successful NHL teams. Los Angeles and Tampa aren't exactly known for their winter sports culture. I don't follow the NHL yet alone its history, but I imagine a few people were skeptical about expanding into those markets.

Just to put things in perspective, Gonzaga at St Marys, which tipped off at 10 pm EST, drew little over a million on ESPN. It was a rivalry game with big implications for both teams, but at the same time for your average American, regular season college basketball isn't must see TV. But I think the bigger point is the power of ESPN over FS1. 10 years since its launch, FS1 is still struggling to compete outside of college football season, even then Im sure ESPN still wins. Nobody thinks to put FS1 on, while ESPN on in the background at home or at the bar is a given. In my area, ESPN is on channel 12 while FS1 is 63 or 64.

Got the articles being referenced mixed up. Yah, just reading that article sounds like hes attempting to be the dead pan humor sports writer and is completely whiffin on it.

Thats because the NRL game got temporarily bumped to FS2 which was suppose to be showing the MLR game, which then got bumped to the app. Its common to let viewers know where they can watch the regularly scheduled programming when this happens. Once the basketball game ended, NRL went to FS1, and MLR went to FS2 (without any warning thank you Fox Sports)

Thats back when ESPN was new and had few rights, so they showed AFL and it developed a cult following then disappeared for years

Just to clarify, there is no Fox Sports US, theres only FS1 and FS2 (which very few people get I believe). Ill have to pay attention more this year, butt I dont recall saying AFL on FS1 on a regular basis, and its usually late at night as after hour filler program

Starting a double header at 930 pm, was never going to be a rating hit when most of the country lives in east or central time. I fell asleep sometime during the first half of the second game. Also I dont recall seeing any advertising for it. I watch a decent amount of college basketball on FS1 and Fox, never saw any. Not saying there wasnt any just not when I was watching. If it wasnt for you fine folk here, I wouldn't have realized it was happening this past weekend. If the NRL really cared about spreading the game in the US, then they would have gone with a 730 and 930 kickoff. I honestly dont get this current fascination with Vegas either (despite the obvious reason). Play it in New York or LA.

Like how you threw the Union is chess, league is checkers out the window with that analogy

I can't say for sure, but it seems usally if theres a day game that day it tends tobe the free game