MORE Super League games are set to be broadcast on OurLeague following Hull FC’s clash with Salford Red Devils at the weekend.
Salford may well have ran out 60-14 winners over the Black and Whites in a shock result, but the fixture was also groundbreaking for another reason – it was the first Super League game to ever be live streamed.
In terms of why that hasn’t been offered in the past, Managing Director of RL Commercial, Rhodri Jones, explained why.
“The last offer from Sky wasn’t what we had hoped it would be so there was an element of recovery and to ensure we protected what we already knew from the clubs’ perspectives in terms of attendances,” Jones said.
“I looked at it from the centre and said this is a huge undertaking, we’ve got the support for sky but this isn’t just about putting games on.
“Some of the things we had to contend with; every game had to be played on an individual time slot. At the time we didn’t have enough video referees whilst other Sky picks clashed due to logistics.
“I wrote a paper to the Super League board saying ‘I don’t think we are ready for streaming at the moment.’
“This year understanding what the future landscape might look like, we went to Sky and said ‘is there is an opportunity to sample a few things out?’ and they said yes it is within your rights.
“We asked ‘is the production budget still available?’ and we partnered up together.
“We did Saturday as the first one to let everyone get their first one or two home games out of the way to protect the attendances and then we will go into potentially one a month over the next couple of months.
“The industry has changed significantly since the last time we sat around the table. Sky have been a fantastic partner and continue to be a fantastic partner.”
