gingerjon

Sky do Mitchell & Webb

Gutting. Awful way to lose.

The Hundred stuff has had an update since then: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/apr/10/ecb-set-to-retain-control-over-domestic-tv-rights-the-hundred-cricket

I’d like to see more structured work like this from the IRL and individual clubs. It can’t be beyond our means.

How does this compare to other sports?

You also only really get the money if you've spent significantly more in advance. There are many things soccer does better than us. I'm not sure they have much to teach us about financial prudence though.

Sutton, for example, had to spend £500,000 of their own money. They wouldn’t have been promoted if they hadn’t.

Where, even in the leagues that the non-leaguier-than-thou dullards go to for their performative 'real sport' banter, promotion and relegation is often settled by ground gradings and committee decisions.

Details: https://www.planetrugby.com/news/revealed-the-four-key-changes-poised-to-revolutionise-the-premiership-as-english-rugby-takes-inspiration-from-the-nfl I don't see how you have a centrally led franchise league working to maximise everything whilst also pretty much guaranteeing the current clubs that they will never need worry about moving, changing identity or anything. But then RU do love a good legal bunfight so I imagine that's where that will end up in a few years.

It's not even CTE. Either we're serious that players should actually attempt to tackle or we're just a sport that thinks that reckless foul play is okay because nostalgia biff.

Obvious red card is obvious

If everyone is a priority then no one is a priority.

I just looked on the Everton website and you're right - there was a window for Everton STH and members to buy but that window has closed.

I was surprised, that's all. They were visible when the teams were walking out but then not again because (a) I wasn't looking so they might have been on screen but not caught my eye, or (b) may have been filled by later arrivals.

Empty seats visible at Old Trafford for the game v Lyon. Be interesting to see if that's reflected in the official attendance.

Is this current? I ask because that DAZN deal doesn’t extend to Ligue 1 being shown in the UK. Quite pointedly, Ligue 1 have had to set up their own streaming service to show it over here after years of being on TNT/Discovery.

They've played three senior men's internationals across two seasons and, currently, have no games scheduled. Hopefully, this means that 'Euro A' will happen and feature Wales and France.

Let's hope so! Any non-World Cup games at all (for the senior men) would be a massive step forward. (Or, rather, step back to where they were a few years back, ready to take some steps forward).

Should have happened a while back but good to see it laid out like this. Hopefully will make a difference. Wales do need to actually play some games though.

It does seem a bit similar to the recent articles about World Cup tv rights. Yes, we know there are global players, in particular streamers, looking to pick up content, but that doesn't necessarily lead to riches. And, more importantly, where, globally, we've seen an increase in rights, it's been by breaking up and offering packages, not by bundling more and more together.

A google search for the man named in the Sun article is interesting

I genuinely don’t know and asked previously but it does appear they changed the ownership structure as it wasn’t just fans chipping in for a “share” but actual purchasing of shares - hence they had an AGM with an obligation to treat fans who had bought shares as investors with rights. It appears nobody really understood what they were doing but I have a suspicion it’s a reason why the sale is not straightforward.

Not even “some”. The legal structure was fan owned.

I don’t think those events should have much of an impact on the people buying Wembley tickets now. They should, hopefully, be well outside the usual people buying RL tickets.

If the elements of that story are true then there appears to have been a catastrophic failure from literally every person involved. It’s remarkable there’s actually a team out there playing rugby at all.