gingerjon

It would be nice if the RL media included anyone who could break down these deals. We just get retyped press releases and clickbait.

By this stage in the last round of promotion, V'landys had actually met the President.

They included it in the press statements but then no additional games were covered to broadcast quality. Almost like they weren't in the deal, after all.

Sorry, that's my error. They were all on SS+ streaming after that launched, weren't they (but, for reasons, not every person who gets Sky Sports can get SS+). The SS+ ones were then also available live on SL+.

If you want to sell your house for a million but it only sells for 500k then what's the true value. The price someone pays. We've had two bad go rounds on our TV deal but with positives within - every game being covered to broadcast standard being a key positive. We are not alone in that. But, unlike cricket, we didn't have to invent a tournament that has now destroyed our domestic infrastructure to even stay the same and, unlike basketball, we didn't receive £0 instead of what we asked for leading to the collapse of our league. We could be stronger but we're not weak. And we have played a weak-ish hand pretty well. It's doom talking the sport down to pretend otherwise. And I am tired of hearing people who claim to be the sport's biggest fans do that.

None of that seems particularly humiliating. Derek has also given the details. He thinks there's 300,000 homes that are going to pay SL+ prices and a bit more on top.

Being a self made man doesn't make you smart either. Especially in spheres, such as, for example, sports broadcasting, that are completely alien to how you made your money. I actually have no idea how thick or otherwise he is. I don't think he's stupid. I also don't think his opinion in this is earned or knowledgeable.

It's a competency we don't have and a cost we couldn't afford. The reason SL+ - a potential rival to Sky longer term - exists is because of this. How humiliating.

I'm not sure we have either. And yet Sky see fit to humiliate us by paying enough for rights to fund a professional top division with money left over for the tiers below they don't even show.

We've not been shafted. Also, Beaumont has had time to sober up from the few drinks you claim he had to make him loose lipped and clarify anything he thinks is incorrect. He obviously stands by his fantastical nonsense.

That's a very good point. England's bowling, mostly, wasn't terrible but Australia knew they would bowl England out for under 250 whatever happened so why not get that out of the way.

How does it? People keep repeating words like subservient and humiliating but I'm not seeing that at all. We could be stronger but we are from being humiliated because Sky give us a chunk of cash and show our games in regular, prominent slots throughout the season and include RL in their regular promotions throughout the year, all whilst covering the broadcast costs of games they don't show.

England redefined shambolic in every way. Getting the hump because someone rightly points out that professional athletes should have a semblance of fitness was a particular low point.

How much of that multi millions came about because of an understanding of the sports broadcasting market?

One of the most embarrassing tours by any England side, men or women. The players need to take a long hard look at themselves and decide if they want to be professionals or just part of a little coasting chummy club. The coach should be gone. Heather Knight has earned the right to leave on her own terms but has to begin standing down as captain.

Those who moan about the BBC might like to note that the top stories there are quite nicely balanced at the minute.

In some ways, we don't help ourselves. I was reminded when looking into confirming that the BBC had paid and Channel 4 hadn't, that the World Club Challenge was part of that terrestrial offer. Complete free hit there in terms of big time game that's easy to explain how important it is (or, at least, big up) ...

It was a premium offering but I think people do forget that it was also irregular, not always promoted well, and at random times. They also, it turns out, didn't pay for it. Whereas the BBC did put in some kind of payment offer.

Which ones do you think are worth exploring?

So no amateur teams in the Cup. Understood.

So you’re all for the romance of the cup but as long as it doesn’t get too romantic.

Yes. They have done those things. Badly and with casual disregard for how good the event put on was. The French RL being even worse does not give the RFL an excuse.

It's not a lack of funds that meant that the RFL chose to remove the international window from the calendar.

Thanks for the recommend, I'm going to look this one up.

Apparently, it's impossible to sell tickets for Thursdays. That's a genuinely impressive start to the year.