Sky Sports - New TV Deal (Merged Threads)

[Cherry and White]

Neil Hudgell ‏@NeilHudgell 32m

Cautious optimism over tv deal. 8 years is a long time. Could have done with more than 2 hours to consider the detail

 

Marwan Koukash ‏@drmarwanK 5m

@NeilHudgell I agree with you mate.

Retweeted by Phil Caplan

[longboard]

As an aside, according to Neil Hudgell on Twitter, he had only two hours to consider the Sky TV deal.  He considers that to be 'indecent haste'.

 

That tweet didn't exactly fill me with confidence.

 

Given the timescales, if true, it really does sound like a very strange and unsatisfactory way of operating.

[bobbruce]

After agreeing such a large deal is twitter really the best place to air your doubts.

[Saintslass]

After agreeing such a large deal is twitter really the best place to air your doubts.

Yes.  It's the very best place.  Fans can then actually know something of what actually happened rather than being wrapped up in RFL spin.

[Dave T]

No surprise that 2 of the owners unhappy with the current setup give relatively negative updates whereas the Saints boss is loving the deal publicly.

[gingerjon]

After agreeing such a large deal is twitter really the best place to air your doubts.

Quite. Shockingly unprofessional.

[bobbruce]

My guess on this is the RFL have agreed this structure with now idea how they'd make it work. Sky have sat there watching it all unfold and working out the value to them. They then got in touch with the RFL and made them a take it or leave it offer to make sure they get the full package and also keep it away from rivals. We can examine it and wonder if BT would offer more or a split package would make more. At the end of the day its got the RFL out of a massive funding hole and increase the current deal by £70m - £80m. So there's certainly more positives than negatives.

[Saintslass]

No surprise that 2 of the owners unhappy with the current setup give relatively negative updates whereas the Saints boss is loving the deal publicly.

And the reason we know this is Twitter!

[Saintslass]

My guess on this is the RFL have agreed this structure with now idea how they'd make it work. Sky have sat there watching it all unfold and working out the value to them. They then got in touch with the RFL and made them a take it or leave it offer to make sure they get the full package and also keep it away from rivals. We can examine it and wonder if BT would offer more or a split package would make more. At the end of the day its got the RFL out of a massive funding hole and increase the current deal by £70m - £80m. So there's certainly more positives than negatives.

That sounds about right to me.

 

Phil Caplan also thought it was a 'take it or leave it' deal.  He equates it to 1995.

[Dave T]

And the reason we know this is Twitter!

im not sure why you think we should know everything. Maybe if we had better journos we would but individuals should be able to conclude business in private if it suits.

Its all spin - whether from RFL, Sky, Koukash or Hudgell.

[Padge]

Slowly sounding like my suspicions were right, interesting to see how this pans out.

 

1995 there was definitely no other major bidder and we were a pawn in a bidding war on the other side of the planet, a well paid pawn.

[Padge]

im not sure why you think we should know everything. Maybe if we had better journos we would but individuals should be able to conclude business in private if it suits.

Its all spin - whether from RFL, Sky, Koukash or Hudgell.

 

Sky never want anyone to really know the detail, the RFL, unless it is bad news, want to sing it from the rooftops. First line in Sky contract, "thou shall not tell".

 

Sky of course may help to fuel rumours that they have paid more than they actually did, after all it would be a little bit in their favour.

[jannerboyuk]

After agreeing such a large deal is twitter really the best place to air your doubts.

i wouldn't trust someone like that as far as I could throw them. And I wouldn't do business with them.

[Saintslass]

im not sure why you think we should know everything. Maybe if we had better journos we would but individuals should be able to conclude business in private if it suits.

 

Because I'm a stakeholder in the game.  A very important one because I'm a fan, like you are.  I pay to watch the sport and I pay for a Sky subscription (and a PS one too).  I'm entitled to know as much as possible because I pay.

[jpmc]

As awful as the new structure is some of its cracks can be covered by having more money. What it won't address is the problem of how many players we have to play at the top level. I expect a large proportion of extra money to be thrown at overseas players as quick fixes and player development to be degraded further rather than increased.

I think you'll be right on the number of overseas players that will come over here to play RL, but at the same time we are losing our better players to the NRL and losing players to union,so maybe we need to accept that a bit?

As for player developement,most clubs appear to be failing on that front anyway so wont the rfl academies compensate for the numbers of quality home grown players that may drop due to oversea recruitment?

[Padge]

Because I'm a stakeholder in the game.  A very important one because I'm a fan, like you are.  I pay to watch the sport and I pay for a Sky subscription (and a PS one too).  I'm entitled to know as much as possible because I pay.

 

Do you make the same demands of the supermarket you use or your hairdresser.

 

You are nothing more than a customer. You have no more right to know anything than any other customer of any other business.

 

Come down from your own backside along with others who have these delusional thoughts, you are not special because you are fan, you are no more special than any customer of any other business. You may like to think differently but you are just a balance sheet number.

[Saintslass]

Come down from your own backside along with others who have these delusional thoughts, you are not special because you are fan, you are no more special than any customer of any other business. You may like to think differently but you are just a balance sheet number.

I'd like to see how many Sky deals would be done if all the fans stopped watching.  Don't be silly.  Of course I'm special because I'm a fan.  You're special for the same reason.  Without us Sky wouldn't be remotely interested in our sport because there would be nobody to boost their viewing figures would there? 

 

And of course I make demands of my supermarket and hairdresser.  If they don't meet those demands, I go elsewhere.  And if too many people follow a similar course of action, those businesses fold.

[jpmc]

My guess on this is the RFL have agreed this structure with now idea how they'd make it work. Sky have sat there watching it all unfold and working out the value to them. They then got in touch with the RFL and made them a take it or leave it offer to make sure they get the full package and also keep it away from rivals. We can examine it and wonder if BT would offer more or a split package would make more. At the end of the day its got the RFL out of a massive funding hole and increase the current deal by £70m - £80m. So there's certainly more positives than negatives.

As its Hudgell who has broke this bit of news on twitter, and its hudgell who has said he only had two hour to mull over the decision,should'nt we assume its Hudgell and co who have made the collective decision to accept this financial figure,what ever that figure might be,and not the rfl

[Saintslass]

As its Hudgell who has broke this bit of news on twitter, and its hudgell who has said he only had two hour to mull over the decision,should'nt we assume its Hudgell and co who have made the collective decision to accept this financial figure,what ever that figure might be,and not the rfl

Koukash as well.

[bobbruce]

As its Hudgell who has broke this bit of news on twitter, and its hudgell who has said he only had two hour to mull over the decision,should'nt we assume its Hudgell and co who have made the collective decision to accept this financial figure,what ever that figure might be,and not the rfl

We don't need to assume we now the SL chairmen have the final say on the SL TV deal.

[Padge]

I'd like to see how many Sky deals would be done if all the fans stopped watching.  Don't be silly.  Of course I'm special because I'm a fan.  You're special for the same reason.  Without us Sky wouldn't be remotely interested in our sport because there would be nobody to boost their viewing figures would there? 

 

And of course I make demands of my supermarket and hairdresser.  If they don't meet those demands, I go elsewhere.  And if too many people follow a similar course of action, those businesses fold.

 

The demands you make on your supermarket and hairdresser, are they things like how much did you pay for product X, what is the margin on product Y, how much is the store manager paid and how much do you pay for adverts, or what premium do you charge for having products placed in prominent positions, no I suspected not.

 

Why the hell you thank labeling a customer as a fan gives you an entitlement to know more about the business is beyond me.

 

You are a customer, you pay for a product and a company supplies the product. Like it or lump it you have no more reason or right to know anymore than the customer at the corner shop has to know about about their business.

 

Fan = Customer

[John Rhino]

Keep up the speculation folks. Pick, pick away until what was a good news story turns into the end of civilisation as we know it inside twelve hours.

Roll on the start of the season.

[jpmc]

Koukash as well.

At the moment it sounds like a "take it or leave it deal" if thats the case and the deal is truly worth 200 million then i think it wasn't really a difficult decision to make.

The only thing i would possibly have asked for would be an agreement, that we could ask to have a chat about renegotiating the last year or so of the deal if the viewing figures took off

[the phoenix]

didnt think it would be long before the doom and gloom set in 

[Padge]

At the moment it sounds like a "take it or leave it deal" if thats the case and the deal is truly worth 200 million then i think it wasn't really a difficult decision to make.

The only thing i would possibly have asked for would be an agreement, that we could ask to have a chat about renegotiating the last year or so of the deal if the viewing figures took off

 

The RFL were playing poker with an opponent who could clearly see their cards, no matter what face they put on Sky knew they had the winning hand.

 

At least the threat of BT has forced Sky to pay something moving towards a more realistic value of the game.