Why does it have to be SKY?

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

New deal awaits

Why can't it be BT Sport? If so then that would be SKY gone for me. They've got the Gallagher Premiership already so why don't they aim to become 'the' rugby broadcaster? 

Surely they must have some interest that might at least keep SKY honest in their negotiations? 

[Damien]

There is no reason why it has to be anyone in particular. However for all their knockers Sky have consistently put their money where their mouth is. In comparison, as far as I know, the likes of BT have never even bid.

[robins up north]

Be careful what you wish for.

[weloveyouwakefield2]

In years gone by sky have come in with a offer and the rfl say you have got a few hours to decide if you want it or not or it will be off the table. It didn’t give the club’s much option! 

[Man of Kent]

Got no problems at all with Sky except IMHO they aren’t paying enough.

Another bidder to bump up the price would be useful. 

I’m quite optimistic about the next deal. 

Super League Europe seems to have pulled its finger out and entered the 21st century.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Can only see BT getting interested if they get outbid for the Champions League rights by Sky in the next round of deals.

If Sky recapture European football off BT then there will be a large hole in their sports offering that they will be scrambling around to fill.

It looks anyway to me like BT are struggling to compete with Sky Sports in the last 12 months or so.

 

[HawkMan]

1 hour ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Can only see BT getting interested if they get outbid for the Champions League rights by Sky in the next round of deals.

If Sky recapture European football off BT then there will be a large hole in their sports offering that they will be scrambling around to fill.

It looks anyway to me like BT are struggling to compete with Sky Sports in the last 12 months or so.

 

Totally agree with this, but also this weekend has demonstrated that BT's domestic football output is weak compared to SKY. If BT want more subscribers then however much we RL fans are peeved by it, the fact is RL coverage doesn't cut it, only footy brings in subscribers. I suggest that BT's priority is to get more EPL.

On the other hand if SKY fail to get Champions League then they could go for Gallagher RU to go with SL and create a Rugby Channel, 407 or 408, that'll be cool.

[Mr Frisky]

I think as the market is so unpredictable RL would be happy with a copy of the current deal - throw in say 8 to 10 live SL games a season for the BBC - Say BBC2 on a sat night and everyones a winner.

[Rhinoferg]

Channel 5 or ITV would be better

[dixiedean]

51 minutes ago, SL17 said:

Do you want money? Or exposure? For the game.

Ideally both. A regular game every week on the same channel at a known time would do wonders. Every other game on pay TV.

[southwalesrabbitoh]

19 minutes ago, dixiedean said:

Ideally both. A regular game every week on the same channel at a known time would do wonders. Every other game on pay TV.

A live SL match every other week on a Saturday night on Channel 5 would be ideal for me. 

[redsi42]

If it’s Money your after it’s a pay tv channel but it doesn’t help grow the sport. 

id go for coverage on a free to air channel and look at sponsorship.

 

[JohnM]

Comprehensive, regular and frequent free to air broadcasting of games will in my view reduce the revenue clubs get from paying spectators as notoriously tight-wadded RL fans vote with their feet. 

[RayCee]

They show too few SL games and no Championship games despite getting those rights too. I feel they want the rights to stop others getting them but aren't really interested in RL. Could be wrong but why don't they show more games?

Surely a deal should include something on free to air to spread the game to a wider audience. 

I guess if they make the biggest offer, they will get the rights. SL clubs are so hungry for more cash.

 

[whatmichaelsays]

11 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Got no problems at all with Sky except IMHO they aren’t paying enough.

I see this claim mentioned a lot, but what's the basis for it? 

RL content won't pull in the high value advertisers (and that's only going to get worse when Sky's programmatic ad model fully rolls out) , there can only be so many subscriptions that rely on RL content and, in recent years, we've slid down the table as far as Sky's ratings earners are concerned. On what basis do people think RL deserves more? 

If other broadcasters think RL content can be profitable, they'd get involved. The fact they don't is probably a good indicator of our market rate. 

[Smudger06]

16 minutes ago, whatmichaelsays said:

I see this claim mentioned a lot, but what's the basis for it? 

RL content won't pull in the high value advertisers (and that's only going to get worse when Sky's programmatic ad model fully rolls out) , there can only be so many subscriptions that rely on RL content and, in recent years, we've slid down the table as far as Sky's ratings earners are concerned. On what basis do people think RL deserves more? 

If other broadcasters think RL content can be profitable, they'd get involved. The fact they don't is probably a good indicator of our market rate. 

Other broadcasters don't get the chance to get involved, Sky usually offers a take it or Leave it deal way before the current contract expires. RFL / SLE cash hungry, short sighted and lacking confidence scurry about to get signed up as quick as possible. Sky scare RFL/SLE by saying they will pay half the take it or leave it deal if it goes to the open market at the end of the present contract. 

[whatmichaelsays]

16 minutes ago, Smudger06 said:

Other broadcasters don't get the chance to get involved, Sky usually offers a take it or Leave it deal way before the current contract expires. RFL / SLE cash hungry, short sighted and lacking confidence scurry about to get signed up as quick as possible. Sky scare RFL/SLE by saying they will pay half the take it or leave it deal if it goes to the open market at the end of the present contract. 

That has happened once - it was Ian Lenaghan's famous "I didn't agree with it, I thought it was bad, but I voted for it anyway" moment.

On other occasions, the RFL has usually outsourced the rights sale to IMG - and those guys are no mugs by any stretch. 

Like I say, I don't see the justification to the argument that RL deserved more from Sky - if it was as obvious as people like to make out, they should have no issue pointing those justifications out. Remember as well that at the time of Sky's offer, they were desperate for good news ahead of their stock market announcement. 

There are however lots of good indicators to show that we aren't that valuable and, notwithstanding SBW, that we're probably less valuable that we were when the rights were last renewed. 

[Man of Kent]

4 minutes ago, whatmichaelsays said:

Like I say, I don't see the justification to the argument that RL deserved more from Sky - there are lots of good indicators to show that we aren't that valuable and, notwithstanding SBW, that we're probably less valuable that we were when the rights were last renewed. 

Didn’t last month’s GF record the highest ever ratings for any Super League game on Sky?

I don’t believe Sky are considerably underpaying but there’s certainly no reason to believe Sky will pay even less after 2021. 

[Oliver Clothesoff]

Not really fussed who it is and I don’t see why it’s a big deal who it is. That said, Sky have been loyal to the game for 25+ years, so their contribution should not be ignored or disregarded.

 

[whatmichaelsays]

10 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Didn’t last month’s GF record the highest ever ratings for any Super League game on Sky?

I don’t believe Sky are considerably underpaying but there’s certainly no reason to believe Sky will pay even less after 2021. 

I think the general trendline for viewing figures on Sky in recent years, including this season has been a downwards one (although I'd have to dig the stats out). 

The big thing that will affect our value in my view, is changes to the ad industry. 

RL talks to an audience that is incredibly easy and cheap to reach. Companies don't need to advertise on TV or engage in expensive sport sponsorships to reach the sort of audience RL reaches when you can do it online for £50 per 1,000. That impacts the value of ad slots around RL content, it's why we struggle for sponsors and its conversely why Sky goes big on sports like golf and F1. 

The value of sports rights in general is going down, there is a lot of resistence to the way they have been escalating (particularly in football) and I'd argue that RL is more vulnerable to that trend than most - it doesn't pull in the big advertisers and I can't imagine enough subscriptions rely on RL. 

[hrtbps]

15 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

New deal awaits

Why can't it be BT Sport? If so then that would be SKY gone for me. They've got the Gallagher Premiership already so why don't they aim to become 'the' rugby broadcaster? 

Surely they must have some interest that might at least keep SKY honest in their negotiations? 

I'd much rather see it go to Channels 4 or 5. Huge potential for the sport with a terrestrial audience.

[Bleep1673]

Can't see BT getting interested in Rugby League at all, they have never had anything to do with our sport, and they prefer Union, openly, above League.

[Number 16]

18 hours ago, weloveyouwakefield2 said:

In years gone by sky have come in with a offer and the rfl say you have got a few hours to decide if you want it or not or it will be off the table. It didn’t give the club’s much option! 

The only option clubs could decide on is Sky or Nothing.

I don't see anyone else offering the bucks that Sky do.

[graveyard johnny]

let sky do what they do with the clause NO thurs or sat night games- Friday night  and sunday evening and stop using our games as schedule fillers to suit themselves

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

4 hours ago, graveyard johnny said:

let sky do what they do with the clause NO thurs or sat night games- Friday night  and sunday evening and stop using our games as schedule fillers to suit themselves

Hmmm....you say schedule fillers but I look forward to Thursday night games.... Gets me in the weekend mood....