A Q&A with Toronto Wolfpack CEO Bob Hunter

[RayCee]

I've always been confused about Sky UK. In Australia and NZ all NRL games are broadcast. In the UK Sky bought the rights to all the SL and Championship games but televise only a couple of games. It seems they bought the rights to get more subscribers and show just enough games to keep them.

I just don't see Sky UK as interested in the code. They try and get as much as they can from RL but do as little as possible in achieving it. Their attitude over the TWP situation only adds to that feeling. 

[Dave T]

8 hours ago, Damien said:

Again those markets should be nothing to do with Sky.

It depends on what Sky bought. They may have bought worldwide rights and they can then sell them on. 

Alternatively Sky may own the content they create and this may be what Hunter refers to. Maybe they only see value in creating their own content if they can bundle it with Sky's content, which they would have to buy.

[Dave T]

6 hours ago, TIWIT said:

It does if TWP makes money from them. Then they'd want a cut. And they must think TWP will which is why they want more up front now from them.

Hunter seems less optimistic than you. 

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, RayCee said:

I've always been confused about Sky UK. In Australia and NZ all NRL games are broadcast. In the UK Sky bought the rights to all the SL and Championship games but televise only a couple of games. It seems they bought the rights to get more subscribers and show just enough games to keep them.

I just don't see Sky UK as interested in the code. They try and get as much as they can from RL but do as little as possible in achieving it. Their attitude over the TWP situation only adds to that feeling. 

Couple of things, we don't broadcast all games of domestic leagues in the UK. It ain't a thing in any sport here. 

Sky have bought the rights to a number of games, but have exclusivity so others can't broadcast other games and weaken Sky's offering. 

It is a quite standard deal. 

That's not to say it should stay as it is, but culturally broadcasting every game ain't a thing in the UK. It is more of a thing in comps with a wider geographical spread like the Pro14 this year, and the RU Euro Cup, so there is an argument that as a minimum we should be getting a couple of UK games, plus up to two international games per week. 

[Omott91]

54 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Couple of things, we don't broadcast all games of domestic leagues in the UK. It ain't a thing in any sport here. 

Sky have bought the rights to a number of games, but have exclusivity so others can't broadcast other games and weaken Sky's offering. 

It is a quite standard deal. 

That's not to say it should stay as it is, but culturally broadcasting every game ain't a thing in the UK. It is more of a thing in comps with a wider geographical spread like the Pro14 this year, and the RU Euro Cup, so there is an argument that as a minimum we should be getting a couple of UK games, plus up to two international games per week. 

Would you prefer every game live on tv?

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Omott91 said:

Would you prefer every game live on tv?

As a viewer, 100%

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

42 minutes ago, Dave T said:

As a viewer, 100%

And, as a season ticket holder and/or regular attendee at matches knowing that games could/would be moved to almost any night of the week and time during the weekend, often at short notice, to enable all games to be shown live?

[Dave T]

11 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

And, as a season ticket holder and/or regular attendee at matches knowing that games could/would be moved to almost any night of the week and time during the weekend, often at short notice, to enable all games to be shown live?

If all games were to be televised surely that would make scheduling easier? How does it work in Oz? 

But this is my point, there are loads of things to consider. 

[TIWIT]

7 hours ago, Damien said:

Sky do not own the rights there so what they want is irrelevant.

But Sky does own the rights. Hunter & TWP want them so they can sell them in Canada and elsewhere. It is the amount that Sky wants for them that is the sticking point.

[manu266]

Sky owns the right in Canada but they have no network to broadcast there, so ultimately they have to sell it to someone, the current partner Sportsnet or someone else. That is if they ignore what the Wolfpack offers.

They offer to film all their home games and some of their away too. Meaning Sky can show more games on their home market, offer more games to their sister US/OZ/NZ networks and to the RFL international streaming platform.

And since Catalan is still without broadcaster for 2020...

Seems like a no brainer to me...

 

 

[The Great Dane]

4 hours ago, Dave T said:

If all games were to be televised surely that would make scheduling easier? How does it work in Oz? 

But this is my point, there are loads of things to consider. 

The time slots that games are broadcast in is negotiated between the NRL and the broadcasters (currently Nine and Fox) as part of the negotiations of the broadcasting rights contract.

Who has control of scheduling the draw and how much input the other parties have on it is also part of the broadcasting rights negotiations as well.

Generally it goes that the more power you give the broadcasters (i.e. letting games be played in the time slots they like and letting them control the scheduling) the more valuable the contract will be, but the more impact it'll have on fans, crowds, and the competition, and the opposite being true when the league has more control.

As a fan where you really want to be is in the middle where the league maximises the broadcasting rights value as much as possible while giving the broadcasters as little power as possible.