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2 Year TV Deal


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6 minutes ago, Bleep1673 said:

I don't want to P*** on anybody's parade, but two thing about the announcement strike me as strange, a) the deal gives Sky first pick of games in the regular season, against who? b) Our partnership has seen record viewing figures recently. Because no-one can attend games in real life you idiots.

I think everyone is well aware of that. Its good to talk the game up and is what every other sport does.

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Lets hope another TV company come in with a deal to show Championship games, because Sky's monopoly is strangling the game, yes I am anti-Sky, and I think we need a choice of broadcaster, not just Dull Woods on the BBC, and a shifting of broadcast time on BBC2 of the Super League show from Breakfast last week on Tuesday, to Tea-time on Wednesday this week, there is no continuity to find a fan base. Match of the Day would never be moved.

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For me this announcement is something of a mixed bag.

Good in one sense that live games are looking like being shown on other platforms, probably free to air such as the BBC. The wider coverage the game gets the better as the game has always played 2nd fiddle to other sports in this country.

On the downside though is the massive shortfall in money. There's no way they will be able to recoup that £15M from selling the remaining games to other platforms, and in the current climate I seriously doubt the increased coverage will result in more or improved sponsorship that will make up the shortfall.

Something has to give and I suspect it will be a significant reduction in funding to everything below SL. The question now is will the RFL be able to recoup a large proportion of that by selling the rights to the Championship ? - Personally I doubt it, meaning even less money for clubs that are already on their knees.

I think this TV deal negotiation and the the previous one (also not forgetting the disasterous Stobart sponsorship deal) has shown that the people running the game are nothing short of useless. We have a fantastic, entertaining and innovative product to sell but its akin to putting a complete idiot with an IQ less than 10 in front of the Dragons, saying please invest in our product its great, and them just replying OK i'll give you 50p for a 95% share, and the idiot saying yes, walking away thinking they've got a good deal.  

St.Helens - The Home of record breaking Rugby Champions

 

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3 minutes ago, Bleep1673 said:

Lets hope another TV company come in with a deal to show Championship games, because Sky's monopoly is strangling the game, yes I am anti-Sky, and I think we need a choice of broadcaster, not just Dull Woods on the BBC, and a shifting of broadcast time on BBC2 of the Super League show from Breakfast last week on Tuesday, to Tea-time on Wednesday this week, there is no continuity to find a fan base. Match of the Day would never be moved.

I'm with you, I don't think the Beeb is the answer long term, for the Championship or SL. We need a broadcasting partner (or partners) who genuinely believe in the game and want to promote it on their platforms, maximising exposure. The Beeb aren't arsed as they don't generate revenue from it. A commercial channel like ITV or CH4 would probably work much harder to promote the game as its in their own interest to bring in viewers as this then brings in greater advertising revenues for them.

Personally i'd like to see a joint provider of BT and ITV (or CH4) with a term of at least 5 years.

If anyone in the RFL had any brains they'd be starting those negotiations as soon as the ink was dry on the current new contracts. 2 years is plenty long enough to get the best deal for the sport.

Having said that nothing will happen at all for 23 months and then someone will panic, pick up the phone to Sky and be thankful for whatever pitiful deal they offer us for beyond 2023 !!

St.Helens - The Home of record breaking Rugby Champions

 

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BT do not even have the same reach as Sky. It'd be a massive downgrade, as Speedway has learned.

If we had games on the BBC, and the highlights at a much better time, they're allowed to show them on a Sunday evening and choose not to, then that'd be a great additional deal.

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4 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

I'm with you, I don't think the Beeb is the answer long term, for the Championship or SL. We need a broadcasting partner (or partners) who genuinely believe in the game and want to promote it on their platforms, maximising exposure. The Beeb aren't arsed as they don't generate revenue from it. A commercial channel like ITV or CH4 would probably work much harder to promote the game as its in their own interest to bring in viewers as this then brings in greater advertising revenues for them.

Personally i'd like to see a joint provider of BT and ITV (or CH4) with a term of at least 5 years.

If anyone in the RFL had any brains they'd be starting those negotiations as soon as the ink was dry on the current new contracts. 2 years is plenty long enough to get the best deal for the sport.

Having said that nothing will happen at all for 23 months and then someone will panic, pick up the phone to Sky and be thankful for whatever pitiful deal they offer us for beyond 2023 !!

More people watch BBC & Sky than BT & ITV. So we’re probably with the right partners for exposure at the minute

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48 minutes ago, Spidey said:

More people watch BBC & Sky than BT & ITV. So we’re probably with the right partners for exposure at the minute

Sky undoubtedly has a bigger audience than BT but on top of reduced financial terms they seem to have all but given up on promoting the sport, not when you think back to how much effort they put in at the start of the SL era. If we can get better financial terms from BT then i'd go with them. BT frequently advertise their content on SKY and ITV anyway so can promote the game via those audiences.

There isn't much in it these days in overall audience share. The latest figures I could find were from 2019 which had;

BBC - 31%

ITV - 23.4%

Ch4 - 10%

Sky - 9.7%

As for BBC's promotion of our sport, its virtually non-existent, so audience share is almost irrelevant if nobody knows about us and the broadcaster can't be arsed telling their audience.

Personally i'd rather have a partner with a smaller overall audience share who's willing to go all out to promote the game to their audience, than one with a bigger share who barely promotes us at all.

St.Helens - The Home of record breaking Rugby Champions

 

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1 minute ago, Saint Toppy said:

There isn't much in it these days in overall audience share. The latest figures I could find were from 2019 which had;

BBC - 31%

ITV - 23.4%

Ch4 - 10%

Sky - 9.7%

BBC have 30% more viewers than ITV. I think that’s significant enough. Lump in Sky v BT it’ll be a hell of a lot more. 

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1 hour ago, Chrispmartha said:

There will be some very annoyed people on here if the BBC thing is true - it will mean the deal is actually a good one and the sport will get more coverage so they won't be able to moan.

I have been saying for a while now that the sport needed to address the cost of being on Sky or not on TV at all for 90%+  of the time and that if this next sky deal was significantly lower then I wouldn't accept it without FTA coverage.

If the deal was going to be £10 mill less anyway, then taking £15 mill less for Sky to lose exclusivity (but retain first choice on their 2 out of 6 games per round) seems sensible to me.

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9 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

As for BBC's promotion of our sport, its virtually non-existent, so audience share is almost irrelevant if nobody knows about us and the broadcaster can't be arsed telling their audience.

Personally i'd rather have a partner with a smaller overall audience share who's willing to go all out to promote the game to their audience, than one with a bigger share who barely promotes us at all.

Bit unfair. They were all over the Rob Burrow story.

I'm sure they'd promote live Super League games at 3pm on a Saturday. Why wouldn't they?

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3 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Bit unfair. They were all over the Rob Burrow story.

I'm sure they'd promote live Super League games at 3pm on a Saturday. Why wouldn't they?

I think the BBC CC coverage is excellent, but we know already that they don't bother to promote it. There have been times when they have done an article on 'Live sport on the BBC this weekend' that doesn't even mention the live match they have on BBC1/2.

I can confirm 30+ less sales for Scotland vs Italy at Workington, after this afternoons test purchase for the Tonga match, £7.50 is extremely reasonable, however a £2.50 'delivery' fee for a walk in purchase is beyond taking the mickey, good luck with that, it's cheaper on the telly.

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2 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

They promote women's football etc, and it's more about eyes on the product. A SL game on BBC1 is likely to have more viewers than any regular season game on Sky would. That's worth it.

That's true, but it does underline a slight fault in this plan (if indeed it is the plan). The most-watched games of the season will probably be the 3rd most attractive game of the weekend it is played on, since Sky will have picked off the better matches.

I can confirm 30+ less sales for Scotland vs Italy at Workington, after this afternoons test purchase for the Tonga match, £7.50 is extremely reasonable, however a £2.50 'delivery' fee for a walk in purchase is beyond taking the mickey, good luck with that, it's cheaper on the telly.

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5 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

That's true, but it does underline a slight fault in this plan (if indeed it is the plan). The most-watched games of the season will probably be the 3rd most attractive game of the weekend it is played on, since Sky will have picked off the better matches.

That's true but if you are paying the money, you are gonna be wanting the best picks. 

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Part of the new deal will also see Sky make some of this season's fixtures available via the broadcaster's free-to-air platforms

BBC confirms it's not them televising matches but SKY

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/56915807

Quote

When the pinch comes the common people will turn out to be more intelligent than the clever ones. I certainly hope so.

George Orwell
 
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You either own NFTs or women’s phone numbers but not both

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4 minutes ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

BBC confirms it's not them televising matches but SKY

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/56915807

Not yet.

"The Super League clubs had also originally hoped to sell a separate package to a different broadcaster, that would involve 10 live Super League matches broadcast throughout the year with a weekly highlights programme.

As yet there is no news about that package."

Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

Twitter: @NewhamDockersRL - Get following!

www.newhamdockers.co.uk

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4 hours ago, gingerjon said:

If we get 10 Super League games on the bbc that would be a real saving grace from this deal. It would give greater exposure to modern day Rugby League in the UK than ever before. The World Cup, Challenge Cup and Super League on free to air tv would bring in new fans to the sport for sure. But they’ll of come at a great financial cost with the £15 million per year reduction in Sky funding. 

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43 minutes ago, EastLondonMike said:

Not yet.

"The Super League clubs had also originally hoped to sell a separate package to a different broadcaster, that would involve 10 live Super League matches broadcast throughout the year with a weekly highlights programme.

As yet there is no news about that package."

Has that changed, because it doesn't say what Red Rooster says it does, and somebody earlier said Woods denied it. 

It would be good if he has removed that mention as it suggests he has had to correct it. 

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There is a lot of conjecture on this thread - If they could get a FTA broadcaster interested in 10 games per year with a highlights p[ackage that may alter things.

The BBC does have the right to highlights to the end of this season and the Challenge Cup to 2024

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/55314634

However the press association also dampens the "other broadcaster" theory

https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/betfred-super-league-tv-rights-sky-sports-rights-2021-23

The obvious comparitor would be the nine European Cup Rugby (Union) games on Channel 4 but that to my knowledge is not a big revenue earner. Nor is it that popular despite being on at the TV time advocated on here. Viewing habits have changed since Grandstand was in its heyday.

One other point for those with longer memories remember when SKY wanted to show the other Super League games on a Friday on the Red Button .. That idea did not last too long once clubs cottoned onto the fact that fans would opt for the armchair over the terrace.

The same would apply if Our League was allowed to continue post pandemic on the same basis as now. The only way to make it economic would be to charge the same (if not more ) than you pay through the turnstiles. which would probably more than halve the audience.

You need a live audience at matches anyway , not only for the food and drink concessions but the purchase of merchandise and more importantly the big match atmosphere it generates which is what makes a sport attractive to a broadcaster in the first place.

One final negative point, SKY have first dibs on then matches in each round. Now I have always felt when you get Good Friday, a day on which League has little sporting competition, you pick Saints v Wigan and Hull FC v Hull KR and let the game sell itself on FTA. But hold on those are exactly the games SKY wants.

Not looking too good a deal.

 

Quote

When the pinch comes the common people will turn out to be more intelligent than the clever ones. I certainly hope so.

George Orwell
 
image.png.5fe5424fdf31c5004e2aad945309f68e.png

You either own NFTs or women’s phone numbers but not both

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So £40m tv deal last time was for everything. 

Rumour is £25m sky plus £3-5m from BBC. 

Our league could generate another £1m. 

Ultimately game loses about £10m. Biggest chunk will go from championship and I'd expect SL clubs to go to £1.6m ish. 

Loss of 200k means clubs will need to find extra 1k on gates/ reduce wages by 12% or so 

And sadly no chance ITV gets rights 

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1 hour ago, Just Browny said:

I think the BBC CC coverage is excellent, but we know already that they don't bother to promote it. There have been times when they have done an article on 'Live sport on the BBC this weekend' that doesn't even mention the live match they have on BBC1/2.

If the BBC did pick up 10 SL games over the season then along with the Challenge Cup games they would be showing 3 (or 4) live RL games every four weeks for a three month period. With probably one game per fortnight for the rest of the season. The lack of promotion issue should then disappear as their coverage of the sport would be on a regular pattern rather than sporadic as at present which would increase their chances of keeping an audience for the coverage amongst more casual viewers rather than just RL fans. This would increase the incentive for them to promote the coverage.

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5 hours ago, Smudger06 said:

Win win 4 Sky anyway, can use pitch side LED to advertise Sky Sports & Now TV on the beeb FTA in slots where normally no football is allowed......

Win win for clubs as Sky would have to pay pitch side advertising 

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