Jump to content

IMG Strategic Partnership Announced


Recommended Posts

Maybe its been announced before but its the first time I've seen this detail. Again though one seat out of five and talk of what IMG recommend sounds very advisory to me and the will still has to come from the game to drive any change through:

Significantly, IMG will have a representative on a new five-person rugby league commercial board.

An insider told The Times: “That’s where IMG’s clout will come — through the board of rugby league commercial. It will be a key relationship.

“Super League clubs broke away in 2018 but ended up getting far less money in the current Sky deal. IMG’s first challenge from 2024 onwards is to get the game to a position where the TV deal starts going back up rather than keep going back down.

“IMG like the idea of getting their hands on a sport and being able to reshape it. It could be hugely significant in terms of how the game is structured moving forward.

“This is rugby league’s equivalent of when the game switched to a summer sport and Super League was formed in 1996. Everything is on the table in terms of what IMG recommend – it’s a blank sheet of paper.”

Rugby league’s deal with IMG ‘can propel the game to where it’s never been before’ | Sport | The Times

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


21 minutes ago, Damien said:

Maybe its been announced before but its the first time I've seen this detail. Again though one seat out of five and talk of what IMG recommend sounds very advisory to me and the will still has to come from the game to drive any change through:

Significantly, IMG will have a representative on a new five-person rugby league commercial board.

An insider told The Times: “That’s where IMG’s clout will come — through the board of rugby league commercial. It will be a key relationship.

“Super League clubs broke away in 2018 but ended up getting far less money in the current Sky deal. IMG’s first challenge from 2024 onwards is to get the game to a position where the TV deal starts going back up rather than keep going back down.

“IMG like the idea of getting their hands on a sport and being able to reshape it. It could be hugely significant in terms of how the game is structured moving forward.

“This is rugby league’s equivalent of when the game switched to a summer sport and Super League was formed in 1996. Everything is on the table in terms of what IMG recommend – it’s a blank sheet of paper.”

Rugby league’s deal with IMG ‘can propel the game to where it’s never been before’ | Sport | The Times

One of the articles I read on this yesterday suggested that they won't have a place on this board and the 5th member would be independent, but they may buy in in future. 

TBH, the detail does appear to be a little all over the place, I was always under the impression that the independent board member would be from the strategic partner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, Oxford said:

Some things are very different about RL supporters, other sports' fans will turn up to the opening of envelope whereas RL fans won't bother in numbers fo a major final. It's not so much they can't be fooled as they can't be bothered.

 

I don't fully disagree, RL's fanbase is of a type that is different to some other sports, but then most sports are quite different, but I think the reality is that it is simpler than that and it is just a numbers game.

If you have a huge fanbase built up (RU nations could sell out the biggest 6N games two or three times over) then only having 25% of them interested in a lower ranked Autumn international can still deliver a huge crowd of 50k plus.

In reality, RL's top end number is probably around 50k (we know this because our grounds are never full, so we see the top number) so if we put on games that appeal to only 25% of fans, then we maybe end up with 10 to 12k, which is what we see.

If we regularly got 70k for England in the big games, we could then be pushing for 25k for the lower ranked games and these paying - but it wasn't too long ago we only had just over 17k at Hull for a game versus the Kiwis.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m not trying to push any narrative here or create a story but from what I can see on Twitter, only four clubs (Saints, York, Wigan, Warrington) having retweeted the news either via the Super League Twitter page or the RFL Twitter page. Our clubs’ use of social media is not good at all. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Jughead said:

I’m not trying to push any narrative here or create a story but from what I can see on Twitter, only four clubs (Saints, York, Wigan, Warrington) having retweeted the news either via the Super League Twitter page or the RFL Twitter page. Our clubs’ use of social media is not good at all. 

Would you expect Turkey's to be promoting the announcement of Christmas on their Twitter accounts? (or Gobble accounts... I don't know I'm not Chris Packham am I). 

I was born to run a club like this. Number 1, I do not spook easily, and those who think I do, are wasting their time, with their surprise attacks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

I don't fully disagree, RL's fanbase is of a type that is different to some other sports, but then most sports are quite different, but I think the reality is that it is simpler than that and it is just a numbers game.

If you have a huge fanbase built up (RU nations could sell out the biggest 6N games two or three times over) then only having 25% of them interested in a lower ranked Autumn international can still deliver a huge crowd of 50k plus.

In reality, RL's top end number is probably around 50k (we know this because our grounds are never full, so we see the top number) so if we put on games that appeal to only 25% of fans, then we maybe end up with 10 to 12k, which is what we see.

If we regularly got 70k for England in the big games, we could then be pushing for 25k for the lower ranked games and these paying - but it wasn't too long ago we only had just over 17k at Hull for a game versus the Kiwis.

That 17k was affected by also having a game in Leeds which is a far more popular for Yorkshire based fans given the choice. When there was only one Yorkshire game and that was in Hull then it was better attended.

The 3 test formula against Oz and NZ that should be followed except for extraordinary circumstances should be 1 game London, 1 game Leeds, 1 game North West or elsewhere like Coventry or Newcastle. Multiple games in either of those regions would unnecessarily cannibalise eachother as we saw with Leeds and Hull in the example you gave.

For less marquee fixtures, such as those against European opposition, then venues like Brentford could be explored. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, DI Keith Fowler said:

Would you expect Turkey's to be promoting the announcement of Christmas on their Twitter accounts? (or Gobble accounts... I don't know I'm not Chris Packham am I). 

Excellent.. so you're not Chris Packham... I'm narrowing down who you actually are now. One down.. I'm going to take a punt that you're not David Attenborough either.. this may take a while though!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

That 17k was affected by also having a game in Leeds which is a far more popular for Yorkshire based fans given the choice. When there was only one Yorkshire game and that was in Hull then it was better attended.

The 3 test formula against Oz and NZ that should be followed except for extraordinary circumstances should be 1 game London, 1 game Leeds, 1 game North West or elsewhere like Coventry or Newcastle. Multiple games in either of those regions would unnecessarily cannibalise eachother as we saw with Leeds and Hull in the example you gave.

For less marquee fixtures, such as those against European opposition, then venues like Brentford could be explored. 

East, West, London - tbh, it worked for years and is still generally by far the best approach for a 3 test series (counting Manc as East).. We don't need to move too far from that formula and have a relatively nice selection of grounds to go at. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Dave T said:

I don't fully disagree, RL's fanbase is of a type that is different to some other sports, but then most sports are quite different, but I think the reality is that it is simpler than that and it is just a numbers game.

If you have a huge fanbase built up (RU nations could sell out the biggest 6N games two or three times over) then only having 25% of them interested in a lower ranked Autumn international can still deliver a huge crowd of 50k plus.

In reality, RL's top end number is probably around 50k (we know this because our grounds are never full, so we see the top number) so if we put on games that appeal to only 25% of fans, then we maybe end up with 10 to 12k, which is what we see.

If we regularly got 70k for England in the big games, we could then be pushing for 25k for the lower ranked games and these paying - but it wasn't too long ago we only had just over 17k at Hull for a game versus the Kiwis.

The RFL basically set up an England RL fans membership scheme in 2019, then played as Great Britain that year and had no England games. This is how far back we are coming from.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Dave T said:

I don't fully disagree, RL's fanbase is of a type that is different to some other sports, but then most sports are quite different, but I think the reality is that it is simpler than that and it is just a numbers game.

If you have a huge fanbase built up (RU nations could sell out the biggest 6N games two or three times over) then only having 25% of them interested in a lower ranked Autumn international can still deliver a huge crowd of 50k plus.

In reality, RL's top end number is probably around 50k (we know this because our grounds are never full, so we see the top number) so if we put on games that appeal to only 25% of fans, then we maybe end up with 10 to 12k, which is what we see.

If we regularly got 70k for England in the big games, we could then be pushing for 25k for the lower ranked games and these paying - but it wasn't too long ago we only had just over 17k at Hull for a game versus the Kiwis.

I think you agree more than you don't there Dave.

I did not want to use the example of kick and C simply because it would look like the same old same old. They spent years cultivating that result  with the help of press and Beeb, but the result is still the opening of an envelope.

  • Like 1

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Oxford said:

I think you agree more than you don't there Dave.

I did not want to use the example of kick and C simply because it would look like the same old same old. They spent years cultivating that result  with the help of press and Beeb, but the result is still the opening of an envelope.

I suppose the area of disagreement is that I don't believe it is just because our fans don't want to go. I think they behave broadly in line with other fans, there is more demand for bigger matches, less demand for smaller games. Just tge same as football, Union and cricket. 

@Scubby makes a good point regarding the incompetence, but even acknowledging that, RL fans support a lot of events. Almost blaming fans gives the governing bodies a free pass. 

We are just a modest sized group, which is ultimately the problem here. Adding fans/customers/viewers/investors to the existing base is the aim. 

Edited by Dave T
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

The RFL basically set up an England RL fans membership scheme in 2019, then played as Great Britain that year and had no England games. This is how far back we are coming from.

The fan engagement in RL is horrendously bad. Really appalling. There are major improvements that can be delivered there via IMG, although it is fair to say benefits can take some time to materialise - but surely that's the point of a 12y agreement. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Dave T said:

The fan engagement in RL is horrendously bad. Really appalling. There are major improvements that can be delivered there via IMG, although it is fair to say benefits can take some time to materialise - but surely that's the point of a 12y agreement. 

I think the RFL/SL have no clue about the potential of Our League - they never have. I hope this is where IMG can add huge value

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Dave T said:

I don't believe it is just because our fans don't want to go

No Dave, not they don't necessarily want to go more they can't be bothered more often than not. Other sports see their event as magic because they're events.

Simon Johnson skirted around restructure neatly but it was quite obvious that is very much in the offing. ( that phrase doesn't sound right so I'm hoping you catch my drift). 😉

Edited by Oxford

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just on the future international program for England I think it should look something like this

Year 1 - Samoa x 1 Test, Tonga x 1 Test, PNG x 1 Test 

Year 2 - Kiwi Tour x 3 Tests

Year 3 - Kangaroo Tour x 3 Tests

Year 4 - World Cup

Play France and Wales each year or second year, gives 5 tests a year.

I would love to see the return of the 4 Nations as it was a good tournament, allowing also for qualification games for minor nations. 

I think we shouldn't get hung up on series other then against Australia and NZ and focus on one off event type internationals as they do in union.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just had an interesting discussion with the IMG person who will lead that organisation's role in Rugby League over the next 12 years.

A fascinating discussion, not least because he is a Rugby League fan himself - a Wests Tigers supporter, in fact.

A full report in Monday's League Express.

  • Like 12
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Martyn Sadler said:

I've just had an interesting discussion with the IMG person who will lead that organisation's role in Rugby League over the next 12 years.

A fascinating discussion, not least because he is a Rugby League fan himself - a Wests Tigers supporter, in fact.

A full report in Monday's League Express.

looking forward to it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Martyn Sadler said:

I've just had an interesting discussion with the IMG person who will lead that organisation's role in Rugby League over the next 12 years.

A fascinating discussion, not least because he is a Rugby League fan himself - a Wests Tigers supporter, in fact.

A full report in Monday's League Express.

Tremendous.

That is a good scoop to get him so quickly. 

And may I suggest any thought on a fans Q and A in the future?

Edited by idrewthehaggis
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Martyn Sadler said:

I've just had an interesting discussion with the IMG person who will lead that organisation's role in Rugby League over the next 12 years.

A fascinating discussion, not least because he is a Rugby League fan himself - a Wests Tigers supporter, in fact.

A full report in Monday's League Express.

An Australian Martyn ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Martyn Sadler said:

I've just had an interesting discussion with the IMG person who will lead that organisation's role in Rugby League over the next 12 years.

A fascinating discussion, not least because he is a Rugby League fan himself - a Wests Tigers supporter, in fact.

A full report in Monday's League Express.

So teaser and eye for the gap apart Martyn "fascinating" as in positive?

Edited by Oxford

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Surely not a " stone the crows and starve the lizards cobber ! " type genuine.

Chips Rafferty or Robert Mitchum in The Sundowner?  It's a difficult choice between those two!

My vote is Bud Tingwell

  • Like 2

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.