For Info: "New" UK TV Channels for Sport

[gingerjon]

The merger for Eurosport UK (Discovery) and BT Sport has been approved:

https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/bts-joint-venture-with-warner-bros-discovery-wont-face-in-depth-uk-antitrust-2022-07-22/

Means the market will look a little different the next time our rights are up.

[RigbyLuger]

A shame BTs coverage of the football is generally terrible, and that's where they spend the cash. When I moved from Virgin, paying for BT never crossed my mind.

[Dallas Mead]

I’m sure they’ll be scrambling for RL rights when they come up.

[Derwent]

20 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Give them a worthwhile product with some mid season internationals as sky locked down the union ones and no reason why not. 

You can’t have meaningful mid-season internationals without buy-in from the NRL. So it’s a non-starter.

[nadera78]

21 minutes ago, Derwent said:

You can’t have meaningful mid-season internationals without buy-in from the NRL. So it’s a non-starter.

Of course you can, England (selected from SL only) v France is a meaningful game. In fact, any England game is meaningful if you want it to be.

England football and cricket teams regularly adjust their squads according to which players are available due to club commitments, and the rahrah's play test matches even when all of their best players are appearing for a made up GB&I touring team. It feels like it's only RL fans who have an issue with making these types of adjustments.

[ghost crayfish]

If you protect Catalans and Toulouse from relegation and lock in mid-year tests again France every year, it won't be long before it is a strong and healthy rivalry that should get decent crowds in either England or France, and be attractive to broadcasters.

Already, France can select a team of 17 regular top grade players, with lots of cup and grand final experience. Added to that, you have a competitive Ireland (heritage) side just waiting for selection. There's absolutely no reason England can't have 2-3 meaningful mid-year test matches every year, on top of the November internationals. You could still play a 'Rest of the World' side on top of those other 2 (and don't forget Scotland and Wales) if you wanted to. I don't mind the concept, done as an addition to other actual tests against actual countries, but also wouldn't grieve if it was axed.

It would be pretty easy to have a 14-team, 27-round Super League season, with a couple of free weekends for test matches that can be packaged and sold as extras to broadcasters. Give expansion clubs like those in France certainty with 3 or 5-year 'expansion licenses', so they can develop players, attract broadcast and commercial support, grow their supporter base etc. Retain P & R amongst 'heartland' clubs if you need it so much (and Sky Sports are rumoured to want it) and stick to the plan. 

[bar red]

England will be world champions by then and if the RFL can't sell that we  should all just pack it in.