Report: 2025 World Cup on verge of collapse

[RP London]

16 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Broadcasters do not like empty stands.

Sponsors do not like empty stadiums.

And neither should you really @RP London

 

don't equate what I like to a discussion that, at no point, discusses my preferences.. that's just odd.. I don't like empty seats at all! However, I do realise we get them over here and we get them in aus at world cups.. sponsors pay what they are happy to pay and they pay less for RL because we don't sell the grounds out so they get what they expect. To think otherwise, frankly, is daft. 

Broadcasters would prefer full stadium as would every man jack anywhere, again, its stupid to say otherwise. However, how much do they prefer that.. free tv stream or pay and do the production yourself? I'd say they would take a less packed stadium and free tv stream every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Plus we get a better catchment. 

This isn't about what I would like or what you would like its about what works best.

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by RP London

[JonM]

FWIW, most of the tabloids have an item on Qatar bidding for the RLWC today, so it's already generated more publicity than anything else in British RL will this year.

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, JonM said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:International_sports_competitions_hosted_by_Qatar seems to suggest there's been quite a few, tbh.

So they've had baseball and ice hockey , long tradition of those sports in the desert

[RP London]

4 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Okay, which other non RL fans are watching in your imagination a sport being watched by nobody?

Give me a flavour of the countries where this big worldwide tv audience is happening?

Thats the point.. it isnt at the moment.. but with BeIN pushing the feed it CAN. At the moment and with a tournament elsewhere without this type of coverage it CANNOT... so whether anyone does or not now is irrelevant the point is this gives it a chance... 

[JonM]

1 minute ago, GUBRATS said:

So they've had baseball and ice hockey , long tradition of those sports in the desert

Water polo. Qatar is known for it.

[RP London]

4 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Yes, a sport with a handful of people knocking about a massive stadium hardly screams ‘watch me’ to a new fan does it.

First impressions count and it would be a terrible first impression.

But better to have the chance of a first impression than not surely.. and its the sport that needs to sell it not the crowd.. if the crowd is great and the sport on the pitch is rubbish do people continue to watch... i certainly wouldnt... even with fantastic crowds I turn off baseball and WWE (and I turn off very little sport)

[RP London]

3 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

So they've had baseball and ice hockey , long tradition of those sports in the desert

to be fair that was the Gulf Ice Hockey tournament... Oman, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar in a round robin... cant imagine a great standard!

[RP London]

3 minutes ago, JonM said:

Water polo. Qatar is known for it.

hosted as part of the Asian Games

[Damien]

22 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Empty stands generates a terrible image for the game.

This is common knowledge.

It does but I'd say its more damaging when we see that in the games main countries, and we've seen plenty of it in World Cup games in England, Australia and NZ. I would say Qatar is the one place where RL could get away with this with less criticism because empty stands are kind of expected for sports events there and everyone know why sports are being played there. For the money, pure and simple.

[Gerrumonside ref]

3 minutes ago, RP London said:

But better to have the chance of a first impression than not surely.. and its the sport that needs to sell it not the crowd.. if the crowd is great and the sport on the pitch is rubbish do people continue to watch... i certainly wouldnt... even with fantastic crowds I turn off baseball and WWE (and I turn off very little sport)

The crowd watching the sport is part of the sales pitch.

This really is basic stuff mate.

When was the last time anything was promoted that showed empty stadiums and stands?

[Jparrish]

30 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I notice no one at all is even mentioning the South African interest in the World Cup. 

 Noticed that and I've read they bid for a world cup previously too. However Rugby League isn't even recognised by the SA government as a official sport so really can't see how they would secure funding. SA are unlikely to ever host the Union WC again so would that be a factor ?

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, JonM said:

Water polo. Qatar is known for it.

Ah yes those indigenous tribes and a water polo setup in every oasis. Sorry, listening to too much AFL.

[gingerjon]

12 minutes ago, JonM said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:International_sports_competitions_hosted_by_Qatar seems to suggest there's been quite a few, tbh.

And which of those does it have no presence?

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, RP London said:

Thats the point.. it isnt at the moment.. but with BeIN pushing the feed it CAN. At the moment and with a tournament elsewhere without this type of coverage it CANNOT... so whether anyone does or not now is irrelevant the point is this gives it a chance... 

A completely underwritten and profitable tournament then gives the ' Sport ' , ie ' us ' the time to work to fill the stadiums , work with the hosts , make it financially viable to get as many RL fans to the games , as I put earlier , and my son an I discussed , all the venues are very compressed into a small area , no flying needed , easy to attend 2 games a day in fact , it really is a no brainer , a once in a lifetime opportunity to put the Sport on a ' World Stage ' broadcasting wise , things that everybody on here talks about incessantly, and indeed dream about 

[Gerrumonside ref]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

It does but I'd say its more damaging when we see that in the games main countries, and we've seen plenty of it in World Cup games in England, Australia and NZ. I would say Qatar is the one place where RL could get away with this with less criticism because empty stands are kind of expected for sports events there and everyone know why sports are being played there. For the money, pure and simple.

But RP London’s argument is that these images would be conducive to big worldwide tv viewing figures which is of course nonsense.

[GUBRATS]

1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

But RP London’s argument is that these images would be conducive to big worldwide tv viewing figures which is of course nonsense.

How ' Worldwide ' was the WC last year broadcast ? , If nobody is seeing anything , what opinion do they have of it ? 

[GUBRATS]

What would Rugby Union do ? 

[RP London]

4 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

The crowd watching the sport is part of the sales pitch.

This really is basic stuff mate.

When was the last time anything was promoted that showed empty stadiums and stands?

yes you sell it with full grounds, you use full grounds for advertising, when you do the highlights you make sure its shot well, hence (which you seem to have missed me saying) you make sure the crowd are in the stand opposite the camera (something we dont seem to have learnt from 30 years of half empty super league matches!).. 

and, yet again, we get the same issues in "heartland" world cups with half full rubbish looking stadiums so its hardly like we are perfect to start with!

But it is better to pitch with less good material than not to be able to pitch at all... that really is the most basic principle and to skip that bit for the "perfect world" bit is massivly missing the mark IMHO.. 

As someone working front end of a business I would prefer to go in half baked to a pitch than not get the chance to pitch at all.. 

 

[David Shepherd]

11 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

The crowd watching the sport is part of the sales pitch.

This really is basic stuff mate.

When was the last time anything was promoted that showed empty stadiums and stands?

The authorities in Qatar aren't afraid to round up the populace and make them sit there in a stadium for a couple of hours.

[RP London]

9 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

But RP London’s argument is that these images would be conducive to big worldwide tv viewing figures which is of course nonsense.

did I?? where did I say that??

What I said was that with the Qatari power and reach we will get a chance to be shown worldwide which we would not get otherwise... I never said that it would get "big worldwide tv viewing figures".. We get a chance to be infront of people we would never get the chance of before.. that is a good thing.

dont make stuff up and pretend people said something they didnt to try and make a point please. 

we're having a discussion and happy to do so but not happy to do it if you are going to do that. 

Edited May 18, 2023 by RP London

[David Shepherd]

11 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

A completely underwritten and profitable tournament then gives the ' Sport ' , ie ' us ' the time to work to fill the stadiums , work with the hosts , make it financially viable to get as many RL fans to the games , as I put earlier , and my son an I discussed , all the venues are very compressed into a small area , no flying needed , easy to attend 2 games a day in fact , it really is a no brainer , a once in a lifetime opportunity to put the Sport on a ' World Stage ' broadcasting wise , things that everybody on here talks about incessantly, and indeed dream about 

This. 100% this.

[Gerrumonside ref]

1 minute ago, RP London said:

yes you sell it with full grounds, you use full grounds for advertising, when you do the highlights you make sure its shot well, hence (which you seem to have missed me saying) you make sure the crowd are in the stand opposite the camera (something we dont seem to have learnt from 30 years of half empty super league matches!).. 

and, yet again, we get the same issues in "heartland" world cups with half full rubbish looking stadiums so its hardly like we are perfect to start with!

But it is better to pitch with less good material than not to be able to pitch at all... that really is the most basic principle and to skip that bit for the "perfect world" bit is massivly missing the mark IMHO.. 

As someone working front end of a business I would prefer to go in half baked to a pitch than not get the chance to pitch at all.. 

 

Don’t know where to start with describing empty stadiums and weird kick off times as ‘less good material’?

Which countries are we aiming these amazing scenes at by the way as that was never clear?

Good luck cracking any new markets and new sponsors with your ‘invisible fan’ strategy by the way!

[Gerrumonside ref]

5 minutes ago, RP London said:

did I?? where did I say that??

What I said was that with the Qatari power and reach we will get a chance to be shown worldwide which we would not get otherwise... I never said that it would get "big worldwide tv viewing figures".. We get a chance to be infront of people we would never get the chance of before.. that is a good thing.

dont make stuff up and pretend people said something they didnt to try and make a point please. 

we're having a discussion and happy to do so but not happy to do it if you are going to do that. 

You promised bigger audiences didn’t you?

In fact if you’re now saying the worldwide tv audience is going to be rubbish as well as the prospective time zone differences it kind of begs the question of who is watching it?

Edited May 18, 2023 by Gerrumonside ref

[David Shepherd]

10 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

What would Rugby Union do ? 

Would anyone be shocked if Tarquin and Rupert aren't already in discussion about a future competition there?

Edited May 18, 2023 by David Shepherd

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, RP London said:

did I?? where did I say that??

What I said was that with the Qatari power and reach we will get a chance to be shown worldwide which we would not get otherwise... I never said that it would get "big worldwide tv viewing figures".. We get a chance to be infront of people we would never get the chance of before.. that is a good thing.

dont make stuff up and then pretend people said it.

Again. Rather than falling out, just, for now, understand that even Troy Grant isn't pretending there has been a real level of interest from anyone in Qatar beyond a quick exchange which sounds like the kind of thing that happens on LinkedIn.

There is absolutely nothing to back up anyone believing that the Qataris are about to bankroll a multi-team, multi-week World Cup or cups.