Two Sky games this weekend.

[Harry Stottle]

It will be interesting to see which attracts the biggest audience for Sky, both games couldn't be further apart on the League ladder Friday sees 12th v 11th right at the bottom, whilst Saturdays encounter has joint 2nd v 1st.

I really hope that Friday nights game gets the best figures and gives Sky food for thought on its discussions with the RFL/IMG on the upcoming contract, it will show that there is still a lot of interest in jeopardy.

One thought though, does recording the programme count as a viewing? On Friday there are 3 other games taking place at the same time on Friday which will take a lot of people away from the TV, whilst Saturday has exclusivity for the RL viewing public.

[Just Browny]

It was interesting watching your thought process develop through the post.

The Friday game will get the better TV audience as it is the most established slot for live RL games, we largely gave up on Saturdays a few years ago (but personally I'm glad to see it returning).

[sam4731]

11 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

It will be interesting to see which attracts the biggest audience for Sky, both games couldn't be further apart on the League ladder Friday sees 12th v 11th right at the bottom, whilst Saturdays encounter has joint 2nd v 1st.

I really hope that Friday nights game gets the best figures and gives Sky food for thought on its discussions with the RFL/IMG on the upcoming contract, it will show that there is still a lot of interest in jeopardy.

One thought though, does recording the programme count as a viewing? On Friday there are 3 other games taking place at the same time on Friday which will take a lot of people away from the TV, whilst Saturday has exclusivity for the RL viewing public.

My understanding is that watching live TV doesn't count as a 'view' anyway. There are several BARB boxes each counting for (I think) 5000 viewers. I only know this because FreeSports a few years ago didn't get a single box viewer for 1 of their games so didn't register any viewers.

[Damien]

There are far too many variables to compare in this way.

I don't think simply recording counts as viewing with Sky. I think you have to then actually watch it to count.

[The Masked Poster]

I remember watching some of the Sunday night games that used to be on Sky and from memory, looked like they had pretty decent attendances (but that could be incorrect)

One I definitely remember was watching Bradford V St Helens on a Sunday at a pretty packed Odsal (think it was 1999?) I watched it, of all places, in a pub in Stoke and explained what was going on to a growing crowd of interested locals watching it, it looked and felt important!! Those were great days for me, I felt like some kind of missionary.

[Tommygilf]

8 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

It was interesting watching your thought process develop through the post.

The Friday game will get the better TV audience as it is the most established slot for live RL games, we largely gave up on Saturdays a few years ago (but personally I'm glad to see it returning).

I think its difficult to say, particularly given that Wakey vs Cas on Friday night will be up against LUFC on main event. That will detract from the many floating viewers in the local area - and as the OP says there's 3 other super league games on.

That said, Leigh vs Catalans is almost entirely in the 3pm football blackout on Saturday afternoon and from a brief peruse, it looks like sky don't have anything else on live in that slot.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Tommygilf

[HawkMan]

52 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

It will be interesting to see which attracts the biggest audience for Sky, both games couldn't be further apart on the League ladder Friday sees 12th v 11th right at the bottom, whilst Saturdays encounter has joint 2nd v 1st.

I really hope that Friday nights game gets the best figures and gives Sky food for thought on its discussions with the RFL/IMG on the upcoming contract, it will show that there is still a lot of interest in jeopardy.

One thought though, does recording the programme count as a viewing? On Friday there are 3 other games taking place at the same time on Friday which will take a lot of people away from the TV, whilst Saturday has exclusivity for the RL viewing public.

I sincerely apologise for this but,

Sky didn't include RL in their " Greatest Show on Earth" ad because they've made their minds up about RL ratings.

Sky are advertising Harry Kane's debut match on Friday but NOT mentioned the Cas Wakey game because they've made their minds up about RL ratings.

The next Sky TV deal will be a further reduction because they've made their minds up about RL TV ratings.

Sky rightly or wrongly have decided the audience for RL is steady (good) or static ( bad) depending how you look at it. Nothing affects the figures,  another sport up against it, no affect either way, footy viewing figures not going to go down because RL is on,  nor is the RL audience going to hemorrhage away, except perhaps if Leeds United is on.  The figures for tonight's relegation scrap will be in the expected range for SL on Sky, top end probably  but still within the range. No point including RL in costly swanky promos, the RL audience know what's on and when, the unconverted aren't Sky's concern. Sky put money into RL, call that 'X' , and money comes their way from RL subscribers,  call that 'X+', the + is bit of profit. That's the situation and unless their is a RL version of a "Lionesses" like event that sweeps the country, ie England winning the 2026 WC it ain't going to change.

The wonderful game of RL exists in a time bubble where respect for referees still exists for the most part. Players give their all, play the game and entertain to the nth degree.

Unfortunately the viewership figures also seems to be in a bubble,  unaffected by any trends going on elsewhere.

Edited August 17, 2023 by HawkMan

[The Blues Ox]

Probaby best to compare viewers with previous Friday night games. For me personally we are at the stage of the season where I have stopped watching every game and don't bother watching probably over half the games that are shown but I can't wait for this game. This is the sort of game that sport is about in my opinion.

[The Masked Poster]

9 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

I sincerely apologise for this but,

Sky didn't include RL in their " Greatest Show on Earth" ad because they've made their minds up about RL ratings.

Sky are advertising Harry Kane's debut match on Friday but NOT mentioned the Cas Wakey game because they've made their minds up about RL ratings.

The next Sky TV deal will be a further reduction because they've made their minds up about RL TV ratings.

Sky rightly or wrongly have decided the audience for RL is steady (good) or static ( bad) depending how you look at it. Nothing affects the figures,  another sport up against it, no affect either way, footy viewing figures not going to go down because RL is on,  nor is the RL audience going to hemorrhage away, except perhaps if Leeds United is on. No point including RL in costly swanky promos, the RL audience know what's on and when, the unconverted aren't Sky's concern. Sky put money into RL, call that 'X' , and money comes their way from RL subscribers,  call that 'X+', the + is bit of profit. That's the situation and unless their is a RL version of a "Lionesses" like event that sweeps the country, ie England winning the 2026 WC it ain't going to change.

 

One word there: Chicken and Egg. 

[Dave T]

The sports that Sky feature on their Greatest Show ad are all capable of delivering viewing figures of over a million, sometimes substantially more. 

We are not in that company. 

[HawkMan]

3 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

One word there: Chicken and Egg. 

That's three words. 

[ELBOWSEYE]

46 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

It will be interesting to see which attracts the biggest audience for Sky, both games couldn't be further apart on the League ladder Friday sees 12th v 11th right at the bottom, whilst Saturdays encounter has joint 2nd v 1st.

Sorry Harry it's 4th v 1st not joint 2nd. You are doing brilliant but say it as it is.

[phiggins]

6 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

Sorry Harry it's 4th v 1st not joint 2nd. You are doing brilliant but say it as it is.

Still a big game at the top of the league though, and one I imagine Saints and Wigan fans might be wanting to watch, as they are going for league leaders / top 2. 

I'd say they'd definitely tuning in, if the league title was decided by who finishes top, but that's a whole different matter.

[The Masked Poster]

18 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

That's three words. 

I was using humour and ironicness. 

[Derwent]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

The sports that Sky feature on their Greatest Show ad are all capable of delivering viewing figures of over a million, sometimes substantially more. 

We are not in that company. 

You say that but I wouldn’t have thought that women’s cricket attracts any more viewers than SL ? 

[Just Browny]

Bit of an aside but it struck me that  the 'Greatest show' thing is a flagrant rip off of the Rugby League of the Extraordinary promo the RFL produced in 2012/13ish.

[phiggins]

5 minutes ago, Derwent said:

You say that but I wouldn’t have thought that women’s cricket attracts any more viewers than SL ? 

I think you might be surprised. The women's ashes was very well attended, and I expect will have got very good viewing figures, particularly towards the end of the series when England threatened to come back and win the whole thing.

[gingerjon]

6 minutes ago, Derwent said:

You say that but I wouldn’t have thought that women’s cricket attracts any more viewers than SL ? 

Internationals or domestic?

Internationals trend higher than Super League games. Haven't seen for domestic but, regardless, women's and men's Hundred are both tied together and equal (ish) exposure is built into the contract arrangement with Sky and BBC.

As an aside, rugby league may not be in the Greatest Show promo but it was in the Keep Up 'women's sport' promo that Sky ran earlier this year. It was the first sport on screen in it from memory.

[northamptoncougar]

Don't the Challenge Cup winners traditionally take a kicking the following week due to the "celebrations?"

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Derwent said:

You say that but I wouldn’t have thought that women’s cricket attracts any more viewers than SL ? 

Fair point, their recent Ashes peak was 800k. But they fall under cricket and that's a sport that Sky has a dedicated channel for. 

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

Internationals or domestic?

Internationals trend higher than Super League games. Haven't seen for domestic but, regardless, women's and men's Hundred are both tied together and equal (ish) exposure is built into the contract arrangement with Sky and BBC.

As an aside, rugby league may not be in the Greatest Show promo but it was in the Keep Up 'women's sport' promo that Sky ran earlier this year. It was the first sport on screen in it from memory.

Rugby league appear in many of the ads on Sky. They don't appear in them all, because we are one of the variable 'fringe' sports that they have to fit in. And that's where we deserve to be.

I don;t think any darts players made that ad did they? Based on their numbers that appears harsh.

[Nothus]

Edit: beaten

Edited August 17, 2023 by Nothus

[HawkMan]

The Hundred is an interesting invention that perhaps RL can ponder about. I'm pretty sure no one at cricket HQ thought, " I know what T20 is boring  but a 100 ball game seems jolly super chaps."

The idea of 100 came later, first came the awareness that yoof wasn't engaged in cricket, because I suspect allegiance to counties of England isn't a young person's thing.

Today's yoof don't accociate with Leicestershire or Glamorgan or Gloucestershire. The only county with any ' buzz' is Essex,  thanks to reality tv. So a new way to reach yoof had to be found. New teams with associateable names. London,  Southern Brave, Trent rockets, Manchester etc. The minutiae of the 100 came later in the thought process, ie how to make it seem new,  not just copying T20.

By and large it's worked , gathered new fans , some will go on to try other cricket,  some won't.

Now, RL could try something similar. A 6 week tournament in the middle of the season, replacing loop fixtures, mid season so new adherents can then watch the 2nd half of SL, not 9s , but full 13 a side, with frills. New rules just for this tournament , to experiment,  if they work to be incorporated into the main game, such as, 4 tackle sets, 4 quarters,  revolving on off subs. Just for this mid season jamboree. New teams of course,  names such as Manchester,  London Liverpool,  Southampton,  8 teams perhaps,  players draft from SL , all very exciting. 

Now here's the fatal fly in the ointment. Cricket was already a national sport and had money and backers to make the 100 work.

You need a lot of cash to make this work. So just a pipe dream. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by HawkMan

[Tommygilf]

52 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

The Hundred is an interesting invention that perhaps RL can ponder about. I'm pretty sure no one at cricket HQ thought, " I know what T20 is boring  but a 100 ball game seems jolly super chaps."

The idea of 100 came later, first came the awareness that yoof wasn't engaged in cricket, because I suspect allegiance to counties of England isn't a young person's thing.

Today's yoof don't accociate with Leicestershire or Glamorgan or Gloucestershire. The only county with any ' buzz' is Essex,  thanks to reality tv. So a new way to reach yoof had to be found. New teams with associateable names. London,  Southern Brave, Trent rockets, Manchester etc. The minutiae of the 100 came later in the thought process, ie how to make it seem new,  not just copying T20.

By and large it's worked , gathered new fans , some will go on to try other cricket,  some won't.

Now, RL could try something similar. A 6 week tournament in the middle of the season, replacing loop fixtures, mid season so new adherents can then watch the 2nd half of SL, not 9s , but full 13 a side, with frills. New rules just for this tournament , to experiment,  if they work to be incorporated into the main game, such as, 4 tackle sets, 4 quarters,  revolving on off subs. Just for this mid season jamboree. New teams of course,  names such as Manchester,  London Liverpool,  Southampton,  8 teams perhaps,  players draft from SL , all very exciting. 

Now here's the fatal fly in the ointment. Cricket was already a national sport and had money and backers to make the 100 work.

You need a lot of cash to make this work. So just a pipe dream. 

I think that is a slight misreading of the Cricket situation.

They had 18 teams in a competition that they wanted to rival the 8 to 10 team IPL and Australia's big bash. As it stood they had 18 teams who couldn't pay top wages for star players like those leagues could. They also couldn't just cut numbers due to the ECB constitution stating every major 1st class county had the right to participate in every domestic 1st class competition. Essentially they wanted and 8 team city based T20 comp and had to go around the existing formats to build that. If they could have reformatted the T20 Blast, I think they would have done that to save a lot of time and effort! The renaming was part of that new set up.

Their story is one of consolidation in key, large and influential markets and of plans for world class talent coming over.

[Saint Toppy]

3 hours ago, Just Browny said:

Bit of an aside but it struck me that  the 'Greatest show' thing is a flagrant rip off of the Rugby League of the Extraordinary promo the RFL produced in 2012/13ish.

Not as bad as the current guff coming from Rah Rah land. They're claiming the use of ground breaking innovations by using 'The Bunker', the 'Shot clock' (both ripped off from the NRL) and 'Hawkeye' (ripped off from cricket)