All Super League Matches Live - Confirmed

[Gerrumonside ref]

To find the positives it will make it easier for fans now to follow the fortunes of their chosen teams.

Super League 2023 has been one of the better seasons and hopefully we can build on that.

I would really like to see a fantastic magazine type programme emerge that will encourage new fans to the sport because of its bite size format and best-of-the-action type emphasis.

This I believe could live on our social media channels and talk to a different audience than the SLS or matchday broadcasts.

We have some fantastic action and excitement every week and it is about getting it out there.

[Pulga]

I can't believe people are making the point that televising games would reduce attendance. This was the debate way back when TV was an emergent technology. We missed the boat then too because of how backwards RL fans are.

It's 2023. If you can't make a sport work while being available on TV for everyone you should just fold now.

Absolute Ludite thinking.

[Chrispmartha]

13 hours ago, wasginger said:

So if all the games are to be televised. What encouragement will people get to attend those games. Why pay to get in, then spend money on any food and drink, or if the weather's poor don't bother to go, as you can watch all the games you want without leaving home.

I know it seems odd but you do realise some people actually like leaving the house and attending live sport, thats why there are actual people in the stands even if a game is on tv.

[Chrispmartha]

3 minutes ago, Pulga said:

I can't believe people are making the point that televising games would reduce attendance. This was the debate way back when TV was an emergent technology. We missed the boat then too because of how backwards RL fans are.

It's 2023. If you can't make a sport work while being available on TV for everyone you should just fold now.

Absolute Ludite thinking.

Totally agree

[M j M]

2 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

I know it seems odd but you do realise some people actually like leaving the house and attending live sport, thats why there are actual people in the stands even if a game is on tv.

We've got used to televised games being, usually, bigger games which have an event attraction anyway. For me with all games being shown one way or another it might make a difference as to whether I went to some of the less appealing away games/venues e.g. Salford or Leigh.

[Chrispmartha]

14 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

This is exactly what I said when it was first mooted that every game would be screened, in so much as Season Tickets would be compromised and "away travel" much curtailed.

Many of those who write on these pages have stated with total exposure of all Super League games it will entice more and new fans through the turnstiles, I will go for the opposite and say it will reduce matchday revenue for the clubs.

We already know that Central Funding has already been reduced by more than £200K than first stated in April for next season, and considering SL clubs through direct funding alone are £800K light per season than they were just 6 years ago, are any further losses acceptable?

Hands up all those who believe gates will increase with saturation coverage?

Theres no real evidence that tv games reduce crowds in SL.

If every game is televised there will be more people watching those games than if they aren’t broadcast, this means more talking points more social media exposure with quality footage.

The current situation where half or more of the weekends games are filmed on one camera from a stand is utterly tinpot.

[LeeF]

17 hours ago, sam4731 said:

Does this mean we're getting a bunker style system, I wonder.

Ben Thaler has the motorhome on order.
 

He will be spending the off season messing around with the aerial on the roof trying to get a signal from all the SL grounds. 

[Chrispmartha]

Just now, M j M said:

We've got used to televised games being, usually, bigger games which have an event attraction anyway. For me with all games being shown one way or another it might make a difference as to whether I went to some of the less appealing away games/venues e.g. Salford or Leigh.

I do think it will affect some away games, but it will be minimal because away crowds for those games are pretty small anyway.

[Harry Stottle]

16 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

I bet it doesn’t affect season ticket sales one bit.

I wouldn't 'bet' if I was you Chris you will have already lost.

I know 3 people - albeit getting on in years - season ticket holders for a long time who can basically swop their season ticket for less expense to *get Sky Sports and see all the clubs games not just the home fixtures but also the away fixtures, that's just "3 bits" Chris and I expect a lot more when people start to do the maths. 

*They all attend the games together, and it their intension to still watch the games together getting in a few beers at the one of their homes, sharing the Sky subscription.

[Chrispmartha]

6 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I wouldn't 'bet' if I was you Chris you will have already lost.

I know 3 people - albeit getting on in years - season ticket holders for a long time who can basically swop their season ticket for less expense to *get Sky Sports and see all the clubs games not just the home fixtures but also the away fixtures, that's just "3 bits" Chris and I expect a lot more when people start to do the maths. 

*They all attend the games together, and it their intension to still watch the games together getting in a few beers at the one of their homes, sharing the Sky subscription.

Ah yes the anecdotal sample size of 3. That’s me told.

[Harry Stottle]

13 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Theres no real evidence that tv games reduce crowds in SL.

If every game is televised there will be more people watching those games than if they aren’t broadcast, this means more talking points more social media exposure with quality footage.

The current situation where half or more of the weekends games are filmed on one camera from a stand is utterly tinpot.

We'll see Chris.

[Chrispmartha]

Just now, Harry Stottle said:

We'll see Chris.

Indeed we will Harry, We’ll see a lot more RL.

[HawkMan]

I wonder who instigated this, did SL ask or offer this to Sky thinking,  "that'll get us an increase in money," in which case they had a shock reply from Sky. Or did Sky ask for this , offering less but persuading SL that the extra exposure would offset the loss in revenue.

I feel that having all games available live on whatever platforms isn't a great idea, putting it bluntly,  if it was then football would have done it,  and they don't. All games available as a delayed transmission yes, but not live.

Finally has any other sport ever, allowed an increase in their product available to broadcasters for less money?

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Ah yes the anecdotal sample size of 3. That’s me told.

You amaze me at times with total inconsideration and seemingly being blinded with insular views.

I would bet if someone said to you the average height of men in the UK is 5'-09", you would shout that is rubbish look at him over there he is 6'-00" tall.

[Chrispmartha]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

You amaze me at times with total inconsideration and seemingly being blinded with insular views.

I would bet if someone said to you the average height of men in the UK is 5'-09", you would shout that is rubbish look at him over there he is 6'-00" tall.

Harry you amaze me that you think that 3 people you know who might do something constitutes ‘evidence’

you have done the very thing you are accusing me of.

And as for you calling me insular, coming from you Harry who admits he hasn’t got a clue about popular culture beyond the late 60s that is actually quite amazing.

[Copa]

Excellent, I can now follow Super League like a fan. It’s been extremely difficult to do with such limited TV exposure. A lot more product for the rugby league channel on kayo sports too.

They now also have a complete product for overseas broadcasters. 

[Viking Ste]

Hopefully a magazine type show to follow now that we have TV standard cameras at all games.  No excuse for the SL show to be regionalized on the BBC going forward.

[gingerjon]

39 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I wouldn't 'bet' if I was you Chris you will have already lost.

I know 3 people - albeit getting on in years - season ticket holders for a long time who can basically swop their season ticket for less expense to *get Sky Sports and see all the clubs games not just the home fixtures but also the away fixtures, that's just "3 bits" Chris and I expect a lot more when people start to do the maths. 

*They all attend the games together, and it their intension to still watch the games together getting in a few beers at the one of their homes, sharing the Sky subscription.

So these would be older people looking to do something they've always done but in a more comfortable way now that they're getting on a bit and sitting outside for a couple of hours of an evening gets less and less appealing?

[glossop saint]

20 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Harry you amaze me that you think that 3 people you know who might do something constitutes ‘evidence’

you have done the very thing you are accusing me of.

And as for you calling me insular, coming from you Harry who admits he hasn’t got a clue about popular culture beyond the late 60s that is actually quite amazing.

The irony is comical. 

[Adelaide Tiger]

27 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

I wonder who instigated this, did SL ask or offer this to Sky thinking,  "that'll get us an increase in money," in which case they had a shock reply from Sky. Or did Sky ask for this , offering less but persuading SL that the extra exposure would offset the loss in revenue.

I feel that having all games available live on whatever platforms isn't a great idea, putting it bluntly,  if it was then football would have done it,  and they don't. All games available as a delayed transmission yes, but not live.

Finally has any other sport ever, allowed an increase in their product available to broadcasters for less money?

1. Is there a third possibility, that IMG had some input into this decision as it gives them a ‘quick win’ by having more content available to potential new viewers.

2. Delayed transmission.  Good thought.  You could keep the ‘live games’ as per Thursday and Friday night and possibly look at delayed transmission for weekend games.  But you will need to ask Harry’s three mates if they are ok with this

3. I don’t know.  But what was the alternative for the RFL?  Keep the status quo and then

[Adelaide Tiger]

48 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I wouldn't 'bet' if I was you Chris you will have already lost.

I know 3 people - albeit getting on in years - season ticket holders for a long time who can basically swop their season ticket for less expense to *get Sky Sports and see all the clubs games not just the home fixtures but also the away fixtures, that's just "3 bits" Chris and I expect a lot more when people start to do the maths. 

*They all attend the games together, and it their intension to still watch the games together getting in a few beers at the one of their homes, sharing the Sky subscription.

‘Albeit getting on in years’ is the key here.

This might be harsh for your 3 friends, and possibly yourself, to accept, but if the focus of the RFL/IMG is to target satisfying older supporters at the expense of attracting new followers to the game then the game will slowly die as those older supporters will become too frail/too incapacitated/too dead to keep attending.

Supporters of all ages have to accept that change is inevitable.

 

[Rugbyleaguesupporter]

Sky probably offered £17m for 2 games a week 

Sky offered £21.5m for all matches 

So in essence- will extra matches lose clubs £4.5m in ticket sales- very unlikely 

£400k a club- that's roughly 31k a match- so around 1,500 fans a match. 

RFL will probably get a bit more in from terrestrial and limited money from french tv/ International sales/ potential to stream some matches (Sky will probably have at least 2 games exclusive) 

If Sky have fewer Thursdays- that will help attendances.

Edited October 15, 2023 by Rugbyleaguesupporter

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Chrispmartha said:

Harry you amaze me that you think that 3 people you know who might do something constitutes ‘evidence’

Have you not got the abillity to look at an extened picture, how do you think Ipsos Mori polls work?

[Tommygilf]

4 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Have you not got the abillity to look at an extened picture, how do you think Ipsos Mori polls work?

Ipsos Mori tend to deliberately look at a broader demographic to extrapolate predicted outcomes, tbf Harry. From what you have suggested the people you describe are all, in the classification sense, 3 of the same type - its no wonder that they would act similarly?

[Harry Stottle]

53 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

So these would be older people looking to do something they've always done but in a more comfortable way now that they're getting on a bit and sitting outside for a couple of hours of an evening gets less and less appealing?

C'mon don't you start Ginge, I gave you much more credit than that.

Leigh have averaged over 7000 this season and these are just a couple of blokes I spoke to randomly in a pub and they told me what they planned, I haven't approached everyone who goes to watch Leigh which seemingly will be of a big surprise to you and Chris - and before you get all pedantic again, their mate was not with them.