Televised games next season - has it been sorted yet?

[Yorky]

7 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

Reporting on rumours is one thing but these are more often than not either shots in the dark or vague conversations that someone has had with someone 'in the know'. This deal is more than likely going to happen, as with these sort of things, they are generally leaked from the inside, which means it makes no sense for them to report 'BBC rumoured to show matches', followed by 'BBC confirmed to show matches'. They may as well just wait until it is confirmed.

Exactly, the season is only 5 weeks away now so you would imagine the deal would be confirmed and announced in the coming days anyway.

If what is being mentioned is true then its a great step forward for the sport and a platform to grow viewership without a doubt

Great news

[StandOffHalf]

If all games are being shown in one way or another then I firmly believe that the scheduling should be staggered and spread out over the weekend so that every game has its own unique slot.

That way the sport maximises its viewership. Having three TV games up against each other on a Fraday night is just plain dumb IMO.

[Spidey]

3 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

I agree, or someone wakes up and schedules them back to back...

And on the same channel ideally too.

That would be my preference for sure. Can’t see it happening this year. Whoever it is needs to put their foot down ready for 2025

[RigbyLuger]

4 hours ago, ghost crayfish said:

You seriously expect the BBC to cover its own yet-to-be-confirmed broadcast deal? 

There's the real world, and then this other one here to confuse us all because we don't live in it!

[Dave T]

4 hours ago, Spidey said:

Just dilutes the audience doesn’t it.  Can see those extra games getting moved on on to the red button eventually

I'm not sure this is a massive issue. If Sky are finding a space in schedules, that is really positive news. Of course I'd like loads of different slots, but having a choice of three different matches on a Friday night is not to be sniffed at. There are positives in that. 

Individual games may get fewer figures, but maybe instead of 150k for one match, we might see 300k across three games. 

[Dave T]

15 hours ago, Futtocks said:

 

Where this 'loading' of fixtures works, say on a Friday night is that at the moment, if the Friday fixture doesn't appeal, I just do other things. Now being able to choose a match, or even flick between two or three games - that really appeals to me. 

[Dave T]

If I'm reading it correctly, that opening weekend of SL sees Sky showing 16 live games of RL between Thursday and Sunday. 

If this level of content can't drive RL-led subscriptions and viewers, then nothing ever will. 

[Chrispmartha]

30 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Where this 'loading' of fixtures works, say on a Friday night is that at the moment, if the Friday fixture doesn't appeal, I just do other things. Now being able to choose a match, or even flick between two or three games - that really appeals to me. 

Also how many times on the match threads do people say I wish they had chosen another fixture to broadcast (if the one they’re watching isn’t the best game) well this solves that.

Sky showing all the games is absolutely brilliant- my wife disagrees

[Chris22]

It's all well and good saying we should stagger fixtures but that is really difficult. The number of clubs who share grounds with football, rugby union and even cricket clubs (and some who have long periods without a home game in the summer whilst the pitch is maintained) makes that almost impossible.

I wonder if the idea is showing the first two rounds in full as a taster and then from March onwards, it will move to a streaming service or the red button? 

Regardless, more choice is rarely a bad thing!

[Dave T]

19 minutes ago, Chris22 said:

It's all well and good saying we should stagger fixtures but that is really difficult. The number of clubs who share grounds with football, rugby union and even cricket clubs (and some who have long periods without a home game in the summer whilst the pitch is maintained) makes that almost impossible.

I wonder if the idea is showing the first two rounds in full as a taster and then from March onwards, it will move to a streaming service or the red button? 

Regardless, more choice is rarely a bad thing!

I expect there will be clashes and times we move to red button, and maybe even just the app, but this is a great start, and maybe does lay out the intent. 

[Agbrigg]

Looks like there will be three games live transmitted simultaneously on Friday nights. As a neutral i will choose the one where O'Connor is not droning on with his usual garbage

[Futtocks]

2 hours ago, Agbrigg said:

Looks like there will be three games live transmitted simultaneously on Friday nights. As a neutral i will choose the one where O'Connor is not droning on with his usual garbage

I have bad news for you, reporting live from Doctor Evil's Cloning Lab.

[Futtocks]

4 hours ago, Chris22 said:

It's all well and good saying we should stagger fixtures but that is really difficult. The number of clubs who share grounds with football, rugby union and even cricket clubs (and some who have long periods without a home game in the summer whilst the pitch is maintained) makes that almost impossible.

I wonder if the idea is showing the first two rounds in full as a taster and then from March onwards, it will move to a streaming service or the red button? 

Regardless, more choice is rarely a bad thing!

Staggering every fixture like the NRL is impractical, but I'm sure clubs can stagger at least some of their fixtures a bit more than they have done in the past, in order to boost viewing figures and build sponsor appeal.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

Staggering every fixture like the NRL is impractical, but I'm sure clubs can stagger at least some of their fixtures a bit more than they have done in the past, in order to boost viewing figures and build sponsor appeal.

Tbf, the fixtures suggest that is already the case. It looks like Thurs, Fri, Sat aft, Sat evening and Sunday aft are being used to varying degrees. 

[Futtocks]

14 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Tbf, the fixtures suggest that is already the case. It looks like Thurs, Fri, Sat aft, Sat evening and Sunday aft are being used to varying degrees. 

And with the new deal including Sky TV surrendering a significant percentage of the pitchside advertising, the possibilities to increase income are good.

[sam4731]

23 hours ago, Futtocks said:

 

Forgive me for being apprehensive but opening weekends are often opportunities to promote the sport out of the blocks to entice for rest of the season.

What better way to advertise how to watch the seasons matches than telling the people who will want to watch.

I hope I'm wrong though.

[Spidey]

18 hours ago, Dave T said:

I'm not sure this is a massive issue. If Sky are finding a space in schedules, that is really positive news. Of course I'd like loads of different slots, but having a choice of three different matches on a Friday night is not to be sniffed at. There are positives in that. 

Individual games may get fewer figures, but maybe instead of 150k for one match, we might see 300k across three games. 

I think for the game that might work but when individual clubs are chasing viewership (for point gradings) they may rethink their stance to maximise their individual numbers. Eg Leigh v AN Other against Wigan v Saints on a Friday may get less that Leigh v AN Other on a Sunday lunch time. (Obviously not that simple when factoring all other sales etc) 2024 should deffo be an assessment of what works and what doesn’t heading into the the first proper year of this system

Edited January 14 by Spidey

[M j M]

1 hour ago, Spidey said:

I think for the game that might work but when individual clubs are chasing viewership (for point gradings) they may rethink their stance to maximise their individual numbers. Eg Leigh v AN Other against Wigan v Saints on a Friday may get less that Leigh v AN Other on a Sunday lunch time. (Obviously not that simple when factoring all other sales etc) 2024 should deffo be an assessment of what works and what doesn’t heading into the the first proper year of this system

Clubs will still most likely choose the kick off time that maximises crowds and in-stadium revenue. The impact of a change in TV viewership when averaged over a season is going to be negligible.

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, M j M said:

Clubs will still most likely choose the kick off time that maximises crowds and in-stadium revenue. The impact of a change in TV viewership when averaged over a season is going to be negligible.

The variations on that are, relatively speaking, minor though except for corporate being better on Friday nights vs Sunday Afternoons.

You can have both good in stadium attendances and non-cannibalistic TV schedules.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Good to read that SKY are not putting games on the red button but sticking to SKY Arena and Mix with the exception of a couple on SKY Action which is a film channel. Since the firsat two games on Action are St Helens v London and  London v Catalans perhaps the Horror channel would have been more appropriate for those of us down south

If the BBC are showing Rugby League matches then I would doubt it would be 5.30pm on BBC2 which is against prime time family viewing. The 3.00pm slot would be more appropriate.

 And I suspect some posters may be dissapointed when the BBC fee becomes public knowledge. Though  FTA coverage is the holy grail for all sports, bar soccer, in the UK.

In addition remember the BBC are showing the Olypmic games from 26th July to 11th August so expect the 12 or so match coverage to be sporadic.

[sam4731]

1 hour ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Good to read that SKY are not putting games on the red button but sticking to SKY Arena and Mix with the exception of a couple on SKY Action which is a film channel. Since the firsat two games on Action are St Helens v London and  London v Catalans perhaps the Horror channel would have been more appropriate for those of us down south

If the BBC are showing Rugby League matches then I would doubt it would be 5.30pm on BBC2 which is against prime time family viewing. The 3.00pm slot would be more appropriate.

 And I suspect some posters may be dissapointed when the BBC fee becomes public knowledge. Though  FTA coverage is the holy grail for all sports, bar soccer, in the UK.

In addition remember the BBC are showing the Olypmic games from 26th July to 11th August so expect the 12 or so match coverage to be sporadic.

Where are you getting the idea that Action is a film channel? It's not, it's a sport channel.

[RigbyLuger]

1 hour ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

And I suspect some posters may be dissapointed when the BBC fee becomes public knowledge. Though  FTA coverage is the holy grail for all sports, bar soccer, in the UK

As C4 were paying nothing, what kind of fee do we really expect? 

[Segovia Carpet]

Well remember Eddie Waring commentating on the Halifax v Whitehaven Floodlit Trophy match on a cold November night about 830.  Came out with 'As you will see the Shadows are lengthening'

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

[1] Good to read that SKY are not putting games on the red button but sticking to SKY Arena and Mix with the exception of a couple on SKY Action which is a film channel. Since the firsat two games on Action are St Helens v London and  London v Catalans perhaps the Horror channel would have been more appropriate for those of us down south

[2] If the BBC are showing Rugby League matches then I would doubt it would be 5.30pm on BBC2 which is against prime time family viewing. The 3.00pm slot would be more appropriate.

[3] And I suspect some posters may be dissapointed when the BBC fee becomes public knowledge. Though  FTA coverage is the holy grail for all sports, bar soccer, in the UK.

[4] In addition remember the BBC are showing the Olypmic games from 26th July to 11th August so expect the 12 or so match coverage to be sporadic.

[1] Sky Sports Action is a sports channel.

[2] Until we're told otherwise there's no reason to doubt 5.30pm. Prime time family viewing on Saturday is on BBC One.

[3] Channel 4 paid £0. If the BBC are also paying that but showing more games and at a better time then that's fine. Anything else is a bonus.

[4] Plus Wimbledon and anything else they still have rights to probably including the Euros. 12 games is always going to be sporadic across a season that is more than double that length.

[HawkMan]

3 hours ago, gingerjon said:

 

 

[3] Channel 4 paid £0. If the BBC are also paying that but showing more games and at a better time then that's fine. Anything else is a bonus.

 

[3] Can't quite get my head around the fact that Sky have been given the whole kaboodle , every game, for less money. Isn't it a tad embarrassing that rights have to be given away to C4 last season. Poor poor governance of the game.

Also just realised,  though it was in plain sight, 5.30 Saturday in competition with the EPL, last season C4 Saturday lunchtime at 12.45 in competition with the EPL, Monday night on viaplay,  Championship in competition with the EPL. Coincidence? Just seems odd, can't believe the broadcaster or the game would want that,  any ideas why ?

Edited January 14 by HawkMan