Vegas And The Round Up: Success or Not?

[Pulga]

1 hour ago, JonM said:

So a womens game, but not one involving NRLW players? There's a steep drop-off in quality outside of NRLW, as we saw. Women's superleague here doesn't start until May either. Perhaps promote the USA v some suitable opposition (Canada, Ireland?) to the main bill?

 

I have always believed the absolute quality wouldn't matter to new fans. As long as they are evenly matched it would be fine. You could swap the NRL games for Qld/NSW Cup and new fans wouldn't know the difference.

In saying that it should be Aus v NZ. I believe 100% of the NZ squad are NRLW players.

[Worzel]

9 hours ago, Padge said:

There you go, you finally twigged it, they have NRL rights with Fox to Sky, not SL rights with Fox to Sky. It was an SL game not an NRL game.

Wigan/Wire - NRL can we join the party in Vegas.

NRL - Yes, but we aren't paying.

Wigan/Wire - Ok its a deal if we clear it with the RFL/SL

Wigan/Wire - RFL/SL can we play this game in Vegas, NRL have agreed.

RFL - Wigan/Wire, yes if we can sort out a deal with Sky as they have to broadcast the match. (it works both ways so clubs can sell advertising revenue)

RFL - Sky, Wigan want their second home game to be in Vegas, what can you do.

Sky - RFL/SL are you paying the costs because we aren't.

RFL/SL - Sky No but the NRL have a deal with Fox for their games.

Sky - RFL/SL We need to speak to Fox.

Sky - Fox How will you be covering the SL game in Vegas if it goes ahead as we hold the rights and sell them to you.

Fox - Sky well we won't be covering it unless we can agree some deal.

Sky - RFL/SL unless you release us from our obligation to televise all games we can't agree.

RFL/SL - Wigan/Wire, can't happen unless no TV coverage.

Wigan/Wire - NRL stumbling block over TV coverage

NRL - Fox  .... I think that's enough, you get the picture

All the way through these conversations deals have to be done.

Sky don't give Fox SL feeds for free, and Fox don't give Sky NRL feeds for free. Once the the feed direction changes it is outside the existing deals. A new deal must be struck to accommodate the new circumstances. All parties must agree how it works, all parties must be in agreement, all parties are in on the deal. That is how the world works. Sky/Fox will want something out of the deal, they don't give stuff away, they are as hard nosed as they come when it comes down to business. The deal may be we give you this if you give us that, but a deal will have been done, no, would have to have been done for it to go ahead.

 

As if this place wasn’t full of enough arguments, we’re now moving into multi-character dialogue discussions? If you guys keep this up I’ll have to go on a drama course to stay in the game

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Worzel said:

As if this place wasn’t full of enough arguments, we’re now moving into multi-character dialogue discussions? If you guys keep this up I’ll have to go on a drama course to stay in the game

I found it quite compelling and am hoping for a four part ITV series out of it.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

You win @Padge - I bow to your greater knowledge, of the deal you made up. 

[Sports Prophet]

10 hours ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Sky don't have a SL obligation - they own exclusive rights. They can do what they want with that right once they purchase it. You're not understanding how this was positioned - Fox and NRL were doing this anyway......SL game got bolted on, which NRL were keen for. They'll have squared that all up with Fox too. 

Here's one to test your capacity for rational thought. 

Wigan/Wire: Hi SL we just agreed with NRL/Fox to play in Vegas - exciting stuff! 

SL: Sound lads 

Wigan/Wire: Yeah we can't wait - any chance you can bung us a few quid to go? 

SL: Lol - no

Wigan/Wire: Thought not - oh also can you tell Sky they need to pay for Fox to broadcast it though? 

SL: Lol - we'll ask....but don't get your hopes up 

SL: Hi is that Sky...

Sky: So let me get this right, they want to play in Vegas, on an NRL/Fox event, but we have to pay production costs? Nah you're alright, we won't bother doing that. We already have a broadcast agreement with them for the NRL and seen as we hold exclusive UK rights to SL...reckon we're pretty well covered. Nice try though. 

 

 

 

9 hours ago, Padge said:

There you go, you finally twigged it, they have NRL rights with Fox to Sky, not SL rights with Fox to Sky. It was an SL game not an NRL game.

Wigan/Wire - NRL can we join the party in Vegas.

NRL - Yes, but we aren't paying.

Wigan/Wire - Ok its a deal if we clear it with the RFL/SL

Wigan/Wire - RFL/SL can we play this game in Vegas, NRL have agreed.

RFL - Wigan/Wire, yes if we can sort out a deal with Sky as they have to broadcast the match. (it works both ways so clubs can sell advertising revenue)

RFL - Sky, Wigan want their second home game to be in Vegas, what can you do.

Sky - RFL/SL are you paying the costs because we aren't.

RFL/SL - Sky No but the NRL have a deal with Fox for their games.

Sky - RFL/SL We need to speak to Fox.

Sky - Fox How will you be covering the SL game in Vegas if it goes ahead as we hold the rights and sell them to you.

Fox - Sky well we won't be covering it unless we can agree some deal.

Sky - RFL/SL unless you release us from our obligation to televise all games we can't agree.

RFL/SL - Wigan/Wire, can't happen unless no TV coverage.

Wigan/Wire - NRL stumbling block over TV coverage

NRL - Fox  .... I think that's enough, you get the picture

All the way through these conversations deals have to be done.

Sky don't give Fox SL feeds for free, and Fox don't give Sky NRL feeds for free. Once the the feed direction changes it is outside the existing deals. A new deal must be struck to accommodate the new circumstances. All parties must agree how it works, all parties must be in agreement, all parties are in on the deal. That is how the world works. Sky/Fox will want something out of the deal, they don't give stuff away, they are as hard nosed as they come when it comes down to business. The deal may be we give you this if you give us that, but a deal will have been done, no, would have to have been done for it to go ahead.

 

I feel like you’ve both given us a script for an end of year TRL Pantomime.

There could be some fun coming up with various posters for the various characters above.

[LeytherRob]

17 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

 

I feel like you’ve both given us a script for an end of year TRL Pantomime.

There could be some fun coming up with various posters for the various characters above.

Oh no they haven't

[hunsletgreenandgold]

46 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

 

I feel like you’ve both given us a script for an end of year TRL Pantomime.

There could be some fun coming up with various posters for the various characters above.

I wanted to add in V'landys and Vossy somehow - but as I reached the 3/4 mark of the bottle of red, the words failed me. 

[dkw]

Anyone got some popcorn?

[eal]

17 hours ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Highly unlikely - that's just how Fox will have scheduled it based on their other offerings that day. There is no deal with SL. 

SL games are only ever on Fox Soccer Plus here, I don't think I've ever seen them on the main Fox Channels. NRL is mostly relegated to Fox Soccer Plus also, apart from the odd game here and there. AFL has a much better broadcasting deal in the USA with a few games per round on Fox Sports 1 and 2 and the rest on Fox Soccer Plus.

[Worzel]

Some really good audience figures in here. Wigan v Wire was the 2nd best Sky TV Super League viewership of all time. 

This is the stuff we need to be delivering to reposition us in TV rights negotiations. 

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/super-league-las-vegas-clash-sets-sky-sports-viewing-figures-record-as-bbc-figure-also-smashed

Edited March 4 by Worzel

[Archie Gordon]

10 minutes ago, Worzel said:

Some really good audience figures in here. Wigan v Wire was the 2nd best Sky TV Super League viewership of all time. 

This is the stuff we need to be delivering to reposition us in TV rights negotiations. 

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/super-league-las-vegas-clash-sets-sky-sports-viewing-figures-record-as-bbc-figure-also-smashed

Magnificent!

[Damien]

15 minutes ago, Worzel said:

Some really good audience figures in here. Wigan v Wire was the 2nd best Sky TV Super League viewership of all time. 

This is the stuff we need to be delivering to reposition us in TV rights negotiations. 

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/super-league-las-vegas-clash-sets-sky-sports-viewing-figures-record-as-bbc-figure-also-smashed

Says it all really, great stuff.

Shows what a huge difference it makes when Sky properly backs something too. Its all too rare that we get that in Rugby League.

[WN83]

Huge news that. Best ever outside of COVID and clearly we need more games that carry this sort of hype. The powers that be have this game as a card to play now and hopefully it does not only lead to increased figures for that one off game but it tempts more people to tune in to other games coming up. The Saints v Wakey game had the best BBC figures on record as well and I think all the noise around Vegas, will have helped just drive some general interest in the games (although presumably it being an FA cup weekend given that one the biggest boost). 

[Dave T]

It'd be good to understand a little more about the Sky numbers. Does that include all channels, and does it include repeats and OD based on the fact it was a relatively anti-social slot?

Personally I was hoping we'd break half a million, but I'll try not to be that guy

[Dave W]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

It'd be good to understand a little more about the Sky numbers. Does that include all channels, and does it include repeats and OD based on the fact it was a relatively anti-social slot?

Personally I was hoping we'd break half a million, but I'll try not to be that guy

It was also free-to-air if you had a Free Sat box. Amazing how Sky's viewing figures rocket when things aren't behind a pay wall.

[Padge]

12 hours ago, gingerjon said:

A women's international opener between USA v Canada would make sense.

Would they both insist the other started on -25 points.

[gingerjon]

6 minutes ago, Padge said:

Would they both insist the other started on -25 points.

Yes. My suggestion there aged like a fine wine glass of milk in the sun.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

3 hours ago, Dave W said:

It was also free-to-air if you had a Free Sat box. Amazing how Sky's viewing figures rocket when things aren't behind a pay wall.

That's kind of obvious though, right? 

[Damien]

 

 

[Dave W]

2 hours ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

That's kind of obvious though, right? 

Deadpan sarcasm not your strong point then? 

[RayCee]

YHis may have been mentioned as I haven't read all the posts.

Had the women's test been played first and the Wigan Warriors match third in its place, it would have been much better. The crowd built as the day progressed and putting the SL game on first seemed hard to fathom when the SL match was going to be more of a spectacle with less risk of a blowout score.  

[JohnM]

I believe it was a success. Now, what was the objective? What were the success criteria? What were the scores? I guess we'll never know.

Subjectively, it seems to me that the media here (MSM, social and sports) sat up and took more notice than ever before and that viewing figures were impressive, at least for W vs W.  Did Wigan and Warrington get any return on their money? Did Sky get decent advertsing revenue? Did it deliver enough to attract higher value sponsorship for next year?  Will next years event be more unified or will it appear to be an SL event to northern hemisphere viewers and an NRL event to southern heisphere viewers? Will the new Ultimate Rugby League competition replace the SL element next year? Can we maintain the media interest between now and the upcoming International series?

Edited March 5 by JohnM

[Barley Mow]

23 minutes ago, RayCee said:

YHis may have been mentioned as I haven't read all the posts.

Had the women's test been played first and the Wigan Warriors match third in its place, it would have been much better. The crowd built as the day progressed and putting the SL game on first seemed hard to fathom when the SL match was going to be more of a spectacle with less risk of a blowout score.  

Wasn't it done that way round for the UK TV audience?

Wigan v Warrington was a 9:30pm kick-off UK time, the women's match was (I think) 2:00am.

[RayCee]

46 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

Wasn't it done that way round for the UK TV audience?

Wigan v Warrington was a 9:30pm kick-off UK time, the women's match was (I think) 2:00am.

I hadn't thought of that not living in the UK.

[Pulga]

Full disclosure: That's my post. I'm doing some light trolling replying to a massive AFL fan.