Super League Coverage 2024

[Archie Gordon]

We also need to remember that Sky TV coverage changes in August - to what is still unclear, I think.

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

We also need to remember that Sky TV coverage changes in August - to what is still unclear, I think.

The assumed scenario appears to be 2 matches per week on their main channels, the remainder on their own streaming platform.

Quite a lot of devlish detail still required there.

[Dave T]

6 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

The assumed scenario appears to be 2 matches per week on their main channels, the remainder on their own streaming platform.

Quite a lot of devlish detail still required there.

I do find it odd that companies seem so keen to make us watch telly via apps. Fair enough if they get clogged schedules, use it as overflow, but no doubt they will have empty schedules on core channels while the app is broadcasting live games. 

It feels like digital people forcing it on us rather than genuine customer shifts. I'll live with it, but I must admit I don't get it. Sky have a platform to stream at the moment, our games are already on there (Sky Sports App). What worries me is that production values drop when they aren't on main channels. 

See also, BBC showing the Challenge Cup Rd 6 on IPlayer rather than a main channel. 

[Dave T]

49 minutes ago, Coggo said:

The fixtures are still all over the shop and I think this is a problem for rugby league.

With Sky’s football coverage, everyone knows the slots, not just for the Premier League but also the EFL. This kind of programmes people mentally, it helps people get into a routine of watching.

Ideally we need to stick to the same scheduling for every round, with no clashes.

I agree there is work to do on this, but I also think it is just the nature of sports. Even with the Premier League it is often random. They have the consistent Sunday matches (although times can be shuffled) and Saturday early evening seems consistent, but the other slots are far more random - Fri night, sat lunch, sat night, Mon night. 

I do like the fact that Friday Night is absolutely SL night, without exception really. 

[gingerjon]

5 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I do find it odd that companies seem so keen to make us watch telly via apps. Fair enough if they get clogged schedules, use it as overflow, but no doubt they will have empty schedules on core channels while the app is broadcasting live games. 

It feels like digital people forcing it on us rather than genuine customer shifts. I'll live with it, but I must admit I don't get it. Sky have a platform to stream at the moment, our games are already on there (Sky Sports App). What worries me is that production values drop when they aren't on main channels. 

See also, BBC showing the Challenge Cup Rd 6 on IPlayer rather than a main channel. 

The Sky thing is entirely because they've taken over the iFollow thing from the EFL.

The iPlayer is well integrated into by BT TV box so it does feel like just another channel. It never was that easy on Sky.

[Dave T]

Just now, gingerjon said:

The Sky thing is entirely because they've taken over the iFollow thing from the EFL.

The iPlayer is well integrated into by BT TV box so it does feel like just another channel. It never was that easy on Sky.

Yeah, and I think it makes sense for football as they will have loads of games at the same time, but as we've seen, SL can broadly be accommodated on their core channels. In fact, it gives them a really good amount of content. 

That they are putting us there does worry me slightly about there being an additional cost. 

[RigbyLuger]

35 minutes ago, Dave T said:

See also, BBC showing the Challenge Cup Rd 6 on IPlayer rather than a main channel. 

If the payoff for one fewer Challenge Cup game on TV is all the Super League added, that's not a bad deal 

[redjonn]

Good to see that many see it as a positive for RL coverage.

For me personally it doesn't impact in that I only watch RL when I go to a game, which is most weeks.   Only occasionally watching on TV.

I guess I like the camaraderie (for want of a better word) aspect when are are discussing the same game on forum.  As now with many games the same night that may be impacted.

I guess ultimately if RL benefits from increased exposure leading to increased attendances and increased media monies than that's great.   I guess time will tell if its just the same people as always watching with no material impact elsewhere.  

It seems to be great start and fingers crossed it achieves the mid to long term aims of projecting the sport forward.

[Archie Gordon]

So, we're just waiting on numbers it seems. Are 6 games on Sky attracting more viewers than 2 - both in the aggregate and also unique watchers? This must be the first year in a while where we haven't seen any announcements about this. 

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

I seem to be settling into a routine of watching three SL games a week rather than the previous offer of two.  An attractive fixture on another source might increase that to four on occasional weekends.  That fourth one might be on The Sportsman (as it was on Sunday for the Post Office Road clash which I watched) or one of the televised French Elite 1 games.

So, I suppose that I am now watching more than before.  To be honest, I have too much else that I want, or need, to do to watch more than that.  I also sense I have a limit to how much rugby league I want to watch; three games usually suffices. 

[Adelaide Tiger]

The current set up - because of the time difference - works great for me as I can watch the Thursday, Friday and Saturday night games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Therefore, I have watched all SL games so far with the exception of the Cas v Hudds game that was not listed on the Fox Sports channels.

No real downside for me regarding the presentation and commentary as this season is a learning curve and I expect improvements as we go along.

[Dave T]

9 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

I seem to be settling into a routine of watching three SL games a week rather than the previous offer of two.  An attractive fixture on another source might increase that to four on occasional weekends.  That fourth one might be on The Sportsman (as it was on Sunday for the Post Office Road clash which I watched) or one of the televised French Elite 1 games.

So, I suppose that I am now watching more than before.  To be honest, I have too much else that I want, or need, to do to watch more than that.  I also sense I have a limit to how much rugby league I want to watch; three games usually suffices. 

That's broadly where I am at the moment. Working at home does also allow me to have stuff on in the background during the day i.e. full match repeats, so that's nice.

3 is a nice amount of live RL, 1 or 2 of them properly with a beer and no other distractions, 1 or 2 casually.

[Dave T]

I genuinely do like the fact that we can follow teams more now. Obviously it's good to follow your own team, but when selections are made in advance Sky often missed out on a lot of decent matchups in the past - like when Leigh, Hull KR, Salford have been on fire they have often not been televised. Now we know we can watch teams that we find attractive every week. Even if not live. 

Generally, I know that I'll sway towards Wire, then Catalans home games, followed by the likes of Hull KR, Leigh etc - unless there is a real quality matchup that trumps those (Saints v Wigan/Leeds etc). 2 games per week has been a bit limiting, seeing Saints so often has been a turnoff for me, now I can get my RL fix without it always being them, saving that for the biggest matchups.

I think it will take some bedding in, but I've found this thread interesting in reading how people's viewing habits have changed.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

20 hours ago, Dave T said:

So, four weeks in, how's it working for people?

I must admit, I'm loving it. Watched more RL on TV than ever, and am really enjoying having a steady stream of SL through the weekend. I haven't used SL+ so can't comment on that

Positives:

Loads of SL! I no longer have to wonder what the TV game is - they all are!

Enjoy multi-match Friday nights (guaranteed I'll be interested in at least one game)

Great highlights online

Better commentary overall as we've split up 'the mob' to cover more games.

Full match repeats - always RL on Sky Sports

Great BBC coverage

 

Negatives:

The Friday night overlap is a positive in many ways, but it isn't as enjoyable flicking through games as too much goes on in RL to lend itself to that. I'm coming round to 1 match per slot.

Whisper this one - spoilers

Some average production - fewer angles, poor Video Ref coverage, some below average commentary at times.

 

For me, it's been a great success - I expect numbers are modest, but having so much coverage guaranteed, all produced at a solid level (not perfect), and as someone who watches much of my RL on TV, I'm loving it. This is absolutely enough to make me never cancel Sky Sports.

Are other people enjoying it too?

It really is the spoilers for me that are spoiling it 

I would have watched the Huddy game but didn't as I knew the score from a spoiler 

Less eyeballs on adverts etc 

Why aren't they listening ???

[Futtocks]

36 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

It really is the spoilers for me that are spoiling it 

I would have watched the Huddy game but didn't as I knew the score from a spoiler 

Less eyeballs on adverts etc 

Why aren't they listening ???

Have you contacted anyone at Sky about this?

[Sports Prophet]

Are all the matches available on Sky as 20 minute minis?

[Barry Badrinath]

14 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Are all the matches available on Sky as 20 minute minis?

the 20 minute replays have gone, i think they're showing full replays now, i'm getting a lot of dupes that are 2hours long on my tivo box, they aren't being stored under 'live super league' games.

 

so we're filling some serious minutes for sky.

 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

3 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Have you contacted anyone at Sky about this?

No I have just moaned on here 

Someone should do it for me 

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, Barry Badrinath said:

the 20 minute replays have gone, i think they're showing full replays now, i'm getting a lot of dupes that are 2hours long on my tivo box, they aren't being stored under 'live super league' games.

 

so we're filling some serious minutes for sky.

 

I find it a touch concerning that with all this content, Sky don’t even have the will to edit them down into edible chunks to satisfy the various viewer types who don’t want to watch a full game. With all this content, it appears the very bare minimum is being done by Sky to actually get the content viewed. This just being an outsider’s view. I am happy to be corrected.

[Spidey]

I only like watching live sport - knowing the outcome makes me less likely to watch full replays, will watch tries etc.  The clashes have made me switch around channels catching a bit of all the games (when there's stoppages etc)

I think the coverage so far has been fine, even with the spoilers that get some people very angry.  I'd be much happier with no clashes (and I guess that would sort out spoilers as well)

The variety of the commentators has been good IMO, in the old days of just two games you'd hear the same voices week in week out - now I guess you get a varied bunch when choosing what game to watch

I'm hoping when Sky get to their streaming service it won't make much of a difference, I expect their boxes will be fully integrated with any apps so will be just as easy as switching channels.   Maybe they'll drop a few linear channels in favour of this new offering?  Just speculating, don't know what their end goal is there

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

I find it a touch concerning that with all this content, Sky don’t even have the will to edit them down into edible chunks to satisfy the various viewer types who don’t want to watch a full game. With all this content, it appears the very bare minimum is being done by Sky to actually get the content viewed. This just being an outsider’s view. I am happy to be corrected.

It looks like their 'main' games get the full treatment. The Wire v Hull KR game is on in a 15m format six times over the next 12 hours or so. The WCC on around half a dozen (qhr highlights) over the next day. 

It looks like they cover 2 matches with full production and the other 4 on the cheap. I think that's an OK starting point, and I assume that's a reason for these being hidden behind the app in future. 

[Segovia Carpet]

5 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

It really is the spoilers for me that are spoiling it 

I would have watched the Huddy game but didn't as I knew the score from a spoiler 

Less eyeballs on adverts etc 

Why aren't they listening ???

Put an 8x10 card bottom right of the screen Bronco.  I managed to watch all 3 live last Friday without the spoilers.  

[dkw]

Thoroughly enjoying it, I'm flicking between games when there's a lull in one of them, even sometimes having one "open" on the guide. I quite like the red zone programme on sky for the NRL which has all the games action at once, I'd love this kind of thing for the RL.

[Hopie]

Obviously its good for the armchair fanatic, more games and on demand. No question about it. 

I'm a little more lapsed, former season ticket holder who doesn't go to any live Super League games anymore, started watching on TV during covid and still watch the odd game, but I can forget about games until they have happened. I've enjoyed the variety in presenters/commentators, not had to watch any games on mute this year.

My main interest in the game is internationals (which is a tough life) so that means I want the club game to be healthy and wealthy to produce as many prospective players as possible.

The new coverage brings in less money which is obviously not good for investment in the future, and the amount of games on the main terrestrial channels is less than last year. It was a shame that any awareness the WCC game on the BBC might have started had no follow up games on BBC1/2 to advertise.

I'm not sure how the new deals are going to bring new eyes to the sport? Is it just the same people watching more often?

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

2 hours ago, Segovia Carpet said:

Put an 8x10 card bottom right of the screen Bronco.  I managed to watch all 3 live last Friday without the spoilers.  

Ok that is clearly meant as a joke but I have seriously considered it