IMG chief Matt Dwyer has explained why the rugby league TV broadcast deal has been delayed.
The marketing giants are in the midst of ‘re-imagining’ rugby league after signing a 12-year deal with the sport.
However, with the Sky Sports and Channel 4 broadcasting deals running out at the end of 2023, there is much anticipation about what the next TV deal will look like.
Speaking on the BBC Rugby League Five Live podcast, IMG’s Vice President of Sports Management Matt Dwyer said: “The challenge in the market here at the moment is we have the EFL rights.
“The Football League rights are in the market at the moment and most of the main players in the broadcast market in the UK are all looking at that.
“Now, that was meant to be finished pre-Christmas and it’s not. The indications we have is that will be finished this month.
“But for most broadcasters the feedback is we need to get that sorted and then we’ll turn to our rugby league discussions.
“But in the background we’ve been doing a lot of work, both with Sky in terms of helping them understand what our vision is and what we’re trying to do with the sport but also speaking to the other broadcasters in the market as well and getting them up to speed on what the plans are.”
Managing Director of RL Commercial, Rhodri Jones, previously explained what plans the sport has been making in terms of trying to attract broadcasters ahead of crunch talks with Sky in the next couple of weeks.
“We are in discussion with Sky at the moment, we are also talking to the market,” Jones said.
“There is a big property in the market with the English Football League which has consumed everybody’s minds so we are at the moment at a waiting game.
“But we are trying to be proactive in the market and making sure Sky knows what a good job we have done and making sure that other broadcasters are taking note of what we are doing off the field.”