IMG’S vice president of sports management, Matt Dwyer, has revealed that Sky Sports’ reduced broadcasting deal in 2024 was down to the sport’s lack of growth.
A report by Sport Business has revealed that Sky paid just £21.5 million for Super League rights this year – signalling a reduction from £40 million per year back in 2021.
In recent weeks, Super League clubs have posted their accounts to Companies House, and a number have recorded losses with the reduced Sky deal no doubt a part of that loss.
The sport itself is at a crossroads, with IMG coming on board in 2022 in a bid to help ‘reimagine’ rugby league with a new grading system.
That system was set up in order to find the cream of the crop and bring them to the top of Super League, but the league’s income has now been reduced by 10 per cent until the end of 2026 when the next broadcasting deal is up for grabs.
“Sky said to us: ‘Look, you’ve been very steady for a long period of time and you need to be growing the fanbase,’” Dwyer told Sport Business.
“‘We need that critical mass to start moving the needle, and that takes time. That’s why this is a 12-year deal.”
The plan for the five pillars, Dwyer says, is to give the fans the spectacle they deserve.
“We have an incredibly passionate fanbase and I think that as long as we give them the best possible product and the best sporting experience they can possibly have, they will prioritise rugby league as part of their weekly spend,” Dwyer continues.
“That was one of the ideas behind the concept of grading: ensuring that every club is offering fans a top-level experience that represents value for money on their hard-earned pounds and pence.”
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