FORUMS > The Virtual Terrace > Will Sky ultimately decide the fate of Super League.? |
|
|
Rank | Posts | Team |
Player Coach | 447 | No Team Selected |
Joined | Service | Reputation |
Oct 2005 | 19 years | |
Online | Last Post | Last Page |
Mar 2018 | Oct 2017 | LINK |
Milestone Posts |
|
Milestone Years |
|
Location |
|
Signature |
: |
|
| Sky have announced that next season they will show the obscure Celtic Rabodirect competition in Rugby Union. They already show the Aviva Premiership, Heineken Cup, Amlin Cup, LV Cup, Super Rugby, Autumn internationals, international sevens, National Leagues, and above all the forthcoming Lions tour. Contrast this to their dropping the RL Championship, NRL and any involvement in the RL World Cup. Why should this be? It's an interesting question as Sky are one of the most hard nosed of organisations purely interested in what generates revenue.
To me this signals the loudest possible alarm bells for the future of Rugby League. Anyone connected with raising sponsorship will tell you the millstone round the neck of Rugby League is that it is Northern and Working Class. Any attempts to change that, as Sky did in creating Super League has failed. So instead they now emphasise the down to earth qualities by using people like Mc Dermott and O'Connor to front their presentation. However that has severe limitations in national appeal, as anyone supporting RL in London will tell you. A case in point was the joint venture of Harlequins and London Broncos. Quins are sponsored by Etihad, an international global airline. After a league game I asked a Quins fan who watches Broncos regularly why Etihad didn't also sponsor the then Harlequins RL? He said take a look at the people around you- how many of them are serious users of executive travel? He was right of course, very few.
With the likely reduction in player quality in Super League, defections to NRL, no more big signings from Union, no more top class Australians, what will Sky decide is best for their business? Whilst they need the separate airtime to fill their 4 sports channels then fine. But what if they decide that a merged entity would create more synergy and a super product with greater appeal than the combined effect of 2 separate competitions? If Sky ever reach that conclusion then the future for Rugby League looks bleak, and you will find Leeds and Wigan playing in the Aviva Premiership.
I speak as a RL supporter for 50 years and I have never before felt that our destiny lies in somebody else's hands.
|
|
|
|
Rank | Posts | Team |
International Chairman | 4799 | No Team Selected |
Joined | Service | Reputation |
Mar 2002 | 23 years | |
Online | Last Post | Last Page |
Jun 2021 | Apr 2019 | LINK |
Milestone Posts |
|
Milestone Years |
|
Location |
|
Signature |
Black Backgrounds/Zoot.gif Freedom for supporters of the government, only for members of one party - however numerous they may be - is no freedom at all. freedom is always and exclusively for one who thinks differently.
Rosa Luxemburg, 'Die russiche Revolution'.:Black Backgrounds/Zoot.gif |
|
| Can't see Sky altering their deal, which runs to the end of season 2016.
|
|
|
|
Rank | Posts | Team |
Player Coach | 22777 | |
Joined | Service | Reputation |
May 2006 | 18 years | |
Online | Last Post | Last Page |
Jun 2020 | Feb 2018 | LINK |
Milestone Posts |
|
Milestone Years |
|
Location |
|
Signature |
//www.pngnrlbid.com
[quote="bUsTiNyAbALLs":9q9d2t35]Do not converse with me you filthy minded deviant.[/quote:9q9d2t35]
[quote="vastman":9q9d2t35]My rage isn't impotent luv, I'm frothing at the mouth actually.[/quote:9q9d2t35]: |
|
| This new structure wont come to pass until 2015 at the earliest (if it ever does). The new tv rights deal will be signed at the beginning of the 2015 season to start in 2016, so you would hope talks were ongoing, along with the fact that if Sky (as rumoured) have pushed this format, it should have been the first question asked.
|
|
|
|
Rank | Posts | Team |
Player Coach | 2531 | No Team Selected |
Joined | Service | Reputation |
May 2005 | 19 years | |
Online | Last Post | Last Page |
May 2022 | May 2022 | LINK |
Milestone Posts |
|
Milestone Years |
|
Location |
|
Signature |
15455_1318246892.jpg :d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_15455.jpg |
|
| Quote: moxi1 "I think BT will come to regret taking on RU, I believe they think its a massive coup for them but in the long term will lose them a lot of money. SKY obviously weren't to bothered to let it go due to its relatively poor veiwing figures. With less people subscribing to the BT sports channels the figures will more than likely become even worse..'"
I'm also interested to see how RU works out for BT. It's clearly their 'flagship product' so if the uptake isn't what they predict then I think they may struggle.
|
|
|
|
|
Rank | Posts | Team |
International Star | 1850 | No Team Selected |
Joined | Service | Reputation |
Feb 2011 | 14 years | |
Online | Last Post | Last Page |
Sep 2024 | Sep 2024 | LINK |
Milestone Posts |
|
Milestone Years |
|
Location |
|
Signature |
: |
|
| Who pays the piper calls the tune. If Sky want a 14 team Super League they get it. If they want 12 team Super League they will get it. If they want London to stay in Super League they will get it.
Its the same for any sport all over the world which has a TV contract.
|
|
|
|
Rank | Posts | Team |
Club Owner | 20966 | No Team Selected |
Joined | Service | Reputation |
Aug 2003 | 21 years | |
Online | Last Post | Last Page |
Jun 2015 | Feb 2015 | LINK |
Milestone Posts |
|
Milestone Years |
|
Location |
|
Signature |
6679_1399761959.png [quote="dally messenger":1gysl9ow]was watching an nfl doco. on one of their teams and they used the term bomb to describe those long high passes from quaterback to running back and i think gibson took that idea, realized you cant throw the ball forward in RL and adapted it to a "bomb" kick we have[/quote:1gysl9ow]
[quote="eels fan":1gysl9ow]You poor poor obsessed fat ex vichyballin potato thieving stoaway.[/quote:1gysl9ow]:d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_6679.png |
|
| Quote: Huddersfield1895 "Who pays the piper calls the tune. If Sky want a 14 team Super League they get it. If they want 12 team Super League they will get it. If they want London to stay in Super League they will get it.
Its the same for any sport all over the world which has a TV contract.'"
SPOT ON!
|
|
|
|
|
|