I guess I'll be explaining this again for the rest of the season. Here goes (again) inside the grounds. That includes everyone you and your blind donkey can see in the beer garden at the north end and the VIP tents in the south end, everyone walking round the stadium, and everyone you and your donkey can't see because they're in the concourse under the seats or they're off having a wee.

Lamport has bleacher seating, not actual seats, so we can sit far apart or squinch up like sardines if we choose. It's also general admission, so we can sit anywhere we like.

No smoke and mirrors, my man. Just confusion from UK-based pundits who can't believe we can pull a crowd that size.

Your donkey also asked, "why give literally thousands of tickets away? One of TW officials stated last season that they give tickets away, it is fact ! How can that model work?"

Indeed, I was at that Q&A session when the comment was made. Note, that "tickets" does not automatically mean "thousands of tickets". Wolfpack does give away some free tickets - and season ticket holders get to use two free tickets for friends each season - what this does is get people who've never experienced a rugby league game before in their lives to come along and join the fun and spend money on beer & food & maybe even merch. Many of them come back for more, and pay their way. My 2018 free tickets have turned two friends into season ticket holders for 2019. And that's how the model works.

Personally, I can't wait for the Dragons/Warriors match at Camp Nou - the 2019 attendance record for both SL and the Championship will both be held by expansion teams.

No idea on whether Sky would even be involved, or indeed there'll ever be more than the 1 team over there. But if it ever got to that scenario I'd guess it would involve a new TV deal. For the record, I'm not hugely in favour of things heading that way though I think they might - if enough teams got off the ground.

Wrong.
Toronto have done nothing....ARGYLE and his other money men have given away shed loads of tickets, run beer festivals and totally given up on the idea of developing players in exchange for piggy-backing on the Union set up.......
.....I'll repeat this until it sinks in. The London Monarchs averaged 40k in year one, delivered not a lot else and vanished up their own 'arrises pretty quickly....the only difference is that they were owned by the sport and the sport soon tired of investing.

Argyle won't get 2 mill next year from SKY, will not pay to fly wigan/leeds et al out to Toronto, won't get the 8 "home" games on the trot at the seasons start.....SL owners will expect a TV deal and US TV execs won't pay to film a 9k attended beer festival....Argyle pays for the TV coverage now and that ain't going to change, even with NYC/Hamilton/Boston/Florida etc.......
....look at the history of soccer in the USA. The 2 main things that have got it to where it is now are a/ The hispanic audience making USA 94 a success and b/ Mums not wanting their kids to play contact sports.....Rugby League/Rugby Union....both are doomed to fail in North America because neither are TV friendly or soccer mom friendly.

I would love London, Toronto, Toulouse, Belgrade......or any other pin-drop location to be in SL, but the only way it'll happen is if the broadcast partner pays for it.....like Melbourne Storm.

Never gonna happen

Here's a thought!
Anyone remember how the Auckland 9's were going to save the game?

2014......rammed stadium, rock'n'roll rugby........2019.....er........the what?

Long term solutions. One's where I'll be long dead before they pay dividends.......that's what clever sports do.
rlhttps://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/48063021rl

Agree it's unlikely. But if it did then I think a breakaway would happen.
Can probably file under "worry about that when it happens".