9,565 at Toronto....but....

Quote: wrencat1873 "Serious question for you.
IIRC, the deal to pay for flights and accommodation is for League 1 and Championship sides and will cease if / when Toronto secure promotion.
Where do you think the N. American adventure leads to in 5,10 or 20 years time ?

I fully accept that money is no object for your owner(s) but, ultimately, unless there is a way of massively improving the current TV deal, which looks unlikely in the present climate, with TV companies and on line streaming services paying less and less for their content.
Where will the game actually generate the money to keep this sustainable in the longer term
It's great for Toronto to pay for the visiting teams but, at some point, they will start to feel aggrieved at doing so. What happens when that point is reached and especially if New York and/ or Ottowa make the top flight.

Just as it is impossible for Toronto fans to fly over for every Championship game, equally, with Catalan already there and Toulouse also vying for a spot in the top flight, just where do you see the future of the game.'"

Disclaimer: I have no inside knowledge or crystal ball.

We also understand that Wolfpack paying the freight for visiting teams ends if they reach Super League. Do not know details of the NY and Ottawa bids regarding travel & accommodation, but Virgin is named as a sponsor for NY. Doubtless this will be a big part of the bid discussions and due diligence.

My personal opinion - the N American adventure has great potential, especially if NYC and Ottawa teams are invited in together. Wolfpack have done the hard yards and taken ridiculous amounts of stick (*cough this forum for one cough*), but three NA teams become too hard to ignore or dismiss as outliers. The challenges for the start-ups are to engage new fans - first, to a new entertainment experience, second, to the sport itself - and to monetize it through sponsorships and tv/broadcast deals. From what we know, the NYC deal claims to have heavy hitters as sponsors. Money for pro sports can always be found, if there's an appealing product.

Wolfpack have already shown that new fans can be created from almost nothing, even in a city with a team in each of the top-tier pro sports. That tells me NYC and Ottawa can be as successful or better. How any potential new money is distributed is between teams and the RFL - doubtless these discussions are happening.

Wolfpack to date have taken nothing, been stiffed for the Challenge Cup, and yet paid for its 2019 Championship games to be shown on Sky. I'd bet all the NA teams are or will be working on broadcast deals.

I'm an optimist by nature. In a few years, if the RFL accept Ottawa and NYC and the teams take hold locally, I'd see a few more NA teams shaping up. That would be a good basis for a North American league, with perhaps a number of fixtures v English & French teams every year. Rugby league is only an emerging sport here, but it fits all the criteria for a sport North Americans can fall in love with. It will take time for local NA players to develop to a high enough standard, but pro sports don't care about birthplace and neither do fans. Pro athletes go where the work and the money are.

So, in 20 years, with a pinch of pixie dust, it's possible we'll have two completely stand-alone sports leagues. As for the future of the game in England & France in 20 years, I wouldn't dream of making any predictions. But the NA experience will continue to provide the more outward-looking clubs with marketing ideas they can apply.