Hey guys, I think I'm right in saying you get 2 games a week on Sky?

Do you know why this is and if the RFL has tried to get another game or 2 in the schedule?

In Australia, we get every NRL, AFL, Super 15 union, A League soccer a heap of live then delayed Premier League games along with heaps of other awful stuff.

Pay TV talks about bringing everyone the sports fix they need, but why does RL only get 2 top line games a week?

I was thinking that if they wanted more subscriptions, wouldn't it be in their interest to show more games? I've seen that the SL rates pretty well against all sports (bar soccer obviously), so 2 games a week is really poor. Are they doing it so the game day crowds won't be affected, or is it a case of them being tights and not wanting to pay more $$$$? Or are the RFL protecting the crowds they have until they get to a certain average?

I just find it strange that in this day and age, one of the top rating sports in the nation only gets 2 games when you see pay tv all around the world buying garbage they use as filler.

I may be wrong but I'm not sure there is the demand to see 7 super league fixtures on tv every week in the UK. There is the opportunity to see 5 live games a week on TV, with 2 superleague, 2 nrl and 1 championship fixture being broadcast most weeks. All playoff games are shown live as are 2 games from each round of the challenge cup. I think most people are happy at the level of live coverage our sport recieves.

There is also the extra cost that would be associated with sky or whoever taking enough cameras to the games to make a broadcast, this offset against the extra money they would generate via subscriptions and advertising probably wouldn't make it viable. Also I would imagine the main stumbling block would be the clubs, some attendances at Saturday Sky games are way down at what they would be if the games weren't televised and were played on Sunday afternoons or Friday nights.

All in all I can't see an increase in the current levels of coverage for some time but I don't see that many people being upset about that.

but at least 1 more game a week would be a decent increase and not cost too much?

I'd go mad if I moved over there and had to put up with that type of coverage.

I'm for this - living where I do means that more choice in the games that are televised would be very welcome. Especially as the only reason I subscribe to pay-TV is to watch RL.

Sky's insistence of putting games on that don't turn out to be interesting (i.e. mid-bottom of the table bore-fests or blow-outs when one of the top sides is mis-matched) means that the game I'm most interested in seeing isn't televised. More choice is definitely a good thing - an extra game would be enough though, otherwise we might see a long-term drop in attendances if every game is televised.

It’s all relative – for those of us who are not particularly young, the idea of having two live elite league RL games a week would have been unheard of not very long ago

Anyway... more than two live games a week may end my marriage!

And that's a bad thing?

lol, only joking, but 2 games is absolutely weak mate.

There's 7 games a week played, at least they should show 3. Friday night footy, Saturday afternoon/night and a sunday game.

I remember that Sky did try showing an extra game on the red button on Friday nights. However, it was single camera coverage and without commentary. All in all, pretty terrible.

And I believe that the club's didn't like it because of a perceived impact on attendences. In their eyes, any increase in coverage would need an increase in TV revenue and, in truth, I don't think RL is [ithat[/i important.

Also remember that we've got to be scheduled in somewhere. Before you even begin to factor in other sports (cricket & RU in particular), football dominates Sunday coverage.

I think we have room to show at least one more live SL game. My Suggestion would be for a Monday night game, it’s proved successful in Oz and the Monday night NFL games gets the best viewing audience of the week. In the summer months it will increase our games exposure with very little live sport to rival. Just a thought…

There just is not the space to broadcast all the games during a weekend.

With all the sh it thats on sky sports u get definitely get 4 or 5 matches on every week. It would definitely be possible to 2 or possibly even 3 matches on saturday.

The schedule could be:

8pm Friday
2pm Saturday
4pm saturday
6pm saturday
6pm sunday

try and make saturday rugby league day

It was 4 or 5 NRL games per weekend for most of last season.

I assume the original poster is an Aussie or lives there? there is oportunities for showing more games, I actualy watch more NRL as I have the choice of five games a week & I will be getting two national league games as well now with premiere sports plus SKY's superleague coverage. I think the will to show the games is not there as I doubt it would attract advertisers to pay for the extra staff needed to cover the games. You only have to look at the choice of coverage that SKY gives union for a similar anual payment! the difference is that they can sell advertising space for union, they dont have the same demographic spread with league (though we do have bigger viewing numbers I am told? just the wrong sort of people for the advertising folk down in London).

Australia is just different.

Even our biggest sport here, football only has on average 2 live games per week in the Premier League and that has 20 teams.

You just wouldn't get sport taking main slots at a weekend on a regular basis on the main channels like you do in Oz.

Plus where would I find time for master chef (won by an aussie) & stricktley come dancing, The other thing is things actually happen in the UK & we need time to watch the news as well.

More games the better for me. I can't afford Premier Sports so I only get two games a week. I'd rather watch SL anyway personally. Although the NRL is usually a better quality game, you don't really get much atmosphere in Aus to get into the emotion of the game, as well as the fact that SL games have a direct influence on my team's progress in the season.