This is SKY's advert to promote their coverage of the game.



Their target is to encourage lapsed RL fans in traditional RL areas to subscribe to Sky Sports or to go to pubs that pay a heavy subscription to show matches.



I think they have accurately identified their target audience.

What do people expect really when SKY see us as a filler sport?



Even Darts...Darts FFS! has a far bigger profile on the network now than we have.

So who exactly should we be using , some young Bimbo in a bikini ? , as explained below this is SKYs advert to remind their subscribers that the ' Real ' Sport is back on shortly , however by using both Johnny and the way they have done the advert it will be extensively watched on social media , getting people laughing , complaining but also talking



Good advert in a similar vein to the John Smiths adverts by Peter Kay , people having seen it once will watch it again just to check out what they actually did see

To all those knocking the advert, what did you want/ expect to see ?



Although clearly this plays the northern card very strongly, it certainly gets across the passion involved in following the sport.

Perhaps we shold have asked Farage and Theresa May to have a pint and discuss RL.



The last time we used national media to "advertise" our sport, having the Challenge Cup draw on Radio 4, it was embarrassing and it probably harmed the game.



If this video gets people talking down their local pub / club, then, it's job done.



Sky get excellent viewing figures for RL and this will probably help increase the numbers.



Yours



Fat Northern Rugby League Fan

Got to agree I thought it was funny and liked it just to balance out the argument, as for using Johnny Vegas brilliant a fat northerner and RL fan to boot job done.



Fat Northern Rugby League Fan MK II

It's a good advert, who would have thought RL fans find something to moan about!



The ad is about raising awareness of the season starting and to do that it needs to stand out a 30 second montage of action/hits would just blend in and be utterly forgettable, a short ad isn't enough time to use clips. Would there be any discussion on here if it was just a montage ad? Would there be any discussion away from here? Not a chance.

For all those complaining about the advert, it may be worth remembering that Sky have done this sort of thing before and that their primary/ sole interest is to increase viewing numbers (to increase advertising revenue) for its network.



Clearly, they will never promote RL sufficiently to appease most folk on this forum but, they have rather more experience concerning the their needs than the "experts" on here.

Loved it,one of the true joys of RL and being is a northerner is our ability to laugh at ourselves.



To all you moaners on here might I suggest you move down South and support Union because that's what you are, lighten up and get a life for heavens sake. It's not that ad that's sad it's you.

I'd love to hear some feedback from non RL supporters watching that. Curious to see what they make of it and if it made them want to tune in.

Johnny Vegas is what a certain part of the internet would brand a 'lolcow'.



As a standalone advert, it is amusing but will be forgotten by the end of this season. However, I think it would be great if the RFL paid Michael Joseph Pennington to do his Vegas persona all season long. Imagine him having YouTube meltdowns every time saints lost a game, coming on RLFANS to argue with opposition fans plus whatever else he gets up to on the terraces and elsewhere on Rugby AM or some old man’s pub. A car crash for the internet age..



Personally, I'd like to see a highlights reel placed during the Super Bowl ad breaks but it would be expensive. On the plus side an American club is looking to follow in Toronto's footsteps and I think our sport is most likely to see growth over there. Our professional leagues are so weak we could have a good number of recently established clubs from North America playing here in the next decade. Then they'll head back home to create something much more valuable than what Super League could ever be. Rugby League had its chance to thrive in the UK but that gift has been squandered over the years due to poor growth management by the RFL.

So we get one of britains funniest best loved most recognisable comedians and entertainers, a fine serious and comedy actor, friend of Hollywood heavyweights, and all round massive RL fan, and what do some RL fans do, moan like F**k call him thick fat northerner, and then wonder why our game is not more popular, with fans like this who needs enemies. It's a great ad And funny,



We got Richard Branson, Bradley wiggins, Russel crow and they did f**k all to increase popularity.

Oh and people compare to darts, well darts has had a resurgence due to playing to its strengths and championing its image listening to its fans, Rl contanly trying to distant itself from its past, bringing in rules that fans don't like, playing games on nights fans don't like, changing league format to something that nobody likes etr etr