If they opened up the rights to broadcast a live sunday afternoon fixture, something Sky wouldn't be interested in as it clashed with there beloved Football

That would offer the BBC or even ITV to broadcast RL to the nation, opening up access to our sport to more people..... Like has been said RL is a selling point for sky so for those that don't have it having the Beeb or ITV broadcast games allows others access to it.

I think the rights for the international game should be bundled so that major competitions drag lower profile competitions onto TV.


It worked for the World Cup.


As for the British game itself, what are you looking to split? You have SL and thats all TV stations would be remotly interested in.

Two flaws. One - cost of producing live sport is a lot more than sticking on a family film for the millionth time. Two - is it really worth showing a live game at the same time most Championship(1) games are being played?

Thirdly, it [istill [/iassumes that terrestrial broadcasters are interested in live SL. ShITV certainly aren't and I don't see any evidence why the Beeb will be either.

Sky aren't interested in showing a match on a Sunday afternoon but they are interested in (and willing to pay for) no-one else showing a match on a Sunday afternoon.



Having someone else broadcast games makes it less of a selling point for Sky. Paying 20/30 quid a month for two additional games a week is less enticing than 20/30 quid a month to watch games at all.

Firstly, my idea does not involve offering Sky less. They can have exactly the same as they have now.

What it does involve is offering a small number of games to a terrestrial broadcaster alongside this.

The BBC already have the infrastructure to cover RL, and I think they could be tempted to cover a SMALL number of games. After all, considering what tb has said, they've never before shown an interested in showing live Football League games, but they are now in small doses.

You never know; Sky might like the idea of the SL getting some more attention on terrerstrial TV, thus winning the game some more fans and them some more viewers.

Everyone said that removing Sky's monopoly over Football fixtures would result in a smaller TV deal. It didn't, and I personally feel that all Sky's monopoly serves to achieve is for them to get the game at the price they want.

Because, realistically, no-one else is interested in showing that many games.

Err – yes it does. At the moment they buy exclusive broadcast rights for live SL in the UK. Your idea offers them less (ie non exclusive rights to a fixed number of games). Do you really think they wouldn't offer less money in return?

edit

Precisely.

Ten or so SL games over the course of a season is not a game every week. It's a perfect amount to entice a terrestrial broadcaster, showcase the competition to new viewers, whilst also keeping Sky in a virtual monopoloy.

Well all the evidence suggests that having more competition over packages will in fact drive up the price.

All you have to do is cleverly identify possible bidders and tailor the packages towards them.

A small token package of Sunday matches reserved for a terrestrial broadcaster, a medium sized Saturday one for ESPN to bid with Sky for, and the meaty Friday night 'marquee fixture' one for Sky.

In all likelihood, Sky would end up with two, the BBC with the small one, and the RFL with more money, and the game with more exposure.

It does.



If you're talking about infrastructure in terms of OB units, then probably. But they cost a considerable amount to actually mobilise. You also forget that BBC Sport run on very different restrictions to other broadcasters.

Aside from budget constraints, the BBC (and to a lesser extent, C4) has a public service remit. Any sports rights that it splashes out for has to be justified. It can do it for F1 and Football League - those competitions have national and even international reach. Does the same apply for SL? Given that the Super League Show is only shown regionally and that it's usually impossible to listen to Super League on Radio 5 Live MW, I think it's safe to say that the Beeb obviously don't think so.



They won't like it. I can guarantee you that. Having the challenge cup on the BBC doesn't encourage any noteworthy take-up of Sky so the chances of Sky giving up their exclusivity for similar negligible benefit are zero.



That's because live Premier League rights are a desirable commodity. RL, by and large, isn't. When other sports have tried to go the same way that you're proposing (see the SFA/SPL, Guinness Premiership, Euro Tour Golf), it's ended in tears.

Thats exactly why this is a non-starter. Sky wouldn't offer anyhwere near the amount they do if they lost this.

Only for Premier League football?

As long as FTA are offering at least what Sky drop by then we are still streets ahead. Getting SL on to FTA will provide a massive boost to viewing figures and increase sponsorship to clubs and the RFL.

I beg to differ.

Exclusive rights to show the Super League is not a desirable commodity, except for Sky.

However, the recent developments re Championship football show that the BBC are more willing to invest in league sports when they are not committed to screening 40 odd games a season.

I genuinely think that SL rights would be desirable in cleverly devised packages. Maybe forget the middle package, and just devise a terrestrial package. As I say, such a package could include 1 international, 10 Sunday SL games, and the Challenge Cup.

Having ten games a season on the BBC would not stip die-hards subscribing to Sky, it would not stop people who subscribe for football/cricket but who also watch SL from watching, and it would not stop pubs from seeing weekly friday night rugby as a worhtwhile investment.

Terrestrial coverage would bring in new interest, new sponsors, and would generally help develop a sport which Sky would continue to dominate.

You've again ignored the key point though.

The BBC currently has access to Super League content which, for whatever reason, it doesn't believe has national appeal. Therefore it makes it difficult for the BBC Director of Sport to ask the Director General for £xm to screen what the corporation considers to be a regional sport, given the terms and conditions of its public service charter.

Football League has national appeal. F1 has international appeal - the BBC can easily cover those sports as part of its public service charter. The same cannot be said for RL.