The Challenge Cup is still on the list of sporting events that have to be on free to air.

I hope Sky keep the major rights! I cant see Sky losing Superleague and if ESPN was to win I have no idea where they would fit in any coverge without a 2nd channel.

Friday nights they show live bundesliga game. Saturday early evening is EPL, bundesliga or Serie A.

Without a ESPN 2 I would love to see where they are gonna fit in Superleage coverage.

Also didnt Sky basically let Setanta over spend on the Aviva Premiership. Setanta were spending money they never had! I was under the impression Sky were happy to give up exclusive coverage as the Heineken Cup is there biggest Rugby Union draw!

Best not go on ESPN, i aint paying extra subscriptions for it. Sky get enough out of me at the mo. If sky lose the SL rights i will cancel the £62.50 i pay now for all the channels.

What a load of bollo$$$!

Lewis: "Hi Channel 4, do you want to bid for Super League Rugby League?"
C4: "Eh?"

Lewis: "Hi BBC, do you want to bid for Super League Rugby League?"
BBC: "Hang on squire, let me put you through to Northern Regional Minority Programming"
Lewis: "Look Woodsy an expression of interest from the BBC. THIS is how you negotiate"
BBC Northern Minority Programming: "Erm aye cocker, we'll ave i-lights fort after Little House on the Prarie"

Lewis: "Hi Sky man, would you like to re-bid for Super League Rugby League?"
Sky: "Not really bothered, has it got football in it?"
Lewis: " We used to have Paris St Germaine"
Sky: "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm watching United, go away"
Lewis: "Woodsy, put out a press release, Sky and the BBC are in danger of losing TV rights to ESPN"

Lewis: "Woodsy, what's the phone number for ESPN?"
Woodsy: "Sir Lewis of Rugby League Sir, I.. erm.... don't know. It's in America I think and we can't dial out of the country"
Lewis: "Oh".

brilliant news guys.

SL deserves a much better deal than it currently gets

wouldnt use the money to expand the number of teams. let it go towards a higher salary cap so we can keep our players from the clutches of the RFU

also pass on some money to non SL clubs too

if the game is handled correctly by the RFL its got decades of growth ahead of it, the current situation is just the tip of the iceberg

love to see another network cover the Challenge Cup. the BBCs attitude to RL does it no favours and a new network could well push the sport as new and exciting rather than its more boring rivals

He missed out the discussion about which biscuites they were having with ' tea ' in between it all

better for the rfl to try and get some SL on terrastral TV as well as pay tv

2 games of SL on tv each week isnt enough

the RFL should try and sell something like 4 games a week on TV, being Friday night, Saturday 2 games back to back live and a sunday game at 3 or 4 live

not only does more games mean a much higher TV contract, more TV means more sponsorship opportunities for SL clubs

when the nrl went from 2 games a week on TV to all games on TV it lead to a massive improvement across the quality of the league

It does, as should the four nations.

I cant see ESPN getting all the super league rights. If they did outbid sky and poured a load of money into the game, this can only be a good thing.

If we were to have more French clubs in the super league, this would make us more likely to be able to sell TV rights in France, further increasing TV revenue. Another reason why Toulouse should be added to SL for 2012.

Can it be featured on all three??

I also didn't discuss the Challenge Cup.

I agree that Championship clubs should receive a cut, what is the current deal? I know that they don't receive a penny directly, but I assume that the increased deal has increased handouts to lower league members?