Quote: j.c "Yep love everything youve wrote there.
Baring in mind this is a sky owned and financed league I personaly would replace one of the lancashire clubs with a south wales club and i would add another french club.'"
Bidding process starts with a letter sent to every club, outlining the plans and highlighting the Franchises available and the preferred conditions:
Total cost of a Franchise is 10 million investment guarantee with 5 million paid up front and released back at 1 million a year over the term of the Licence....Money held in escrow by SKY!
2 Million in TV revenue guaranteed from SKY for each Franchise.
I suspect if the financials stacked up, as in guaranteed 2 million a year TV cash for 5 years in return for a guaranteed 2 million a year investment per year from the Franchise owner, then these 10 owners would be scrambling around to get their clubs up to speed by the end of the 5th year. 10,000 ST holders at 200 quid a pop should be the target.....if the Franchises swallow the direct debit costs then that's less than a fiver a week for fans.
Attendances, Sponsorship, corporates etc...all of these would be down to the Franchise owners. No more hobbyists, but hard nosed businessmen you can see the benefit of 130,000 customers a year paying 15 quid each at the gate, 15 quid each at the bar/shop and the sponsors and corporates they would attract....
It only becomes complicated if you start playing politics.....ie, a few chairmen moaning about 1 game a year when away fans don't come....that's why SKY would own this lock stock and 2 smoking barrels. If an owner wants to whinge, then he can off and play with BARLA/ The RFL.
If the Hull Franchise knows that they have London 1 coming once this year and London 2 twice, then that's when you look to attract NEW FANS to games.......buy 1 get 3 free if need be..at a tenner a ticket, that's a tenner more than you would have had if you don't do anything and the chance of money being spent in the ground and potential returning customers. In the scenario above, if Hull attracted 1,000 new fans paying a tenner to each game and brought 3 mates for free and they all has a 3 quid pint, then that's 66k in revenue and 12,000 potential new customers.....it's how Wigan under Lenegan have grown their base....not whining like a bitch from St Helens
Desired Regions:
Liverpool/Manchester/Lancashire
Leeds/Sheffield/Hull/Yorkshire
East/West/London
France.
Wales
Midlands
I Suspect that with the exception of London's 2 teams, the other 8 Franchises would be snapped up in a flash. The 5 million up front (top be returned 1 million a year) would sort the wheat from the chaff and if any RL fans wish to complain about the fairness of it all, then I suggest they turn their ire towards the RFL and their own clubs owners!
Depending on performances in years 1,2 & 3, Franchise owners would be advised of areas that were of concern, whilst potential new "owners" could be courted if required. It would be evident after 3 years if a Franchise was in trouble, but they would still have 2 more years of 2 million in cash and their own 1 million back to see out their Licence period....if they walk, they lose their up-front cash....ie failure costs them.
6 northern based owners with 10 million each to invest over 5 years into a business that already attracts 70,000+ customers a week to games in its heartlands, with 2 more in France where the potential is massive and 2 more in London where their is a potentially massive audience.....they exist and whilst the RFL couldn't find them in years, SKY would ATTRACT THEM!
Sport is a Business and sentiment has no place here!
