Assuming this is right, www.mediaspy.org/report/2011/04/ ... fl-rights/
we can assume that Ch9. Ch10 and Foxtel will all be bidding big for NRL rights. And that's not forgetting Ch7 who may well bid for some of the rugby league rights.
Logically, this means that the NRL will have a substantial increase in the tv deal, and therefore in the salary cap.
Good news in that it may mean a reduction in overseas players in SL, but we could also be losing far more of our best players as well.
As for SL tv negotiations, I'm reasonably upbeat. As a "product" (horrible phrase) the SL is terrific. I don't think ESPN will push the boat out to beat Sky but they may poke their toe in the water to keep Sky honest in the negotiations. We're never going to get the kind of deal that Union can achieve because of demographics, but I still anticipate an increase overall.

The product with the biggest problem is the CC because it garners quite low audiences and the BBC is stoney broke. We'll prob hear the usual RLFans guff about ITV, Ch4 and Ch5 being desperate to bid, but the reality is that the BBC only covers the CC because it's a public service. No commercial FTA broadcaster in the UK is going to touch it because it doesn't rate highly enough to be worth the effort. Possibly we need to start thinking outside the box about the CC. Does it need to change its format? But to what?

I'd also love to know what the broadcasters really say in the negotiations. Do they insist on a London side? Do they want a second French side? Do they care about a Welsh side? My instinct is yes to all three, but it's never spelled out. in truth, I suspect they don't care hugely either way because sadly the Greatest Game will always be a profitable little filler for the broadcasters compared to football.

Assuming this is right, www.mediaspy.org/report/2011/04/ ... fl-rights/
we can assume that Ch9. Ch10 and Foxtel will all be bidding big for NRL rights. And that's not forgetting Ch7 who may well bid for some of the rugby league rights.
Logically, this means that the NRL will have a substantial increase in the tv deal, and therefore in the salary cap.
Good news in that it may mean a reduction in overseas players in SL, but we could also be losing far more of our best players as well.
As for SL tv negotiations, I'm reasonably upbeat. As a "product" (horrible phrase) the SL is terrific. I don't think ESPN will push the boat out to beat Sky but they may poke their toe in the water to keep Sky honest in the negotiations. We're never going to get the kind of deal that Union can achieve because of demographics, but I still anticipate an increase overall.

The product with the biggest problem is the CC because it garners quite low audiences and the BBC is stoney broke. We'll prob hear the usual RLFans guff about ITV, Ch4 and Ch5 being desperate to bid, but the reality is that the BBC only covers the CC because it's a public service. No commercial FTA broadcaster in the UK is going to touch it because it doesn't rate highly enough to be worth the effort. Possibly we need to start thinking outside the box about the CC. Does it need to change its format? But to what?

I'd also love to know what the broadcasters really say in the negotiations. Do they insist on a London side? Do they want a second French side? Do they care about a Welsh side? My instinct is yes to all three, but it's never spelled out. in truth, I suspect they don't care hugely either way because sadly the Greatest Game will always be a profitable little filler for the broadcasters compared to football.