New Sky deal

Matt

With the announcement that Sky will broadcast every match next season and include video refs at each one too does that mean their investment has increased and will the clubs see anything extra?

Games on TV have always drawn smaller crowds and while it’s awesome that we’ll get to see Cas on TV every week how will that affect the numbers for the turnstiles and income generated / is it being offset by more cash coming in from Sky?

Hepworth

I was amazed at this deal, for people like me who live four hours away it means I’ll get to see Cas more often but I’ve no idea how it’s going to affect our gate receipts which worries me. I’m in a fortunate position of being able to be a season ticket holder,something I started during Covid,that’s done to support the club,it’s not value but I hoped it would help the club survive. Others I know do the same but the current climate means it’s become more difficult. For me you can’t beat being there but I can fully understand many more will now pick and choose their games. Be interesting to see how season ticket sales hold up.

RaoulDuke

It was always going to hurt crowds as the remit for IMG was build the eyes on the game. TV does that.

We have to face facts that you can’t rely on away support. Apart from wakey and occasionally Leeds. Who brings many to us? I would say hull and kr do because barring each other, we are their local fixture.

Only the hardcore away fans will turn up and then our usual crowd. A good season will bring in more.

It also doesn’t help that other teams treat away support like crap. You go to Leeds and are given the only stand without a roof, at Huddersfield they make you pay more. At most places you are given a stand with no options.

Maturecasfan

Sky will be thinking, more RL on tv more subscribers, so more coffers into their business.
Sadly it’ll take away fans from going to the games.
So clubs will lose revenue.

Good for one business, bad for another.

FlatCapper

I genuinely think this is a case of the good, the bad and the ugly.

Good - more exposure of our great game on national TV, perhaps enticing greater levels of sponsorship.
Bad - lower attendances therefore lower matchday income
Ugly - with smaller crowds the grounds will look empty, or at least less full.

The timings of the games will be interesting to see as you can’t cover 6 games in 2 days. You may get away with 1 each on Thursday & Friday, and 2 each on Sat & Sun but there may well be a Monday night game coming into play.

Will these prevent clubs dictating when they play, such as every Friday unless picked for the Thursday game.

mdean

I am prepared to have a leap of faith here.

RL alone has summarily failed to enhance attendance and eyes on in any meaningful way, so we have to try something else. I also assume that we here will not have our behaviours changed too much by this, we are not the target market, our eyes are already on.

TV viewing and the growth of people willing to sponsor and buy ads in the games are the only way to bring real growth money. Darts, Football, NFL, NBA, Snooker etc - make hugely more money from their TV and sponsorship revenue than they do at a club. No one could watch another game and it would continue to be profitable.

Something around a season pass might be the saving of RL, but there will undoubtably be an impact in the stadium of the casual fan. As you said @FlatCapper there is definitely going to be some fixtures moving around and that will not be at all related to attendance or clubs views - it will be cynically when the TV audience is most available and works best.

Hepworth

A season pass with part of the proceeds going to the club may well work depending on the price point and the amount that goes to the club. Be interesting to see how the fixtures are once released. I can’t see there’s much to lose by giving it a try,it will become apparent very quickly if it’s not financially viable.

yorky

i remember the days of saturday afternoon matches on bbc with Eddie Waring & empty grounds, my fear is it will go back to that kind of viewing

Maturecasfan

yorky
Proper rugby.

mdean

yorky I agree, it might and it might look bad…… But if a Vitality came on board and sponsored every board and break like the cricket and each club and the sport was net better off because of it…. would it be worth it?

I don’t know, I am just asking. It isn’t what we came on board for or the traditional supporters, but sadly there are not enough of those to make money and grow.

yorky

Maturecasfan
aye covered in mud & knocking hell out of one another, rate rugby!

RaoulDuke

Tbh, rl needs to try something for an overall growth of the game but down the lane is success that brings in the crowd.

Huddersfield and Salford gain little from a successful season. Leigh are going well but once Beaumont has had enough again they’ll sink away. These clubs could disappear within a year if their sugar daddies walk off and Salford are already in the mire, they sold shares to the fans to help them finish the season and now are selling croft.

RaoulDuke

Have just seen ackers is going to Leeds now. They might be in real trouble soon but still sign Nene McDonald. The move is obviously related.

mdean

It is a strange time - obviously at times you have to cash an asset in for the success or survival.

But really struggling to see where they go, unless it is some exceptional costs in year for 2023 only they can’t rely on uncovering assets like that every season.

RaoulDuke

No your right. You can only ask your fan base once for their savings. I’d have loved croft to come to us but with Leeds only having one halfback in frawley, they have the cap, overseas and marquee available.

RaoulDuke

Interestingly wakey believe, when the ground is completed, that they will get a grade A licence under the IMG rules.

So with one and a half new stands and a capacity of 7500, that is the benchmark? (I’m aware there’s other things aswell)

That should tell you where RL is right now. It’s clear the IMG rules are not even close to being fit for purpose.

pirate

RaoulDuke
the stadium accounts for only 15% of the grading points in the IMG bullcrap

Most people think its as straightforward as the last time with places being handed out willy nilly, but to be considered for promtion you first have to win the Championship grand Final whatever grade you achieve.

mucky1978

IMG Is a load of rubbish rewarding failure on pitch because you might have a nice stand.
A team could finish say 3rd in super league and still get replaced by a team who finish 5th in championship all because they have a shiny new stadium and no other teams around them.

pirate

mucky1978

Read the criteria in full.

the stadium accounts for only 15% of the grading points in the IMG bullcrap

pirate

mucky1978
This is part of the IMG statement

It means that, at the end of the 2024 campaign, the club finishing bottom of Super League could retain their place if they score higher in the 20-point system than either a top-flight rival or the top team in the Championship.

So as long as we retain a higher B rating than the championship clubs we stay in superleague wherever we finish, and in my opinion that is a ridiculous way to run a competetive sport.

Currently we are rated at 8th or 9th by several RL publications regardless of the state of the stadium

We will know better when IMG release the test grades later this month