Re: SKY : Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:19 pm  

SmokeyTA wrote:

Sky are nowhere near feeling the pinch, it is a cash cow and makes an absolute fortune. RL is part of that, and will continue to be so.

Hybrid game doesnt make sense right now, and wont for the foreseeable future.

And that's all that needs to be said

Re: SKY : Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:21 pm  

Why do people seem to think that Sky just give us money and will "pull the plug"?

Re: SKY : Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:08 pm  

Wellsy13 wrote:

Why do people seem to think that Sky just give us money and will "pull the plug"?

Because some perverted sense of insecurity and inadequacy means they don't believe our little old sport could possible be worth paying £90m for (even what that figure, actually, massively undervalues it)?

Re: SKY : Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:19 pm  

Troll. Hates anything to do with Super League (bitter Leyther), check his previous postings.

Re: SKY : Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:24 pm  

that £90m is the minimum Sky think they can pay without affecting the product. They are paying as little as they can and as much as they need so the game can be at the level it is at. If we had a competitive pay TV market place it is likely that that value of RL would be much much much more. But we dont so Sky will continue to pay as little as they can and as much as they need for the game to be at the level it is at.

Our only other option to increase that amount is to show Sky that a bigger RL offers enough to make it worth the extra investment.

Re: SKY : Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:35 pm  

Best post youv'e ever wrote smokey.

Re: SKY : Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:29 am  

Need to get FTA interested, until there is competition then News Ltd know they can pay the min needed to own the game. Anybody got 2011 viewing stats for both SL on Sky and the CC on BBC?

Re: SKY : Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:39 am  

More and more top RL players are leaving the competition for Union or NRL. The NRL is becoming more insular. They don't need to keep playing and beating England as their competition and State of Origin are fantastic and far superior. In Union, Saracens v Quins played in front of 82,000 spectators in Xmas week. League can't compete with either Union or NRL. When you get top young players of the calibre of Graham, Burgess, Eastmond and Tomkins leaving the game there is something wrong.

I can see there being one Rugby game again with the top teams from League and the same from Union. For the rest of the clubs they will continue to play League or Union below this top tier. If SKY want it they will make it happen because they run the Rugby League. There will be more tie ups like Wigan and Saracens and cross code matches. SKY want Saracens v Wigan, Saints v Wasps, Leeds v Gloucester, Warrington v Northampton etc...

Re: SKY : Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:30 am  

Can't see any problems with Sky, we give them very good value for money. As for talk of a combined game, this only shows how deep we are into the close season and haven't much to think about - it will never happen.

Re: SKY : Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:28 am  

I agree with those who say we are safe and that RL is probably the best value sport that SKY have the rights to.

If they were ever going to force a hybrid game this is how I think they'd do it:

Cross code games such as the upcoming Wigan v Saracens one where mutual respect for the virtues of both games becomes a focal point and an appreciation of the differing skills is gained.

Further games played under experimental rules such as 13 players, a limit to how many players can enter a ruck, players not involved in the ruck retiring 5 metres, no line outs, competitive scrummaging, 5pt try, 2pt dg etc.

An 8 team competition/tournament with a significant monetary prize as well as appearance money, played under the experimental rules, invitation only with semi finals/final played at venues such as Manchester City-SF/Leicester City-SF & Birminham City-Final. Clubs involved would be Hull FC/Leeds Rhinos/Wigan/St Helens/Leicester Tigers/Northampton Sts/Saracens/Wasps. This competition would be staged annually for X number of years.

Behind the scenes, the SKY negotiating team would be testing the appetite for a breakaway competition of the elite clubs from both competitions 7 from each.
REMEMBER THIS, SKY LOVE A RELAUNCH! They did it with Premier League soccer then Super League then Rugby Union then Championship soccer then Darts etc...

When the new contracts are up for renewal, they expire coterminously hmmm?, a huge offer would be put to the respective Governing bodies such as:
a financial reduction say £65M each 5 years and stay as separate sports both aired by SKY or £300M 3yr deal for the Hybrid game meaning the clubs involved would get a very tempting £4M each per year.

The clubs left out would be offered a very small sum and very low key TV exposure, this would be done to grease the wheel and ease the conscience of those clubs leaving for the hybrid game therefore making their decision a bit easier. Maintaining the two original sports would also give SKY a safety net should the new game fail.

News Ltd could make similar offers to teams in Australia/NZ/SA/Fra/Ita/Wales/Sco/Ire
Meaning the Hybrid game would have a vibrant international competition and at the same time undermine the international competitions of the original sports. SoO competitions could also be arranged across the perticipating countries.

I DON'T THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN but if it did I think it would be somewhere along those lines.