Private Investment in Superleague : Sun Dec 22, 2019 10:48 pm  

https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/super-league-close-to-private-investment/ As discussed elsewhere (but worthy of its own thread), it would seem that the SL chairmen have agreed in principle to accepting some form of outside investment for a share of any future profits. Given not many (if any) of the current SL clubs are profitable, how will this work? If CVC Capital Partners (if it's them) own 27% of SL, as they seem to do with the Union Comps, will they be in receipt of 27% of the new TV deal that they negotiate? What happens if they can't nail down a better deal? If it remains at £200 million, then they'll be on £53,000,000.....if they pay the same figure as touted for the Celtic Union Comp, then they'll be in profit in a decade or so.....and all for what? A short term investment of cash? The £40 million a year income from TV would be reduced to less than £30,000,000 with CVC getting £10,8,000 per Year ROI on an investment of £120,000,000....not many banks are getting 9.8% interest, but that's what this deal would represent and half way through CVC are in profit, with 27% of something they didn't own before? How will this impact P&R? If SL as an entity agree to this, does it mean that P&R will be removed? If so, what next for the game below SL? How will the SL clubs divi-up the money? Which club will waste it first? As an aside, if it is CVC Capital Partners, they don't have a squeaky clean image and have their roots in the "credit' business, so is this nothing more than a high interest loan that the SL chairmen don't really have the right to take out?

https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/super-league-close-to-private-investment/ As discussed elsewhere (but worthy of its own thread), it would seem that the SL chairmen have agreed in principle to accepting some form of outside investment for a share of any future profits. Given not many (if any) of the current SL clubs are profitable, how will this work? If CVC Capital Partners (if it's them) own 27% of SL, as they seem to do with the Union Comps, will they be in receipt of 27% of the new TV deal that they negotiate? What happens if they can't nail down a better deal? If it remains at £200 million, then they'll be on £53,000,000.....if they pay the same figure as touted for the Celtic Union Comp, then they'll be in profit in a decade or so.....and all for what? A short term investment of cash? The £40 million a year income from TV would be reduced to less than £30,000,000 with CVC getting £10,8,000 per Year ROI on an investment of £120,000,000....not many banks are getting 9.8% interest, but that's what this deal would represent and half way through CVC are in profit, with 27% of something they didn't own before? How will this impact P&R? If SL as an entity agree to this, does it mean that P&R will be removed? If so, what next for the game below SL? How will the SL clubs divi-up the money? Which club will waste it first? As an aside, if it is CVC Capital Partners, they don't have a squeaky clean image and have their roots in the "credit' business, so is this nothing more than a high interest loan that the SL chairmen don't really have the right to take out?

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 10:20 am  

Although perhaps they haven't? https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/10574736 ... ot-happen/ Any 'investment' from PE will essentially be a loan to be paid back (fairly quickly) at a high interest rate and if things do go pear shaped it's very unlikely that it will be the 'investors' who lose out.

Although perhaps they haven't? https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/10574736 ... ot-happen/ Any 'investment' from PE will essentially be a loan to be paid back (fairly quickly) at a high interest rate and if things do go pear shaped it's very unlikely that it will be the 'investors' who lose out.

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 12:35 pm  

I don’t trust our current SL chairmen to negotiate with PE with any level of competence.

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:07 pm  

I don't think it's a share of individual club profits (if any as you correctly say), rather a share of the superleague business profits on the whole that they will be seeking. As it's an area that has been lacking in the past, hopefully a pe company may help generate more profits, through experts in the field rather than relying on in house RL people.

On the whole it's probably worth a go

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 5:42 pm  

AXE2GRIND wrote:

Which club will waste it first?

You'd hope none would and that they'd invest in sensible stuff like marketing, ground improvements, player development...

Won't happen though. Instead it'll be overdue tax bills, mediocre Aussies, repayments to directors...

And the game will be even worse off going forward.

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 6:30 pm  

the artist wrote:

I don't think it's a share of individual club profits (if any as you correctly say), rather a share of the superleague business profits on the whole that they will be seeking. As it's an area that has been lacking in the past, hopefully a Private Equity company may help generate more profits, through experts in the field rather than relying on in house RL people. On the whole it's probably worth a go

That's it in a nutshell. Superleague bosses realise they have no real leverage with SKY and no expertise to create any. Private Equity companies have people who are very good business brains and they have been approached to see if they can do something with the game to make it more appealing to SKY, get a better offer from SKY.

I dunno, we got £200M last time, we may be looking at £120M this time, so maybe changes to the game, or possibly finding rival TV interest could excite SKY to put it up to £150M and the PE company takes a cut of that for pushing the deal higher than the SL bosses are capable of doing. As for whether this is taking place or not the first article indicates interest from the PE companies and the second one maybe indicates the PE companies can't see what they could do? I can't either unless......

How about go Transatlantic?

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:17 pm  

AXE2GRIND wrote: https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/super-league-close-to-private-investment/ 1. Is this nothing more than a high interest loan that the SL chairmen don't really have the right to take out? 2. How will this impact P&R? If SL as an entity agree to this, does it mean that P&R will be removed? If so, what next for the game below SL?How will the SL clubs divi-up the money? Which club will waste it first? 1. Not the way I understand it at all. The PE company take a cut of the extra money they generate guiding Superleague to the best 2020 deal possible. a win win thing if it works. 2. The Chairmen were cheesed off when they agreed to guaranteed promotion and then TWP went and won it. That's when they were calling for Toulouse to be promoted instead, but that agreement between the RFL and SL was legally binding. For this coming season Leigh must be favourites so P & R won't be blocked - especially if TWP came bottom - McManus, Pearson and Lenigan wont block that. As for "the money" not sure what you mean? As for the game under Superleague it would go back to what it was before the £200M deal was struck by the RFL with SKY i.e. no funding, so I can't see an SL negotiated deal giving the Championship anything. However last time Superleague commented on the game below SL, they wanted to have an SL1 and an SL2 of 10 clubs each and cut 16 championship and league 1 clubs adrift. IIRC the championship clubs showed solidarity and refused to vote 16 of their colleagues onto the scrapheap

AXE2GRIND wrote: https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/super-league-close-to-private-investment/ 1. Is this nothing more than a high interest loan that the SL chairmen don't really have the right to take out? 2. How will this impact P&R? If SL as an entity agree to this, does it mean that P&R will be removed? If so, what next for the game below SL?How will the SL clubs divi-up the money? Which club will waste it first? 1. Not the way I understand it at all. The PE company take a cut of the extra money they generate guiding Superleague to the best 2020 deal possible. a win win thing if it works. 2. The Chairmen were cheesed off when they agreed to guaranteed promotion and then TWP went and won it. That's when they were calling for Toulouse to be promoted instead, but that agreement between the RFL and SL was legally binding. For this coming season Leigh must be favourites so P & R won't be blocked - especially if TWP came bottom - McManus, Pearson and Lenigan wont block that. As for "the money" not sure what you mean? As for the game under Superleague it would go back to what it was before the £200M deal was struck by the RFL with SKY i.e. no funding, so I can't see an SL negotiated deal giving the Championship anything. However last time Superleague commented on the game below SL, they wanted to have an SL1 and an SL2 of 10 clubs each and cut 16 championship and league 1 clubs adrift. IIRC the championship clubs showed solidarity and refused to vote 16 of their colleagues onto the scrapheap

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:51 pm  

Donnyman wrote:

1. Not the way I understand it at all. The PE company take a cut of the extra money they generate guiding Superleague to the best 2020 deal possible. a win win thing if it works.

2. The Chairmen were cheesed off when they agreed to guaranteed promotion and then TWP went and won it. That's when they were calling for Toulouse to be promoted instead, but that agreement between the RFL and SL was legally binding. For this coming season Leigh must be favourites so P & R won't be blocked - especially if TWP came bottom - McManus, Pearson and Lenigan wont block that. As for "the money" not sure what you mean?

As for the game under Superleague it would go back to what it was before the £200M deal was struck by the RFL with SKY i.e. no funding, so I can't see an SL negotiated deal giving the Championship anything. However last time Superleague commented on the game below SL, they wanted to have an SL1 and an SL2 of 10 clubs each and cut 16 championship and league 1 clubs adrift.

IIRC the championship clubs showed solidarity and refused to vote 16 of their colleagues onto the scrapheap

I'd very much suggest that they won't just be taking a cut of any 'increase' they negotiate. Besides which, wasn't one of the (in fact the main) reasons given for taking on Elstone his ability to negotiate a new TV deal?

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 8:21 pm  

Mr Dog wrote:

I'd very much suggest that they won't just be taking a cut of any 'increase' they negotiate. Besides which, wasn't one of the (in fact the main) reasons given for taking on Elstone his ability to negotiate a new TV deal?

Indeed, Elstone was meant to be charging in, armour on, sturdy steed underneath him. So far, I can't see that he has achieved much?

Re: Private Investment in Superleague : Mon Dec 23, 2019 9:39 pm  

Lol when did SL ever get 200m?? That’s hilarious