Sky Deal : Fri Jan 26, 2018 1:36 pm  

I don't normally start topics on here and I have toyed with the decision to post this as it may reveal more about me to some users, and I would prefer a degree of anonymity however I feel that this needs to be in the public domain.

For my sins I am the chairman of one of wakefields community clubs, the current standard of the game means that as volantary run none for profit organisations, we have to be pretty smart on budgets and spending and last year in October we decided to cancel our Sky TV package as it cost approx 25% of our fixed monthly outgoings and would save us over £3k a year. Even though as an RFL affiliated club we get a subsidised deal on Sky (a pub of similar size would pay approx £30k a year). I was contacted by Sky business to ask If we would be interested in reinstating Sky and as it was just inside the 3 months since we cancelled, they would honour our previous package of £270 a month (incl VAT) however if we decided not to come back the package we were on would no longer be available and we would have to move to a new package which would be £330 a month. I stated that we wouldn't consider it unless we could get it any cheaper, they asked if we were also a RFU affiliated club as they have a deal, I said no but asked how much this would cost. She stated that they would have to do the package as per the £330 deal but it would cost £202, so there it is, that's how good the exclusive sky transmission deal is with the RFL, the RFU have not got an exclusive transmission deal with Sky and don't attract the same audience numbers as RL, but their governing body has managed to negotiatee a deal that is almost 40% cheaper to RU clubs than the RFL's deal.
I was absolutely astounded. I have written an email to Mr Rimmer and the community team at the RFL to show my disgust at this.

Re: Sky Deal : Fri Jan 26, 2018 2:20 pm  

Interesting stuff, rather than a complete failure of the RFLs making it sounds like SKY have prioritised growing their RU base over that of RL.

[PopTart]

Re: Sky Deal : Fri Jan 26, 2018 2:34 pm  

That's ridiculous but I'm not surprised.

Let us know what the response is.
We might be able to help as a forum with emails if you don't get anywhere

Re: Sky Deal : Fri Jan 26, 2018 3:20 pm  

Don't know if you go on Total RL but that is the type of thing that would get you a lot of interest and support if you posted it on there.

Re: Sky Deal : Fri Jan 26, 2018 3:20 pm  

The Avenger wrote:

Interesting stuff, rather than a complete failure of the RFLs making it sounds like SKY have prioritised growing their RU base over that of RL.

I'm not saying that the RFL have failed, what im saying is that Sky have given a 40% better deal to the RFU without having and exclusive broadcasting agreement on live games and also a smaller (current) Sky viewing audience.
It will be a bit of both, Sky seeing an opportunity to grow its customers along with the RFL's inability to get a better deal

Re: Sky Deal : Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:18 pm  

financialtimes wrote:

I'm not saying that the RFL have failed, what im saying is that Sky have given a 40% better deal to the RFU without having and exclusive broadcasting agreement on live games and also a smaller (current) Sky viewing audience.
It will be a bit of both, Sky seeing an opportunity to grow its customers along with the RFL's inability to get a better deal

I've just read about this on another forum and whilst I agree with the sentiment, I do believe that the RFU have about 1,900 or so clubs under their jurisdiction and a great many of these will have club houses, whereas a great many Rugby League clubs do not own their own facilities.
That said, I do believe that given we have an exclusive deal with SKY, whilst they are soon to be limited to Union Internationals, it would do no harm for the RFL to ask the question and request parity and I look forward to hearing what response you get from the RFL.