Should the NRL invest in the English Super League? By Steve Mascord : Wed Jun 26, 2013 8:44 am  

Should the NRL invest in the English Super League? By Steve Mascord ROYCE Simmons is worried about British game and thinks it’s time the Australian Rugby League Commission puts its hands in its pockets. Royce and your correspondent discussed this informally before we spoke on the record, and the former Hull and St Helens coach called friends in England in the meantime to make sure what he had to say was not going to be taken the wrong way. READ MORE ON THIS STORY...

Should the NRL invest in the English Super League? By Steve Mascord ROYCE Simmons is worried about British game and thinks it’s time the Australian Rugby League Commission puts its hands in its pockets. Royce and your correspondent discussed this informally before we spoke on the record, and the former Hull and St Helens coach called friends in England in the meantime to make sure what he had to say was not going to be taken the wrong way. READ MORE ON THIS STORY...

Re: Should the NRL invest in the English Super League? By S : Wed Jun 26, 2013 10:31 am  

Bottom line for me is that this is really about media money - TV rights.

The RFL negotiated a crap deal with Sky. RL is the second most popular sport on Sky and way ahead of Union for example. Yet Union get way more money from Sky. The worst of it is that we're stuck with this Sky deal for years.

The Ausies negotiated a fantastic deal on their TV rights and good luck to them.

Re: Should the NRL invest in the English Super League? By S : Wed Jun 26, 2013 11:17 am  

Donkey OTay wrote:

Bottom line for me is that this is really about media money - TV rights.

The RFL negotiated a crap deal with Sky. RL is the second most popular sport on Sky and way ahead of Union for example. Yet Union get way more money from Sky. The worst of it is that we're stuck with this Sky deal for years.

The Ausies negotiated a fantastic deal on their TV rights and good luck to them.

Agreed.

BT Sport could have a big say in the medium-term future of the SL. If they're in good shape after their first year, they might just fancy a bid for SL rights from 2015. You would think Sky would be very keen to keep the rights, having lost RU to BT last time round. This could be the first genuinely competitive round of SL broadcast negotiations in a very long time, in which case the RFL will be in a much stronger bargaining position.

Re: Should the NRL invest in the English Super League? By S : Wed Jun 26, 2013 10:15 pm  

Anything to get rid of Hemmings Studd Baz and Tez oh and Angie Powers bring on BT OR even go back to selected highlights only on the BBC it would help the crowds

Re: Should the NRL invest in the English Super League? By S : Wed Jun 26, 2013 10:50 pm  

Dux wrote:

Agreed.

BT Sport could have a big say in the medium-term future of the SL. If they're in good shape after their first year, they might just fancy a bid for SL rights from 2015. You would think Sky would be very keen to keep the rights, having lost RU to BT last time round. This could be the first genuinely competitive round of SL broadcast negotiations in a very long time, in which case the RFL will be in a much stronger bargaining position.

That's the same as my analysis.

Sky came early on their latest deal with SL because they knew of the threat from BT (finally someone they could not bully away) and the RFL/SL didn't believe they had a strong hand and too quickly in my view signed up with Sky for only a small improvement on the last deal.
However, I don't know all the facts and was not in on the negotiations !!

Wendyball however, showed some metal and did a deal behind Sky's back and got a 4 year £38M p.a. package and that doesn't even include the Heineken Cup matches or any internationals.
Make the SL deal look very poor.