Hypothetical - creating a Pro RL comp

[adamkungl]

Lets say you were an exceedingly wealthy Rugby League fan with an interest in developing the game.

Using France as a starting point (it seems the most likely - I'm assuming cash is the major obstacle) what steps would you take to get a sustainable Pro comp running?

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Give away TV rights or even pay a major network to show games for the first year or two and hope it gets enough support to be able to sell them for enough to sustain the comp beyond the first couple of years. That's about all you could do to force the issue more than just starting a comp.

 

[siv]

USA is where I would targwt for this

 

[miguel de cervantes]

it would cost a fortune. agree USA would probably be the best - too much headwind in France.

close to free tickets, mass advertising, I would probably pay for games to be shown on delay in some late night slot, but basically you would have to pay more than the difference between whatever program they were going to show at that time would generate.

The whole operation would cost so much with such a high risk that it would lead to nothing that only the most foolhardy would take it on. This said, if it did come off you could make a tidy sum.

Is there something you want to share with us AdamKungl?

 

[yakstorm]

If it were me or if I was telling someone how to spend their money my recommendation would be France.

First off whilst not as much as say England or Australia there is some money in League in France already. Teams like Toulouse and so on already spend a reasonable amount on players (or have in the past) meaning you wouldn't need to plow as much into bankrolling the player side of things as you would say in the US, which means you can then invest more in expansion teams (like Paris)

Secondly you're not starting in a completely virgin market in terms of players or fans. This makes it easier to develop a reasonable playing standard quickly and makes it easier when trying to get sponsorship, media coverage and so on

I would recommend, like ECT said, make it as accessible as possible. TV, Radio, Internet, take a hit financially (or even bankroll) getting it in front of as many people as possible.

I'd also recommend investing significantly getting fans to the ground and building games up as events.

 

[Foreign Legion]

sell the concept to BeIN (tv network) have 8 teams in france . Pretty much what the aleague did or call john ribot

 

[miguel de cervantes]

If it were me or if I was telling someone how to spend their money my recommendation would be France.

First off whilst not as much as say England or Australia there is some money in League in France already. Teams like Toulouse and so on already spend a reasonable amount on players (or have in the past) meaning you wouldn't need to plow as much into bankrolling the player side of things as you would say in the US, which means you can then invest more in expansion teams (like Paris)

Secondly you're not starting in a completely virgin market in terms of players or fans. This makes it easier to develop a reasonable playing standard quickly and makes it easier when trying to get sponsorship, media coverage and so on

I would recommend, like ECT said, make it as accessible as possible. TV, Radio, Internet, take a hit financially (or even bankroll) getting it in front of as many people as possible.

I'd also recommend investing significantly getting fans to the ground and building games up as events.

there is already a group working in this sense (13 teams though). it just lacks the fool and his money to get it going. the federation intervened to stop them prospecting for sponsors/funds whilst using the games intellectual property.

 

[Big Picture]

USA is where I would targwt for this

I completely agree, I would even suggest that it's a no-brainer that if and when there's a third pro league in RL it will be in the US. Here's why:

1. Usonian TV networks pay out billions of dollars for the rights to broadcast professional and college sports every year. There are (or at least appear to be) new sports channels starting up all the time too.

2. There are far more rich Usonians interested in owning a pro sports franchise than the number actually existing in gridiron, baseball, basketball, ice hockey and soccer (MLS) combined.

3. There's an opening for a new sport in the March-August time period, and enough of an appetite for spring "football" that two attempts to set up spring gridiron leagues have already been made.

4. RL has enough parallels with gridiron that with the right approach it can tap into that interest and also be an attractive option for the thousands of former high school and college players who don't get the opportunity to go pro in that sport. In addition, RL has much lower operating costs than gridiron and the club owners would have an international market for their club merchandise from the beginning. Along with Canada, the US is also one of the only two countries in the world with a pool of athletes with transferable skills who wouldn't have to be pried away from the greedy hands of Rugby Union.

How would one go about this?

1. Incorporate an organization for the purpose of establishing and running the league.

2. Write and make available a prospectus for investors in franchises outlining the league structure, business model, preferred franchise locations, marketing plan, types and amounts of anticipated income and expenses, etc.

3. Vet the financial standing of potential franchise owners to ensure that they can sustain their franchises financially for at least their first 5 years.

4. Coordinate with the RLIF to stage events such as the World Cup Challenge in the US once potential franchise owners, sponsors and TV partners are in the picture as a way to sell them on the venture and finalize franchise, sponsorship and TV rights sales.

After all of these are accomplished, the league and clubs prepare for their first season.

 

[adamkungl]

it would cost a fortune. agree USA would probably be the best - too much headwind in France.

close to free tickets, mass advertising, I would probably pay for games to be shown on delay in some late night slot, but basically you would have to pay more than the difference between whatever program they were going to show at that time would generate.

The whole operation would cost so much with such a high risk that it would lead to nothing that only the most foolhardy would take it on. This said, if it did come off you could make a tidy sum.

Is there something you want to share with us AdamKungl?

:lol: Just fantasising!

I think first step would be finding a TV or new-media Streaming network interested in developing a 'new' sport. They would have to agree to broadcast it for free - or perhaps an incentive based deal where hitting ratings goals results in cash injections.

I'd start with 8-10 clubs in France - 5-6 heartland 3-4 expansion.

To force the step up to full professionalism the clubs would need a participation grant, similar model to the NRL but much smaller to begin.
$1 mil grant with a $2 mil salary cap, with the aim of gradually growing this when possible.

The urgent short term challenge for comp viability would be for the comp to get to a point in as few years as possible where investors, sponsors, networks, and marketing partners cover club grants + running costs.
Similarly clubs would need to quickly achieve a local foothold and secure bigger sponsors to survive.

If the comp owners can't hit break even in 3 years and decent profit to recover initial losses in 5-10 it's probably dead in the water.

But if it did succeed and was turning a healthy profit, I'd look to gradually expand to 12-14 teams, taking into consideration Italy and Spain for a Euro League.

 

[Sinman]

I like France because there is already something there and they could link in with Spain and what they are doing.. The other reason France would be good is their season currently runs over our offseason and so it would give me rugby league during summer.. But also there is already something there which is linked in with the ESL... So I think the USA if hypothetically you were going to do this because it would be a new market and it would help Canada out because they could have an avenue for some of their players to become professional.. Here's how I think you would get it going.. Fund 8 teams.. 2.5 million each.. Out of the excess of what the NRL gets for the NRL... Brand it over there as the USA "NRL"... and try to make inroads into the 20 million you are spending by building crowds, getting sponsorship, and increasingly growing the NRL brand.. You could then do a Deal with a broadcasting company in the US for both products (but probably more for the AUS product) and see how it goes.. If it's good enough you might make money from AUS TV as part of a 24 hour channel..

Hypothetically I like the Idea..

 

[siv]

What funding model do French clubs have today ?

 

[yakstorm]

France currently has zero funding model. Clubs are left to their own and there is currently no salary cap to limit spending.

As such you have some clubs which can afford to spend over a million euros (or have been able to in past) and then others where spending closer to a couple hundred thousand.

As such if you came into France and say sent the Salary Cap at 1.5m Euros you could give some clubs next to nothing to bring them up to the level, whilst others you would need to give close to the full amount.

If you went into France, Spain isn't the only country you could expand into, but you could very easily add a club from Northern Italy as well without blowing out costs.

Imagine that, having pro clubs in three continental Europe countries.

 

[nzwarriorskuz]

IMHO France is more of a priority than USA right now, the US is at least 30 YEARS away to say the LEAST!! France have the history, established RL background and close to other rugby league playing nations. An 8-10 team pro league with attempts to expand into Italy, Spain in the following year should be a goal and is about within 8-20 years away..

 

[miguel de cervantes]

While france has an established culture, don't underestimate the contra-culture. This is multiple magnitudes less prevalent in the US.

Would a pro league in France encourage the creation of a pro league in the US? I doubt it. Would a successful pro league in the US encourage the creation of a pro league in France? More likely.

 

[siv]

FRL should do a deal with Eurosports and broadcast a match of the round over summer

I am also not convinced French RL teams playing in England is helping their domestic league

 

[siv]

In fact Auckland RL would be more beneficial if it went pro

 

[Sinman]

I would love to see NZ league go pro but realistically NZ in most sports lives off Aus in some way and so a second and/or third NZ team in the NRL would be the most beneficial I believe..

The reason I say the US is because if you put initial investment into it the market and athletes in the US has the ability to expand really quickly.. sell something in the US in the right way and often it takes off into an orbit we just don't understand.. You just need a foothold into the American sports market and very quickly we have another RL force.. I agree.. without the money and on the tracking we have now it will probably take a long time but in the hypothetical situation that we were putting significant money into a place to get a pro comp going I think the US would be a good option..

 

[langpark]

France is definitely the closest to this being even remotely possible, followed by North America.

But, since we are fantasising here, I'm gonna take it to the extreme now ;-)
(assuming I was a squillionaire too, as the original post suggested)

I'd go for a Pro-Euro League. But, I'd give each club enough money to set up and put the proper structures in place, to ensure they would last long-term. They must set up academies etc, teams from U7 right through up until senior. Then essentially all the domestic clubs of that country would be feeder teams to the the team competing in this Euro League. So, based on current activity in Europe, you'd go with something like this:

Belgrade
Moscow
Kiev
Nth Italy
Athens
Valencia
Prague
Brussels
Oslo
Stockholm

10 teams, 18-round season. Top four go through. 1st vs 4th, 2nd vs 3rd. Winners are into the final.

 

[adamkungl]

France is definitely the closest to this being even remotely possible, followed by North America.

But, since we are fantasising here, I'm gonna take it to the extreme now ;-)
(assuming I was a squillionaire too, as the original post suggested)

I'd go for a Pro-Euro League. But, I'd give each club enough money to set up and put the proper structures in place, to ensure they would last long-term. They must set up academies etc, teams from U7 right through up until senior. Then essentially all the domestic clubs of that country would be feeder teams to the the team competing in this Euro League. So, based on current activity in Europe, you'd go with something like this:

Belgrade
Moscow
Kiev
Nth Italy
Athens
Valencia
Prague
Brussels
Oslo
Stockholm

10 teams, 18-round season. Top four go through. 1st vs 4th, 2nd vs 3rd. Winners are into the final.

Very extreme fantasy

I think if everything went perfectly (or better) for the next 30 years I'd rather see

UK-Ireland League
featuring teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, south of England as well as heartland teams.

Western Euro League
teams from France, Spain, Italy, Germany

Scandanavian Euro League
teams from Denmark, Norway, Sweden

Eastern Euro League
teams from Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Serbia, Czech

 

[Foreign Legion]

NZ definitely need a pro league!