National League matches to be televised?

[Copa]

:shock:

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyleague/story/0,,1980827,00.html

National League looking to go live on Thursdays


Andy Wilson
Monday January 1, 2007
The Guardian


Clubs outside the Super League are hoping to receive their biggest boost for more than a decade with British Eurosport set to show live National League matches on Thursday nights this year.

The Rugby Football League is thought to be ready to announce a deal that would break the near-monopoly on domestic league fixtures that Sky has enjoyed since the Super League was formed in 1996, and significantly bolster the RFL's own hopes of securing a new sponsor for the second-tier competition following the withdrawal of LHF Healthplan at the end of last season.

The only National League matches shown live in recent years have been the grand final and the Northern Rail Cup final, which were both televised by Sky, while the BBC has followed the play-offs through Rugby League Raw, a late-night magazine programme that has won two Royal Television Society awards but been criticised for its warts-and-all format.

Now clubs who have enjoyed success in the Super League era but are currently struggling, such as Widnes, Halifax and Castleford following their second relegation in three years, are facing the likelihood of playing regular Thursday night matches to avoid clashing with Sky's weekend Super League coverage - although that will be seen as a small price to pay, given their desperation for more exposure.

 

[bartman]

Wow. Thursday nights eh?

And presuming clubs will get some of this revenue from the broadcast rights, and the league might use it as a way of evening out that competition, or developing sustainability for the clubs caught at that NL1 level after 2009?

 

[deluded pom?]

Great news for the NL but I still would have liked the game to be shown on terrestrial tv rather than a subscription channel. No disrespect but one or two matches on channel 4 or 5 would attract more viewers than a whole season broadcast on Eurosport. However beggars can't be choosers so I welcome this with open arms. Some coverage is better than no coverage.

 

[Jeffles]

Some people on totalrl.com say there is no broadcast rights involved as Eurosports rarely pay for sports. Nonetheless, the exposure is better than what the clubs get now and if they are clever, they will use this exposure to yield increased revenue in sponsorships.

Regrettably it does not look like Ch 4, Ch 5 or another subscription channel with greater ratings will pick up the NL games. The NL is a great product. Since splitting up NFP, the competitiveness between clubs has become far greater, crowds are rising and the game is improving. It is a great product that deserves more than what it is getting now and this is a welcome start.

 

[terracesider]

given the disgraceful history, I'd guess that even if Yorkshire TV is interested, ITV would again pressure them to drop the idea.

C5 is only in American sports and whatever crappy soccer games nobody else wants. C4 seems to have given up altogether, on everything except Big Brother.

 

[terracesider]

SKY are to televise NL1 and NL2 games.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/02/02/sorugl02.xml

 

[bartman]

Interesting... no extra cash injection but the exposure will be better than no coverage at all?

 

[JasonE]

Would be great if Foxtel showed the games as well.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Even getting the grand finals would be good. Sky have always shown them but we've never got them.

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

With the extra fox channel,would it be a possibility? i would love to see more UK games.

 

[deluded pom?]

Exposure on Sky would at least give the clubs something to offer potential sponsors. This is better than the Eurosport deal in my eyes even though there's no extra cash involved.

 

[bartman]

Re Foxtel piggybacking on Sky's National league deal... you've got to write and let them know people are interested and they should be looking into it. You never know what might be possible?

Contact details from another thread:

I would recommend that people call Fox Sports (02 9776 2600) or email them (http://www.foxsports.com.au/feedback/0,,,00.html)

 

[langpark]

this is awesome news, and i hope we can get to see it in Australia.

 

[terracesider]

Exposure on Sky would at least give the clubs something to offer potential sponsors. This is better than the Eurosport deal in my eyes even though there's no extra cash involved.

I've no idea if his is conneceted but Northen Rail have extended their cup sponsorship and are going to put more cash into the game somehow.

http://www.therfl.co.uk/NATIONAL/news_item.php?id=6967