HKR CEO
MS: Looking at the broadcast deal, where do you think the sport is at?
PL: By the Spring, we should have a clearer idea of where we stand. It’s difficult to tell at the moment, but the broadcast deals go in cycles. You’ve got to keep an eye on what the property rights were before you, and look for some disruption. Before us, it was the Champions League and Europa League, which TNT had and lost. That could be seen as good news as they’ll need to replace the rights of those they’ve lost. Whether they see that as Super League or not, we don’t know. Paramount have come in as a new entry to the market and it’s the same as anything; you want two or more runners in the race to make it competitive. But what materialises is too early to say. We know it’s been on the decline for some time but attendances have never been stronger, viewing figures are strong. I’m not suggesting there’s a major increase but I certainly think it should be improving on what we currently have.
MS: The facts are the facts on crowds and figures, surely it counts for something?
PL: I’m not part of it, but I have previously been on the fringes in football and broadcast rights are judged on eyeballs. There’s no doubt that more people are watching our game than in the previous cycle. There are a lot of clubs that have had increases in gates. The likes of Leigh have done a great job with pre-match entertainment, as others have. The improvement at Wakefield is superb. Super League as an entity itself is more attractive than it was three years ago.
MS: I’m interested in your thoughts on the NRL, and what you think should happen there?
PL: There is no doubt we want investment in the sport, and if it’s not going to come through the NRL, then I don’t think we can sit and wait. There may be other opportunities for us to explore that are being looked at. If they don’t come to the table, they don’t come to the table. But somebody will.
Hull KR chief executive Paul Lakin has shared his thoughts on Super League's latest broadcast deal negotiations, along with much more.
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