https://www.totalrl.com/super-league-re ... ghts-blow/ This does not look to good, not sure the private equity deal would be a good thing either.

https://www.totalrl.com/super-league-re ... ghts-blow/ This does not look to good, not sure the private equity deal would be a good thing either.

Far from unexpected, but 1/3 cut from current TV income is going to make things tough. We'll not be the only sport with similar funding issues.

I would be very wary of this private equity investor. PE firms that are cashed up can take advantage of industries and businesses in crisis by solving their short-term cash flow crisis in exchange for owning large shares of their future. A quick google search suggests this investor is trying to do something similar with French RU. They could be viewing both codes of rugby as an expansion option where they can lock up a large share of ownership and dictate our futures.



There are also news stories about this firm's investment in a security firm that is using spyware to track investigative journalists for authoritarian regimes.



Plus Super League is being asked to pay £750k fee just for the privilege of being "introduced" to this investor?



Something tells me that this investment is not going to prioritise developing the game of rugby league and preserving its traditions.

The equity funds are about making money for their investors ,they would strip Super League bare to maximise THEIR returns. Now I’m not saying that’s a bad thing bad thing but given our sports situation right now it’s not good for us. The £60 million would be squandered.

~£7m a year (based on the new TV deal) in perpetuity for £60m upfront sounds like a great deal for them. I wonder if they need any more investors, I like the idea of that.



With a ROI like that you could question whether they would do the thing required to improve future TV deals as they could just be happy as it is. Although any increases they help to generate, they get a nice percentage of, so you never know.



Also, need to consider the PE exit strategy. Would the SL clubs ever be in a position to buy them out?

I think I read that the NRL was also interested in taking an investment in SL ?



I think I would only go for the PE deal if SL was about to financially fold. As it stands we are not exactly a booming sport with outstanding potential, so we are clearly only going to get a raw deal. One third of £20m each year is around £7m so the PE would recoup their monies in 9 years and still have their hooks into us.



One final thought, surely SL should consult with the fans if they are considering this avenue of funding ? We may not be shareholders but they are certainly dependant on our loyalty and spending to support the game.

That would be fairly normal, but I agree with cautioning about PE.

....and we kick out a team that we’re self funding and giving the other 11 teams it’s share plus extras.

It's perhaps another thread/debate but I think they effectively 'walked' rather than were kicked out and as for self funding that didn't seem to add up and to continue the cricketing parlance what "extras"?



As far as Sky are concerned, on one hand I can't blame them as a business paying as little as possible for a product as they are effectively bidding against themselves most of the time.



However, it does seem a little disingenuous to say the least to flog that product to within an inch of its life, marginalising it instead of fully marketing it, whilst proclaiming it to be 'the greatest show on earth' to an audience that it limits by its own product placement.



Sooner or later something will give and I don't think that it bodes well for the sport PE or not

We really need to be selling to another broadcaster IMO. This is awful of sky and they've messed us around in recent times with Thursday matches etc,they had loads of games last season out of rugby league as well. I honestly think that sky believe that superleague/ the rfl don't have the backbone to consider changing broadcasters so they are taking the pee a bit with their offer. I dont think we can afford to see a drop like this in the cap without seeing a mass dilution of the rl talent in the UK to the NRL and Union. A huge backward step.

go back 18 -24 months, fitzpatrick and the club saw this happening, and tried to implement a plan of A getting more s on seats, B, more social media and wider media attention, and ergo, better viewing figures.



Trying to make SL a much more cooler and important product. in advance of the negotiations Sadly none of the other clubs followed suit, a lot fans have used it as a stick to beat him/us/the club with,and now here we are.



Sometimes its worth looking at the bigger picture.

covid notwithstanding