Probably the best broadcaster in the world.

Here here get it off the bbc its cr"p coverage anyway look at this year’s game nothing afterwards poor very poor cameras presenters everything is poor let sky have it at least you see the game and 9/10 times you have someone presenting it who knows what there on about

Would those who refuse to sign the petition be the first to complain if the Challenge Cup is scrapped by the RFL?



IMO taking the CC off the protected list is the first step in its demise. It allows the BBC to drop its coverage, and if this happens who will step in?



Sky? They're only bothered about selling subscriptions in the long term, and with the RL community cornered broadcasting SL and the Championships its most likely they won't be interested or treat it with contempt.

ITV? And you moan about the BBC being a poor broadcaster. ITV will never be interested in RL.

Channel 4 or Five? Neither have the money despite their sports coverage being small.

ESPN? See ITV, plus their schedule is bursting with football and American sports.



Attendances are on the demise as it is, especially in the earlier rounds if we're tied with a lower league side or anyone other than Saints and Wigan. All the focus and attention is on SL in the media which is affecting casual supporters interests across the game. Eventually it won't be financially feasible for the RFL to run the competition and the lower teams will earn a significantly less amount of gate receipts which they so desperately need. We have got to a stage where the CC is only important for expansion and awareness of the sport across the country, and dropping it from the list is a significant step back from that point of view.



The RFL is in a different position to say the ECB, where the ECBs primary income is from SKY. The RFL has Sky's money and free-to-air broadcasting so has the best of both worlds similar to the FA Cup.

Eddie & Stevo are about as big a pastiche of the archetypal RL commentator as Eddie Waring & Ray French. At least the BBC have in Clare Balding & Dave Woods people who genuinely enjoy watching the game & are interested in introducing the game to new people rather than shouting crap at every opportunity. Admittedly Jonathan Davies needs putting out to pasture (or RU permanently), but Noble, Morgan & Robbie Paul are excellent summarisers.



The BBC have a different approach - RL is not one of it's major sports but they will still clear the schedules for the Cup weekends & try to show the Challenge Cup as a major event in the sporting calendar; instead of Sky's approach that it's a mere interruption inbetween SL rounds. If you want to see how seriously Sky take the Cup, look at their highlights coverage of the final...

I know the RFL have their knockers, but do you seriously think they would be stupid enough to scrap the Challenge Cup? A trophy that's been on offer for 113 years?







If the BBC really cared about RL, you'd think they would do the opposite of dropping their coverage. If they do decide to do that, then it just proves what they really think of the Greatest Game.







It's Sky, of course that's what they are only bothered about. Still, they have the money.







You don't know that though. It's feasable that Sky might treat the CC like they treat SL.







They used to broadcast it though I doubt they would take it onboard again should the opportunity arise. You never know, could get CC coverage on ITV fronted once again by that smug git Steve Rider.







Next!!







All the Amercian sports have their own dedicated channel, ESPN America. The only time ESPN actually show american sports is late night, so it will have no bearing on any RL coverage.







They have been on the demise for years anyway.







Fully agree.







Plus the ECB's Sky money is probably far far greater than the RFL will ever get, so it will hurt them a lot more.

At present the BBC are not legally obligated to show the Challenge Cup are they? I might be wrong and feel free to correct me but protected events must be shown on terrestrial TV so the BBC have the rights as presumably they offer more money than ITV, C4 or C5 do, yes?



Just because Sky are allowed to bid doesn't mean the RFL will sell it to them and in fact if the BBC had a rival serious bidder it might make them up their game to provide a higher quality of coverage than they do now rather than taking it for granted. What are Granstand's viewing figures now? In the modern era of Sky Sports News (available on Freeview without subscription and shows Soccer Saturday) I wouldn't be surprised if the CC is one of the BBC's biggest audience pullers in that slot.



It annoys me greatly that Saturday games kick off at 2.30 to accommodate Final Score - a BBC institution I acknowledge but barely relevant in the present day and could surely be shown on BBC2 on Challenge Cup Final day at least to allow a 3pm kick off and appropriate level of post match reaction.



I may be taking a very simplistic view and I admit I am uneducated with regards the in and outs so again feel free to correct me, but at face value I see this as a potential blessing in disguise.

As an aside it is only the final itself that is protected is it not? The FA Cup Final is protected but the rounds are shared between terrestrial and Sky (and actually I think Sky show the final as well as BBC/ITV don't they?)



As long as the final is televised on terrestrial there is no legal problem. The same therefore applies to the Challenge Cup I imagine.



The fact that the Challenge Cup is only shown on the BBC throughout the competition at present desite the fact that it doesn't have to be suggests maintaining as much terrestrial coverage as possible while allowing Sky to run the show in SL is a big priority for the RFL anyway and there's no reason why that needs to change.

Zero. It hasn't existed for a few years now.

Haha fair do's - shows how up to date I am. Do they normally show sport of some description on a Saturday avvy though? Final Score is still on every week, yes?

ESPN and ITV show the FA Cup.

Obviously I'm making a lot of errors here! In my defence I go to a lot of rugby and football games but don't watch very many on telly despite having every sports channel available.



The basic point though is that presumably even now the Challenge Cup could be shared between terrestrial and subscription broadcasters, a la the FA Cup, so the fact that it isn't suggests terrestrial coverage is a priority at the RFL whether it has to be or not.

Plenty of rumours flying about that come the change in certain FTA rights that Dicky Branston channel Virgin 1 will bid for some sports.