said several times on here that IMG is just a think tank and to remove promotion/relegation to S/L is the most backward step i have ever seen.
A big name that has pulled the wool over the eyes of the RFL.Statistics dont get fans into grounds or improve the game.
Have they come up with anything positive NO
Doomed to failure is my opinion with IMG coming away with a nice payout when reality kicks in and the RFL cancel the contract

https://twitter.com/TheGameCaller/statu ... oDyrA&s=19

https://twitter.com/TheGameCaller/statu ... oDyrA&s=19

The NRL has no promotion and relegation and is miles ahead of super league. IMG tried to implement a proposal of scrapping magic weekend and scrapping loop fixtures ... super League clubs said no to scrapping magic weekend and will probably be against losing the loop fixtures due to the loss of revenue. It's difficult for Img as the club is ruled by what the chairmen of the top few teams want, not the governing body.

Every game televised and a video ref at every game is a good move, so whilst the central funding has gone down, the new deal might actually be worth more when production costs are factored in

Notice its Bradford top of his list

I'd would subscribe to a years long of streaming as long as the quality is good . Sky have used Youtube before and Ourleague has improved but still needs more improvement .

Can see both sides here. In fairness to SKY over the last 10 years the game has promised innovations such as the Super8s and Toronto and it hasnt delivered any growth and we are now back to franchises just as it was at the end of the 00s. To an outsider looking in it doesnt look like a sport with things uner control.

But of course without money the game cant hope to grow a lot of teams including our own are going to have to find yet more savings just to tread water.

Which could be a good revenue stream for the game, Conference football have done it for a couple of years now and it hasnt hit crowds. They need to find a partner like Youtube though, OurLeague wont attract the more casual viewers.

Agreed, if they can make our league something like watch NRL and not something designed by an A level IT student, it has got great potential. It's a big boost for Catalan and potentially Toulouse too with every one of their games (home and away) being broadcast nationwide in France. I wonder if selling the rights to international broadcasters will also bring extra revenue in to clubs?

Personally The chance of watching all the other games in a weekend live for me is great.

It appears that Sky only increased their offer from £17m to £23m on the basis of televising all the games and them getting another 4 live programmes a week. From which the game gets video refs at all matches without clubs or the RFL having to pay for them.

However, It will be interesting to see if televising all games will affect attendances.

Those who get a pass come good times and bad will always do that, so providing clubs can enthuse them every closed season with new signings (or promises of jam tomorrow ) they should follow current trends, but some marginal subscribers, might with the opportunity of watching every home game from the comfort of their on home/pub, just not bother with a pass. Also with some clubs who are doing badly in the league, or in the bottom half at the conclusion of it (with no relegation) and with little chance of making the top 6, it's possible, with the financial climate that many who might have bought a ticket for a game at that point may stay at home.

As for the IMG situation well as I have said before on here, the veto's of the clubs on most of their suggestions does appear to point to them trying to initiate a transformation in the games fortunes with one hand tied behind their backs. I wonder how long it will be before they pull out???