Wakefield Wildcats will Benefit from the Latest Deal Between Sky and RFL

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, the Wakefield based professional rugby club that plays in the Super League will greatly benefit from the television deal that has been struck between Rugby Football League (RFL) and Sky Sports, an Ireland based, sports-oriented television channel operated by British sky Broadcasting. The £90 million deal is for the exclusive rights for covering the acclaimed Engage Super League, a league that is eagerly watched by many.

A five year deal

It is a five year deal which will begin when the next season of the League starts and will run till the end of 2016. The clubs which will reach in the top flight will get more than £1m a year. This is a great boon for the rugby league even as television revenues from other sports are declining.

A great opportunity

If the Wildcats were not amongst the elite group when the licensing announcement was made last week, it would have missed this opportunity. Wildcats will cash in along with thirteen other Super League Clubs. Widnes Vikings, a professional rugby club, based in Widnes, will be included only from the next season. This deal, which was made despite the fact that broadcast sports fee is under pressure, shows that rugby is still a sport that is followed by a huge number of people on television.

Richard Lewis, Chairman of RFL, remarked that this deal would be of great benefit for League. He said that Sky Sports has boosted the morale of everyone who is part of the League with this deal. The fact that this deal was struck at a time when the television revenues from sports are on the decline, shows that Sky Sports has a lot of confidence in the League. He also remarked that this deal reiterates Sky Sport’s faith in rugby’s popularity.

Lewis also explained that domestic rights are sold independently of the international rights. He said that this five year partnership would help RFL to plan ahead for the upcoming leagues well, along with solving various issues that are faced to make the League stronger and more appealing to fans and viewers around the world.

RFL can negotiate deals with other sports channels for the coverage of Carnegie Challenge Cup, another rugby league organized by the RFL and other international matches as this deal is exclusively for the rights of the Super League.

No related posts.