Rugby Football League chairman Brian Barwick has hit back at criticism of the national governing body’s new rights deal with UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB, claiming that it comes with “significantly enhanced” financial terms.
Sky last week extended its deal for the Super League, which comprises clubs from England and France, in a five-year deal, from 2017 to 2021. The broadcaster, which will show live coverage of at least 80 Super League matches per season, also secured live rights for Challenge Cup knockout tournament matches, second-tier Championship matches and the annual World Club Challenge.
The agreement is said to be worth around £200m (€241.6m/$326.6m), but Super League clubs Wigan Warriors and Salford Red Devils have both been critical of how the deal was approved. Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan, who has accused the RFL of forcing the clubs into voting for the new contract, has received support from Salford owner Marwan Koukash. Both men also questioned why the deal was not put out to tender at a time when competition in the UK pay-television market is high following the arrival of BT Sport. Additionally, Hull Kingston Rovers chairman Neil Hudgell said it had been “a seriously flawed process” and although he expressed “cautious optimism,” he added that the clubs “could have done with more than two hours to consider the detail.”
However, Barwick said: “I have been disappointed by the public response of a small minority of Super League clubs to the securing of a new broadcast agreement with our long-term partners, Sky Sports. Without question, Sky have provided an outstanding service to the game in producing both live and associated programming that has been the envy of many other sports. And they have done it for two decades. Therefore to retain this long-standing broadcast partnership, and at significantly increased financial terms, is indeed a great win for rugby league.”
Concerning the signing of the agreement, Barwick added: “After hearing a comprehensive presentation on all aspects of the new deal, the clubs themselves voted to vote on the proposal. Most of the clubs recognised that the best result for the immediate future of the game was in front of them, as indeed the significant majority that voted in favour of the offer from Sky Sports underlined. The other clubs were able to vote against it as they saw fit, which is appropriate. What I feel isn't appropriate, though, is the tone and content of the criticism by some of the Super League clubs who have their own reservations about the deal. This broadcast contract is the biggest in rugby league history and actually offers Super League clubs an uplift of 63 per cent in annual distributions.”