cormac wrote:I can't see the provinces maintaining their current levels vis-a-vis the French and English sides if we remain in the Pro12 in the long-term. The Pro12 is most likely to never deliver the kind of sponsorship or tv revenues of the other two leagues can manage. I think a B&I League of some sort is probably in our future although I'd be amazed if any of the participants agreed to a two-tier structure. Far more likely to form using conferences as in the NFL and Super Rugby.
Probably right about the TV revenue never reaching the same level as the AP or T14. It's debatable though wether or not they can grow theirs as quickly in the future as they did recently. They'd both need more and more entrants into the broadband/tv market to keep rights prices growing. That's before you get to the issue of whether or not it can deliver for the companies(it can in France) the way Soccer can. BT were eager to put it up to Sky this time but if it means losing Champions league or EPL they're less likely to get into a bidding war.
It'll be interesting to see Skys figures for the Pro12 this season
I wouldn't worry about the Sponsorship so much if todays story in the IT is anything to go by. If we can grow our sponsorship revenue that way and don't have to share it with the RRW I'm happy. The article implies we're getting +100K a year extra in sponsorship money(well the player is for staying with Leinster). With IRFU giving the okay for these kind of deals I think we can expect this to rise. Given the diverse Geography of the P12 it'll work better for each of the teams to do deals this way. BOI have no interest in Italy.
I said this some where else but I think the PRL would only look at this if it could get them more than they're already getting for the AP. c€25m pa TV, €5-8m sponsorship, and then whatever they take in at the gate. Hard to know if we could offer them anything in terms of TV money, sponsorship maybe, and gate recipets might benefit some teams if they were accessible and moved to a bigger stadium.
Dave Cahill wrote:Politics aren't a problem, the welsh and scots wouldn't be invited.
Why not? And no I don't think PRL & RRW are besties after the euro debacle, but i still think the IRFU and RFU have an interest in sustaining pro teams in both Scotland and Wales.
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014
Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles