Super League IX
Encyclopedia
Television
Live Super League IX matches were broadcast in the United Kingdom by Sky Sports in the first year of a new five-year television deal. The contract was signed less than three weeks before the start of the season. The deal, worth £53 million, represented a 15 percent, or £7 million, increase on the last contract. The contract would run until the end of the 2008 season and also cover the international game minus the 2008 World Cup2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
, which is worth £5 million of the total amount. It was speculated in the media that clubs would receive around £700,000-£800,000 per year from the deal - less than the £1 million clubs received in 1995 when British rugby league agreed to switch to a summer season. The clubs had received in initial offer of £55.5 million from Sky, one of two offers rejected; after that offer was declined the amount was reduced with the final figure agreed being settled later after an intervention by Maurice Lindsay
Maurice Lindsay (Rugby League)
Maurice Lindsay is the current Chairman of Preston North End FC and the former chairman of Wigan Rugby League Football Club and had two stints at the club after being one of the 'Gang of Four' directors that used to run the club when it domininated the league in the 1980s.- Career :Lindsay was a...
. Sky's offer took into account their dissatisfaction with the - BBC requested - proposed move of the Challenge Cup Final to between May and August in 2005, which they believed was too near to the October Grand Final. An RFL spokesman said: "To increase our overall take in a falling market is a major step forward for our game". Vic Wakeling speaking for Sky said: "Our relationship with rugby league is one of the longest in the 12-year history of Sky Sports and we are delighted to be announcing the same again in terms of Super League and international rights.
The BBC secured secondary broadcast rights to show the Super League play-offs and Grand Final nationally with a provision to show match highlights of regular season games. Previously, a deal with the BBC had seen a Sky highlights package shown in the BBC's northern regions.