*source = www.barb.co.uk (Weekly> Top 10s) 2007: 7,262k/44 = 165k average 2008: 7,552k/48 = 157k average 2009: 8,555k/56 = 153k average 2010: 9,590k/60 = 160k average 2011: 9,138k/56 = 163k average 2012: 10,975k/65= 169k average 2013: 9,698k/63 = 154k average 2014: 6,754k/50 = 135k average =#FF00002015: 4,241k/37 = 114k average <----- down by over 15% [u2014[/u Thurs: 1,886k/15 = 126k average Fri: 3,179k/20 = 159k average Sat: 1,373k/13 = 106k average Sun: 316k/2 = 158k average ----------------------------------------- TOTAL: 6,754k/50 = 135k average ----------------------------------------- [u2015[/u Thurs: 1,517k/14 = 108k average <----- down by 14% Fri: 2,204k/16 = 137k average <----- down by 14% Sat: 450k/6 = 75k average <----- down by 29% Mon: 70k/1 = 70k average ------------------------------------------ TOTAL: 4,241K/37 = 114k average <----- down by over 15% ------------------------------------------ Moonie Magic 2014: 832k/6 = 139k average Moonie Magic 2015: 768k/6 = 128k average <----- down by 8% As there appears to be no thread on SL attendances, I'll assume they are down also. You're welcome.

*source = www.barb.co.uk (Weekly> Top 10s) 2007: 7,262k/44 = 165k average 2008: 7,552k/48 = 157k average 2009: 8,555k/56 = 153k average 2010: 9,590k/60 = 160k average 2011: 9,138k/56 = 163k average 2012: 10,975k/65= 169k average 2013: 9,698k/63 = 154k average 2014: 6,754k/50 = 135k average =#FF00002015: 4,241k/37 = 114k average <----- down by over 15% [u2014[/u Thurs: 1,886k/15 = 126k average Fri: 3,179k/20 = 159k average Sat: 1,373k/13 = 106k average Sun: 316k/2 = 158k average ----------------------------------------- TOTAL: 6,754k/50 = 135k average ----------------------------------------- [u2015[/u Thurs: 1,517k/14 = 108k average <----- down by 14% Fri: 2,204k/16 = 137k average <----- down by 14% Sat: 450k/6 = 75k average <----- down by 29% Mon: 70k/1 = 70k average ------------------------------------------ TOTAL: 4,241K/37 = 114k average <----- down by over 15% ------------------------------------------ Moonie Magic 2014: 832k/6 = 139k average Moonie Magic 2015: 768k/6 = 128k average <----- down by 8% As there appears to be no thread on SL attendances, I'll assume they are down also. You're welcome.

Unsurprising given the utter contempt with which Sky treat RL in 2015.

Super League matches moved to an awful Thursday night timeslot putting them in direct competition with numerous other live sports.
Boots N All now filmed in the Sky Studios cafe rather than an actual studio, and only featuring one guest.
SL Full Time changed from a panel show to a non-studio show, and now reduced to a half hour highlights show.
Back Chat and Supermen scrapped, NRL highlights show scrapped.
Coverage on Sky Sports News massively reduced and often cut altogether from the hourly rotation.
No Championship coverage of any kind bar Summer Bash, despite holding the rights.

RL is the ONLY sport to which Sky holds any kind of exclusive rights not to be part of the "Your home of..." marketing campaign, even the likes of GAA and Netball feature this branding.

Here we go, this should be fun........

Absolute bore.. why post? Honestly. Why?

Who gives a ?

Not surprised, lots of televised games bit of a borefest more on a thursday than friday nights for some unknown reason. Bad Ref Standards, Poor Commentary and less intensity in matches doesn't help.

Oh, but...



More comebacks than The Rolling Stones. How many's this now, 6?

How long til your next dummy spit and a promise that you'll never return again?

We've still got some big games to come.
Warrington v Wigan
Leeds v St Helens
Wigan v Leeds
Warrington v St Helens
& Hull KR v Hull FC
Should all bump the average up a bit. As should the top games from the top 8. You've got another round of the top clubs playing each other which will put the average up.

Quote ="William Eve"*source = www.barb.co.uk (Weekly> Top 10s) 2007: 7,262k/44 = 165k average 2008: 7,552k/48 = 157k average 2009: 8,555k/56 = 153k average 2010: 9,590k/60 = 160k average 2011: 9,138k/56 = 163k average 2012: 10,975k/65= 169k average 2013: 9,698k/63 = 154k average 2014: 6,754k/50 = 135k average =#FF00002015: 4,241k/37 = 114k average <----- down by over 15% [u2014[/u Thurs: 1,886k/15 = 126k average Fri: 3,179k/20 = 159k average Sat: 1,373k/13 = 106k average Sun: 316k/2 = 158k average ----------------------------------------- TOTAL: 6,754k/50 = 135k average ----------------------------------------- [u2015[/u Thurs: 1,517k/14 = 108k average <----- down by 14% Fri: 2,204k/16 = 137k average <----- down by 14% Sat: 450k/6 = 75k average <----- down by 29% Mon: 70k/1 = 70k average ------------------------------------------ TOTAL: 4,241K/37 = 114k average <----- down by over 15% ------------------------------------------ Moonie Magic 2014: 832k/6 = 139k average Moonie Magic 2015: 768k/6 = 128k average <----- down by 8% As there appears to be no thread on SL attendances, I'll assume they are down also. You're welcome.'" SL has defiantly lost its X-Factor it's just got no appeal to the wider audience. Who exactly are the stars of the competition? Virtually no players with any significant profile. I fear for the figures when PL Soccer starts showing on Friday Nights. Changing the baffons who commentate wouldn't do the coverage any harm. Maybe it's time the salary cap was lifted for the clubs that can demonstrate the finances to spend. I rather liked the idea of the Golden Ticket. The game needs more stars.

Quote ="William Eve"*source = www.barb.co.uk (Weekly> Top 10s) 2007: 7,262k/44 = 165k average 2008: 7,552k/48 = 157k average 2009: 8,555k/56 = 153k average 2010: 9,590k/60 = 160k average 2011: 9,138k/56 = 163k average 2012: 10,975k/65= 169k average 2013: 9,698k/63 = 154k average 2014: 6,754k/50 = 135k average =#FF00002015: 4,241k/37 = 114k average <----- down by over 15% [u2014[/u Thurs: 1,886k/15 = 126k average Fri: 3,179k/20 = 159k average Sat: 1,373k/13 = 106k average Sun: 316k/2 = 158k average ----------------------------------------- TOTAL: 6,754k/50 = 135k average ----------------------------------------- [u2015[/u Thurs: 1,517k/14 = 108k average <----- down by 14% Fri: 2,204k/16 = 137k average <----- down by 14% Sat: 450k/6 = 75k average <----- down by 29% Mon: 70k/1 = 70k average ------------------------------------------ TOTAL: 4,241K/37 = 114k average <----- down by over 15% ------------------------------------------ Moonie Magic 2014: 832k/6 = 139k average Moonie Magic 2015: 768k/6 = 128k average <----- down by 8% As there appears to be no thread on SL attendances, I'll assume they are down also. You're welcome.'" SL has defiantly lost its X-Factor it's just got no appeal to the wider audience. Who exactly are the stars of the competition? Virtually no players with any significant profile. I fear for the figures when PL Soccer starts showing on Friday Nights. Changing the baffons who commentate wouldn't do the coverage any harm. Maybe it's time the salary cap was lifted for the clubs that can demonstrate the finances to spend. I rather liked the idea of the Golden Ticket. The game needs more stars.

Definitely agree the game needs more stars. It's partly our own fault for not making stars of our own players though that in itself is a symptom of the poor international game as its that that creates stars.

I also think we should be looking to poach Union stars at the end of their careers. I don't give a toss what they play like they'll bring much needed kudos and recognition to the sport. In the end if SL clubs signed Billy Slater, Cameron Smith & Greg Inglis virtually no-one outside the RL world would notice or pay any attention.

Sign an ex-England Union player and you'll get some newspaper inches.

The fact that they're showing all of Catalans home games will bump the average down a bit. That doesn't really matter because it's bonus content. The fact that they haven't changed their commentators or presentation style in 20 years and a good number of people are heartily sick of it will bump the average down further. That's more of a concern.

It does show the claims that the problem was a lack of P+R and 'the regular season not mattering' for the complete nonsense it always was. Perhaps now that stupid parochial nonsense will be ignored and the real issues can be overcome.

Saying that, Catalans will effect the figures and the other issue is that these figures are based on the top 10 watched programmes so it may not include all figures.

I know, the total lack of RL coverage on Sky is disgusting and as William Eve so rightly pointed out last year, they've got no interest in the CC either.

Are there really matches on tv Tues and Wed next week? Result! (for the exiled TV fan like me)

The ones on Tues & Wed are being broadcast online on their online-only channel, so technically not on TV but close enough

So you've pointed out two Cup matches, two matches being shown by the BBC and two matches that are not being broadcast on TV despite there being 5 Sky Sports channels, most of which are showing filler content like "Time of our Lives" and "Sky Sports Years: 2011" during the timeslot that those matches will be taking place. Nice one.

Classic RL fan. 8 live games on TV in the space of 9 days and still finds a way to moan.



Bring back the golden age of winter rugby and Sunday night highlights eh!

No, I'm moaning about the fact that the sport is badly treated by Sky in comparison to just a few years ago and in comparison to other sports. The fact that there are 8 matches on TV, two of which are not being televised by Sky and two of which I can't watch due to being a Virgin Media customer is completely irrelevant to that.

As this is the season where every second counts, your absence has been too long Billy. Welcome back!

I don't think so. First of all, elite level union players are very well paid so no longer need to convert to league to make a tanner or two. They can stay where they are.

Secondly, have you ever actually tried becoming a league player after many years of playing union? I have (ok, not at an elite level) but the fitness, commitment and skill levels are miles apart which makes the transition very arduous; again why would a well paid elite level player put themselves through this to publicly fail?

Elite NRL players are paid very well too. The rumours are that Leeds new signing Mitch Garbutt, a 26 year old with only 12 NRL appearances, was on a £130k a year contract at Brisbane.
If we're going to have to pay huge wages for a top NRL player that virtually no-one in England will know who they are, then why not pay a similar amount for someone (who is the right fit and would make a good go of the transition) who non-RL people and, crucially, the London-centric, right-wing, middle class British media will have heard of and might, just might, take notice of?

The fitness isn't miles apart at all. It may be a different "type" of fitness but elite Union players are perfectly fit for their role.
The commitment is no different. It's not the 80's anymore.
The skill levels I do think there's a gap, but then Richard Owen is playing SL, so there's a range of skill levels in SL that I think a Union player could fit into.

Why did Gareth Thomas?
There's plenty of dedicated, committed athletes looking for a challenge in Union. We just need to teach them how to pass, run and tackle.

It'd be interesting to know whether the amount of sky sports subscribers increased or decreased. I know a few people who cancelled their subcription because of the price increase to pay for the PL tv deal.

Before the Bid
[urlhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/04/sky-profits-rise-uk-and-germany-pay-tv[/url
After the Bid
[urlhttp://www.wsj.com/articles/sky-earnings-boosted-by-subscriber-growth-in-u-k-germany-1429608660[/url

I reckon they'll lose a few over the summer and then report another bumper harvest once the PL season starts up again....

The figures aren't great but bear in mind that TV ratings across the board are down due to the sheer number of channels these days and the rise of streaming services like Netflix, even the massive TV shows like Eastenders, Strictly and XFactor have lost millions of viewers in recent years.

I do think the standard of refereeing and lack of big name stars is hampering the game though, hopefully the marquee rule helps fits one of those. I also think it's long overdue for SKY to overhaul their coverage, new presenters and new graphics please!

I ditched Sky Sports this year after donkeys years subscribed. The reduced and inferior coverage of SL coupled with a hefty monthly price tag tipped the balance for me. I only subscribed to Sky Sports for the RL so it represents awful value for money for me. A couple of games a week is simply criminal for a full time sports channel. I'm subscribed to Premier for a fraction of the price and get EVERY single game every week from the NRL.

So I get a better product, more games, for less outlay. At the moment, SL is a bit like watching semi-pro after watching NRL so I don't find I'm missing out on much.

It's a sad state of affairs for the game in the UK. It feels like it's fading away slowly. There's little pizzazz in our game at the moment, and Sky's apathy towards us is nailing the coffin lid shut.

I really don't know why anybody pays for any Sports Channels when all are freely available on the internet.