Good to see Andy Burnham (from Newton Le-Willows) marginalising our local sport.

i would rather see ITV get it than sky, sky think the challenge cup is pointless

Actually, Sky think that ANY event not on their channels are pointless....If you believe their hype, the Johnstone Paints Trophy is bigger than the FA Cup!!...

It doesn't mean that the BBC won't show it, it means that they don't have a Monopoly over it. Moneywise this could be good news. Cricket has been worried that the BBC would gets the rights back for the Ashes Tests, they'll lose an awful lot when Sky decide not to show it.

Completely disagree...The Challenge cup is the sports most historic trophy and it one of the reasons i watch R.L.

Some people have been suckered in by Eddie,Stevo and the rest of the Sky cronies but thats up them...

If you ask any R.L. player i bet they tell you to walk out at Wembley is what they dream of..To me the Challenge cup is where its at and always will be...

Very disappointing day for the sport IMO...

It ain't going to happen.

The report issued is a recommendation to government that will require a new bill passing. This government will not have time to pass the bill prior to the next election.

The next election will be won by the "ex-Carlton TV employee and Murdoch owned News International backed" Cameron lead Conservatives. The report will be shelved not because of the removal of the Challenge Cup but due to the adding of SKY Sports exclusives Ashes cricket and Home Nations World Cup Qualifiers to the free-to-air list.

Oi! Oi! Oi!

Think there are a few Wire supporters who might disagree with you.

Everton fan. Probably doesn't know our game exists.

Not having ANY matches Televised live on Free to air TV hasnt been a problem for footballs Premier League has it............

I dont see A problem someone will want to show the Challenge cup........

Polar opposites on the sporting spectrum.

Some of you seem to be confussed.

As the CC Final has been on FTA it doesnt mean that the BBC has only been allowed to show it. It means they have been the only ones bothered to bid for it.

It's only the final that was/is protected so any oay channel could have bid to shown round matches but with the lack of the final no one bothered.

Making the CC open to market should be good news for the game as they will be open to offers from all channels.

No one moans about sky showing all the union cup finals.

I disagree with the policy that certain sporting events have to be 'Free to air' . They should be left to the parties involved to make whatever viewing arrangments they like.

The problem for the Rugby League authorities is that they presently have an expansionist policy, meaning that they want their sport viewed by as many potential converts as possible.

Isolating the coverage onto a pay channel like Sky means it lessens the chance for these people to see our sport.

Cricket is in a similar catch 22 situation, whereby they have budgeted for Sky's huge financial input, yet are suffering from a lack of exposure to youngsters who make up the future of the game....Witness the difference in reaction to this summer's Ashes win, in comparison with 2005....Cricket clubs were floooded with interested youngsters in 2005, whilst this year there as been barely a ripple of interest, mainly due to the fact that the kids were not seeing the actual action on Terrestrial TV.

It will stay with the BBC as 1) Sky won't want it as it dillutes their SL offering. 2) No one else will bid 3) Due to 1 and 2 will be cheap and the BBC can only show cheap sports now.

As for the expansionist argument...how long has the CC been on BBC out of the last 35 years....?

Several things here:

1) the win in 2005 was notable for the fact it was the first for bloody ages
2) it was one of the finest series ever
3) the 09 series was comparatively dull
4) loads of kids have Sky/Virgin
5) kids can still watch highlights on terrestrial telly either way (which I would have to say I'd prefer my lad to do, rather than veg out in front of a whole day's play. Like his dad).

Blaming Sky for fewer kids turning up at cricket clubs after this year's series is pretty specious, in my view.

Nigel Wood's reaction (taken from BBC Sport):



Channel 4 have also expressed interest in showing sport again, although probably not the cricket. Should this go ahead I can't see there being a lack of channels wanting to show the cup, it'll just be a case of how many fans can actually watch it depending on what channel get the rights.

*Rugbychick

After giving this some consideration, it won't be a bad thing for us Warrington Fans as we will be cheering our players on at Wembley anyway.

This is getting interesting. The England and Wales Cricket Board are now up in arms due to the fact that they will lose a lot of Sky money if this goes ahead, whilst RL fans are moaning because it may not be on the BBC. The ironic thing is that people on this Site have moaned for years about the poor standards of broadcasting when our games are on the BBC, now they don't want it to stop.

We may as well get rid of it if the BBC don't show it.

Why do we charge admission fees to come and watch Warrington?

Surely if we want to increase our exposure to the maximum audience possible, we should make it free entry.

The revenue lost from ticket sales would be more than compensated by the extra exposure....somehow, I think?

...Very mischeivous Sally.

Seriously, its a lot more complicated than that, and I think you know it...



Using your example then.....If Wire decided to charge £35 to watch a match, compared to say a tenner, would we get the same attendance??...

More than likely, for £35 you'd get your real hardcore fans, with virtually no casuals turning up....for the tenner you'd get a lot more casuals.

Of course, its got to be a case of balancing up your budgets....Either take a hit in your wallet in order to gain more exposure, or simply go with your faithful followers and keep the purse topped up.

The League Cup is still well supported and thats on Sky - quite why folk are blaming Andy Burnham I`m unsure as the decision was made by a committee containing such RL illuminaries as Eamonn Holmes and Colin Jackson ...

You can moan about scrapping the CC or whatever but it`s still the one RL trophy that entire communities relate to as proved by 25k plus Wire fans at Wembley ...

rugby league is and always will be a minority sport if the bbc is bringing f1 and the ashes then i'm all for that.

In the case of league it makes more sense to go with your faithful followers, I seriously doubt that any potential new fans are 'recruited' to the game of rugby league by watching Ray French go on about the 6ft 3, 15 stone former Blackbrook amateur going in at the corner

In my opinion i like the coverage on BBC. but if the bbc drop it, what will replace it? Gymnastics? and TBH i think more people would enjoy a good old knuckle scraping game of rugby league than some woman prancing round in a leatard.