- Joined
- Jun 24, 2023
- Messages
- 1,781
Ok, so firstly let me point out I'm not advocating for subscription services, TV is dying.Rubbish.
If the leagues are on one sub, european games on another the 6N on another, while the autumn internationals are on yet another sub - then folks just won't buy them all and will not view.
I have netflix for the kids and amazon for deliveries. If games aren't on these, I'm not gonna bother acquiring whatever they are on. I already miss out on the Heineken Cup and much of URC. So be it.
I'm absolutely sure there will be others in the opposite positions, with BT sport, or Sky or ANOther.
Ultimately, going behind a paywall will fragment the viewership and will lead to declined mindshare.
Secondly and most importantly, despite every GB claiming the game is growing, viewership isn't increasing, it's just utilising new audiences in a desperate attempt to stay relevant
Look at the URC, making big claims that TV audiences have exploded every few years since inception lol. Ignoring the fact a new Italian and then SA market was added, viewership of URC games in Wales and Scotland has dropped, and Ireland have maintained barely.
Lastly, sports like MMA have exploded, despite there being multiple companies, on different platforms, promoting different types of the sport, UFC being the big one. Why has MMA blown past Rugby in global market share of Audience? Because it is lead by a younger audience, who want to see brutal gladitorial co.petition, and organisers have marketed it to them in a 2020s style manner, rugby has gone the opposite direction, making it less impact full, less gladitorial, more technical and overly complicated, while arguing about the scraps of audience left.