A leading executive at TNT Sports has dismissed the proposed R360 breakaway league as “delusional” while Premiership executives have played down the rebels’ threat, insisting rugby “doesn’t need pop-ups”.
Confirming that R360 has not approached TNT Sports about its plans for a globetrotting league that targets the world’s best players on lucrative contracts, Andrew Georgiou – president and managing director of WBD Sports Europe – joined Premiership Rugby in questioning the commercial and economic viability of the breakaway league.
R360 is planning for a grand prix model of 12 franchises, visiting 16 glamorous venues and it said there have been multiple bids from team owners in other sports including the NFL and Formula One. The rebels want to attract 300 male players and are targeting “the best of the best” with a view to launching in September next year.
While R360’s plans would allow for player release for international fixtures, an agreement between the Premiership and the Rugby Football Union would render any England stars who join the breakaway ineligible for Steve Borthwick’s side. R360, though, still appears to pose a distinct threat to the Premiership.
Georgiou, however, said: “I’ve been involved in sport for 25 years. I can’t tell you how many of these PowerPoint presentations have come across my desk with people who were absolutely certain that what they had on that page was going to be the new thing. It was going to be absolutely the new thing.
“ The one question is, how are they going to grow the revenue by putting this event on? Where’s the money coming from? The media industry is going through a massive generational change.
“So if these folks believe that they are going to grow the revenue by putting this thing on, I think they’re delusional. I really do. What it will do is further complicate what is already a well-functioning rugby ecosystem.”
Figures at Premiership Rugby are relaxed about the prospect of R360 and point to their continued growth with average audiences up 10% this season, a million new fans, a 30% growth among supporters aged 18-36 and a record-breaking sellout for the final on Saturday.
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R360 has said that “clubs around the world are feeling the strain, and are being propped up by the international game”, but Premiership Rugby executives believe their worst financial problems are behind them with a new broadcast deal with TNT and Red Bull closing in on investment in Newcastle Falcons. Plans for a franchise league also continue apace.
Simon Massie-Taylor, the chief executive of Premiership Rugby, said: “There hasn’t been any engagement [with R360]. “It’s not a threat per se, but we have no idea how it could ever work full stop. The thing that I agree with is that rugby has the opportunity for global growth and it needs innovation. Hopefully we’ve demonstrated our appetite for it. But rugby needs roots, it doesn’t need pop-ups.”
