CHALLENGE CUP; BBC shockingly confirm they will NOT show a single Challenge Cup Round Six clash on live TV

[josie andrews]

Rugby League Commercial and Challenge Cup broadcasters BBC Sport recently confirm a new three-year broadcast partnership which for the first time includes regular live coverage of the Betfred Super League and this month’s Betfred World Club Challenge, as well as the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair Challenge Cups.

The multi-platform coverage will also include highlights of every Super League match on the BBC Sport website and app, and an extension of Rugby League’s partnership with BBC radio, with commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra, as well as the extensive coverage on BBC local radio which includes Betfred Championship and League One.

The new coverage kicked off when the champions Wigan Warriors launched their title defence at Castleford Tigers – the first Super League match to be shown live on the BBC.

The following Saturday also on BBC Two, Wigan Warriors faced the three-times NRL champions Penrith Panthers at the DW Stadium as they win the World Club Challenge.

A total of up to 15 Betfred Super League matches will be covered in each of the next three seasons across digital and linear channels, including two matches in the Play-Offs live on BBC TV for the first time in September and October.

In another first, the BBC Sport website and app will carry selected highlights from the Women’s Super League, including the semi finals and Grand Final, and the Wheelchair Super League Grand Final.

The reimagined relationship will see the continuation of the BBC’s long-standing coverage of the Men’s Challenge Cup including the Final at Wembley, which dates back to 1948.

However, despite this their coverage of the competition will not reach network TV for the next round despite the introduction of Super League clubs into it.

On BBC’s rugby league page, they have done a piece summarising the Challenge Cup draw and within the piece they confirm the only game they will show in this round will be on iPlayer.

They state: “Dates: 22-24 March Coverage: One game live on the BBC iPlayer, Sport website and app, commentaries on BBC radio.”

So the massive tie between Leeds Rhinos and St Helens will not be on TV.

https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/bbc-shoc ... hes-89035/

[Ipinwigan]

Typical of the BBC, still treating our game with complete apathy.
A leopard never changes its spots.

I did notice that the BBC Sports app had the news that Spencer Leniu: Sydney Roosters prop, was banned for eight weeks for racially abusing Ezra Mam, which is still on the front page of the sports app.
They are all too happy to report on the negative aspect of the game.

[Mike]

Yawnion bigwigs probably worried about the impact of the WCC on terrestrial giving us media momentum.

[moto748]

Typical of the BBC, still treating our game with complete apathy.
A leopard never changes its spots.

I did notice that the BBC Sports app had the news that Spencer Leniu: Sydney Roosters prop, was banned for eight weeks for racially abusing Ezra Mam, which is still on the front page of the sports app.
They are all too happy to report on the negative aspect of the game.

Or, rather like the Guardian sports page, be more interested in the Aussie market than the UK, hence the NRL clickbait.

Another example: every BBC SL match report still includes a link at the bottom to The Superleague Show. Which doesn't exist any more. No rush to tidy that up, guys!

[morley pie eater]

Just read that Leeds v Saints is on BBC Red Button

https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2024/03/12/s ... y-the-bbc/

[Mike]

The BBC must have a contractual obligation (that they've just been told about by RU headquarters) to not show RL on TV too close to the Yawnion games for fear of too obvious a comparison.

What a tight schedule they must have this week to not be able to fit a match in on BBC 2 at any point of the weekend!

[Ipinwigan]

The iPlayer coverage of the Leeds v Stains game last night was very poor, looked like they were using a producer that had never seen a game of RL before , piss poor choice of camera angles and cutting away to crowd / team bench, at critical points in the game, missing the action.
The BBC will always treat our game with complete disdain.

[Charriots Offiah]

The RFL should have insisted on at least one match being played live on tv. They are complicit in this farce.

[moto748]

I agree the BBC coverage was very poor.