Further disappointing viewing figures from BBC coverage of Super League

[josie andrews]

Underwhelming viewing figures have emerged from the BBC’s latest Super League coverage.

This is the national broadcaster’s first year of their new deal that saw them take over from Channel 4 to show free-to-air Super League games. It’s the first time the BBC has shown games since the rebranding to Super League.

This weekend, BBC Two aired Huddersfield Giants vs St Helens, and RugbyLeagueonTV.com shared via Twitter: “Huddersfield v St Helens on BBC 2 Sunday.

“215,000 average, 2.4% audience share, 259,000 peak at 4pm.”

This is similar to other games on BBC Tw0, such as Huddersfield v Warrington earlier this year.

It’s around double of what the BBC saw for Catalans Dragons vs St Helens when it was on BBC Three – and it was a lower viewership than Sky SPorts’ coverage of the same game.

A higher average on a pay-to-view service than on free-to-air television is very poor, and shows how little the BBC have put into advertising the game

This isn’t the first disappointment we’ve had from the BBC’s coverage of rugby league this season, however.

Surprisingly, the BBC didn’t broadcast any of the Challenge Cup fixtures on live terrestrial TV in Round 6, including a huge Leeds Rhinos vs St Helens clash.

For many the Challenge Cup is a BBC staple, and the national broadcaster has been showing it since 1948.

Leeds v St Helens was shown on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Red Button, but wasn’t available on any of the BBC’s regular channels.

Instead, The One Show, Celebrity Mastermind and Would I Lie To You was shown on BBC One and on BBC Two, the Great British Menu: Banquet Special and Gardener’s World were seen as more important.

The final had a 10% lower audience share than last year also, but was on at the same time as the Premiership final in rugby union.

https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/96544-ru ... bbc-96544/

[josie andrews]

Why don’t they just admit they aren’t interested in RL? And haven’t been since the eighties!

They wanted it this time after how successful Channel 4’s delivery of our great game was watched & enjoyed by more people.

Yet again a faux pas on behalf of the RFL thinking the "prestige" the name BBC would bring fell terribly short!

Bring back Channel 4 but think that inevitability of that happening has now been lost to our sport

[Mike]

I saw they trailed it on MOTD, which is a fairly big audience of sports minded viewers, but that's all I saw (and I watched that after the game had been played anyway).

IMO the strategy of putting a few games on here and there is never going to draw viewers. It needs to be once a week minimum so people can follow the comp.

[fozzie58]

The bbc coverage has been embarrassing at best

[thegimble]

Should have stayed on C4. BBC see RL as a minority game. They have bigger events and they never really put any effort into PR of the game.

Challenge Cup semis and finals get a bit of effort it's time to take the games to C4 who at least made an effort

[Blackpool_Pie]

Bring back grandstand!

[Wiganer Ted]

Thought CH4 were better than the beeb, now these figures prove it.
Trouble is CH4 don't have any money.
Back to square one!

[nathan_rugby]

Should have stayed on C4. BBC see RL as a minority game. They have bigger events and they never really put any effort into PR of the game.

Challenge Cup semis and finals get a bit of effort it's time to take the games to C4 who at least made an effort

It is though?

[WarriorWinger]

Plus you never know when it is on

[moto748]

The BBC have put no effort in (neither have they screened the best games, but I'm not sure whether they have any say in that), and they've got the results they should expect.