Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has insisted suggestions that Sky may not broadcast the extra fixture each round in 2026 is ‘news to him’ – before insisting he believes the current deal with the broadcaster will be re-negotiated before the start of next season with an extension to boot.
Super League is entering the third and final year of its current arrangement with Sky Sports. The game is watching on with bated breath to see what happens beyond next year, with the value of the deal dwindling dramatically in the last decade from around £40million per season to around £21million now.
Any further reduction would be devastating for Super League, not least because it has just increased the amount of teams in the competition to 14: two of whom are taking just half of the £1.3million central distribution next year, a situation that cannot be repeated in 2027.
A fresh report from City AM this week suggested that with seven games per round in 2026 as opposed to six this year, there were reservations from Sky Sports about producing every match live.
However, Beaumont has shot that allegation down by explaining that the costs will fall back on Rugby League Commercial, not on Sky.
He wrote on Facebook: “Think about it, their contract gives them a certain number of games. They have to provide the production of them, which is widely criticised when not the main event.
“So they don’t have to pay to produce the (extra) game, Rugby League Commercial do and we need cameras for the video ref and captain’s challenge so would be burdened by that. That’s their start position of negotiating and playing hard ball.
“We have our own platform we show all live games, except their two main picks which they get exclusive.
“In summary the risks to Sky are bigger than those to RLC, unless they don’t want the game in 2027 onwards or only at a continued under valuation.
“In which case, knowing that now is the most valuable information we can gain from any of this, so we aren’t dragged to the 11th hour weak and vulnerable, which has been allowed to happen time and again and we can start to prepare now for going alone or another broadcast partner.”
But Beaumont insisted he felt Sky would remain long-term partners of Super League, and projected that there will even be accelerated talks before next season starts about a ‘re-written’ deal with an extension and a new value on the 2026 deal.
He said: “I believe Sky do want to keep rugby league and as I have always said they are the core reason the sport exists as an elite level sport and if correctly valued why would we want to break their loyalty.
“The sensible solution will happen which will be a meeting of parties and a negotiation taking place before the last year of the contract starts seeing it re-written with an extension and a new value for 2026, that includes all rights including the additional game seeing them keep a solid place in rugby league whether that is with all games over future years or a share of them will no doubt depend on the discussions.”
