A stark financial warning is fuelling the opposition to Super League’s expansion, with clubs fearing a trajectory that has taken the league’s TV deal from £40m to a future where some teams could be forced to go part-time. This potential decline is the driving force behind the 11th-hour challenge to the 14-team plan.
The numbers tell a frightening story. The league’s annual rights fee from Sky Sports has already plummeted from a high of £40m to its current £21.5m. Now, with Sky opposed to expansion, clubs are bracing for another significant drop when the contract is renewed after next season. It is this prospect that has triggered alarm bells across the competition.
One source spelled out the potential consequences directly: “If the Sky money goes down, then some clubs may have to go part-time.” This is not just a worst-case scenario; it is being treated as a real and present danger by the clubs leading the charge to halt the expansion. They argue that the RFL’s plan actively invites this financial decline by antagonising its main benefactor.
The RFL has been accused of failing to address this risk. The lack of a business plan that outlines how the league would cope with a further reduction in income has been a major point of contention. Clubs feel they are being asked to walk off a financial cliff without a parachute.
This stark financial warning has transformed the expansion debate from a strategic discussion into a battle for survival. The dissenting clubs believe the RFL’s plan doesn’t just fail to add up; it represents a fundamental threat to the professional status of the sport. They are now fighting to prevent what they see as a completely avoidable slide towards a semi-professional future.