Except it says it right there, the top European games adds value to the season ticket package. Not only that, they can increase the price of travelling supporters tickets.
If they pulled out, they wouldnât have extra games. Theyâd be straight up replacing games with more of the same that they have week in week out. Distorted averages are all over the place because of the big Wembley and Twickenham games. Aside from that though, youâve taken the most extreme example there with Bristol, who played in the tier two competition against complete and utter minnows.
And this again entirely ignores the actual TV money impact. The AP gets about ÂŁ33m a year for their league. The French tv rights for Europe are worth âŹ31m a season alone that goes into the central pot alongside UK & Ireland tv money, for significantly less games. There is simply no replacing that revenue with 6 more fixtures of the same.
Thereâs no missing the point, Iâve looked at yours and challenged them.
Great postâŚaside from all of that @Halfpipe is also ignoring the fact that the English clubs battled very hard over 24 months to wrestle control over the competition. Not the actions of clubs who dont see it as a serious earner.
With all due respect to @Halfpipe he hasnât thought this through at all
Itâs a competition none of the English clubs get too worked up about until the knockout stages, and then everyone wants to win big knockout games. Irish clubs are far more emotionally invested in the whole thing. Partly marketing, and partly enjoying being part of a more global competition I reckon.
I suspect the days of the premiership and pro14 are numbered going forward as the big clubs will push for a European league.
The team that finished second last year had an average attendance of 2k. Iâd say if Europe went the most likely out come is a home and away six nations which would be brilliant but probably not sustainable.
Itâs amazing how many of those clubs can sustain a pro set up. I was at a championship game last year. Crowd approx 500 at ÂŁ10 a head. Without sugar daddies no way they can afford to run a club
