Saracens etc and the future

[Old Hob]

There is, in today's Times, a frightening look at the future. Marco Masotti, a new part owner of Saracens and controlling owner of the Sharks in SA outlines his plans to "make rugby Americanised". He is a SA born lawyer now based in New York and he sees rugby franchises like Red Bull soccer, world wide brands, and the game run by "businessmen not bureaucrats". He says, "It's the next stage of professionalism... the snow globe has been shaken."
"You should see the crowds in the NFL" he says, "It is a massive business and they play something like 15 minutes of sport over four quarters but it is packaged in a way that is so entertaining."
The Times points out that he is controlling owner of The Sharks with an interest in Saracens and reminds us that the EPCR rule is "no entity shall control, or be in a position to control, more than one club". Masotti doesn't think there will be a problem.
During the hoo-ha with Erasmus' criticism of the officials Masotti offered him legal support and said "Let's put World Rugby on trial".

[loretta]

But they’re so angelic now. You only have to look at the wings on their shirts!

https://shop.saracens.com/

The cheek, you’d struggle to find a more inappropriate sponsor logo

[CJ]

I can never forget their embracing of the word ‘integrity’. How inappropriate was/is that?

[Pellsey]

I can never forget their embracing of the word ‘integrity’. How inappropriate was/is that?

As appropriate as anything "ironic" from the song by Alanis Morisette.

[Old Hob]

I can never forget their embracing of the word ‘integrity’. How inappropriate was/is that?

And don't forget "humility".

The real question is whether the other clubs buy into this vision of the future. There are already plans for a world-wide club tournament. The last 16 in the Heineken will move across in 2024 and there will be no European champions cup. There are a number of hedge funds and other money men involved. Will they agree with Masotti?

[ourla]

"You should see the crowds in the NFL" he says, "It is a massive business and they play something like 15 minutes of sport over four quarters but it is packaged in a way that is so entertaining."

Technically he is correct. NFL is a 60 minute game and the ball is in play for about 15 minutes. Rugby is 80 minutes and the ball is in play for about 35 minutes.

But you get crowds where they are entertained, where there is a show. If not chess would be the most watched sport on the planet.

Any professional sport/team lives or dies on it's ability to entertain. Central to that is the game itself but there is a supporting act called the matchday experience - which can be on or off premises.

But be careful, if you lose the integrity and honesty of basic sport - it can all go tits up commercial. It's all a fine line to tread.

[Scott1]

Worse Sport to watch NFL closely followed in second place by F1!

[Pellsey]

"You should see the crowds in the NFL" he says, "It is a massive business and they play something like 15 minutes of sport over four quarters but it is packaged in a way that is so entertaining."

Technically he is correct. NFL is a 60 minute game and the ball is in play for about 15 minutes. Rugby is 80 minutes and the ball is in play for about 35 minutes.

But you get crowds where they are entertained, where there is a show. If not chess would be the most watched sport on the planet.

Any professional sport/team lives or dies on it's ability to entertain. Central to that is the game itself but there is a supporting act called the matchday experience - which can be on or off premises.

But be careful, if you lose the integrity and honesty of basic sport - it can all go tits up commercial. It's all a fine line to tread.

If rugby becomes anything like NFL where those few minutes of the actual game are surrounded by adverts and Beyonce singing, I am going to start watching chess more often. I agree with Scott!

What Americans find entertaining is not what other countries might find entertaining. What Americans tolerate in terms of advertising, is not the same as what other countries are willing to tolerate.

[chewbacca]

An NFL like experience would finish rugby for me. I might even start watching league !

[Scott1]

An NFL like experience would finish rugby for me. I might even start watching league !

Come on now there's no need for that!

[DeadlyDunc]

It’s an unfortunate fact that professional sport has had to move away from the “1 home game every 2 weeks to generate income” business model and with that comes all the ancillary work around generating commercial income from sponsors, partners, tv rights etc, not just ticket sales.

If Rugby doesnt do it then either fans pay extortionate prices per match ticket to try and bridge the difference or clubs will die and/or it’ll go back to amateur.

The important bit for me is to avoid creating a cartoon version of the sport in the process and that means the 80mins match once a week is kept sacrosanct.

As other governing bodies openly state, the competition for all spectator sports isn’t other sports (football, hockey, tennis etc) it’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, PlayStation, Xbox etc

How can we, as a sport, get kids and adults off a screen and down to Welford Road and then, longer term, buy into the Club in any sense of the phrase?

In an internet / instant world where content is king you can no longer just put on 80mins of rugby every 2 weeks and get that required level of engagement and consequently, whether you like it or not, the club and sport needs to adapt to survive.

[ourla]

What Americans find entertaining is not what other countries might find entertaining.

There may be an element of truth in that but actually if you think about it not really. American's in general don't understand cricket as much as Brits don't understand baseball. Doesn't make us intrinsically different. I don't find motor sport entertaining. Does that make me British or American.

What Americans tolerate in terms of advertising, is not the same as what other countries are willing to tolerate.

I hate adverts as much as the next man but I get adverts when I watch a commercial broadcast station whether it's NFL, rugby or Holby City. What happens with BT Sport is that there will be loads of adverts during the pre match, half time and after match whereas NFL is just dotted around all over the place. But overall I don't think it's much different.

[Old Hob]

There may be an element of truth in that but actually if you think about it not really. American's in general don't understand cricket as much as Brits don't understand baseball.

Curiously enough, the reigning Olympic cricket champions?

The United States of America

[Pellsey]

What Americans find entertaining is not what other countries might find entertaining.

There may be an element of truth in that but actually if you think about it not really. American's in general don't understand cricket as much as Brits don't understand baseball. Doesn't make us intrinsically different. I don't find motor sport entertaining. Does that make me British or American.

What Americans tolerate in terms of advertising, is not the same as what other countries are willing to tolerate.

I hate adverts as much as the next man but I get adverts when I watch a commercial broadcast station whether it's NFL, rugby or Holby City. What happens with BT Sport is that there will be loads of adverts during the pre match, half time and after match whereas NFL is just dotted around all over the place. But overall I don't think it's much different.

I agree, but I believe that it is normal in American sports to have other forms of "entertainment" as well as the sport which you are there to see. Im not sure that would be welcome to the average rugby fan IMHO.

It seems though, at least to me, that there is considerably more "other entertainment /adverts" in the time allocated to the "event" than the actual game. This is why I cannot watch live NFL. I can avoid the adverts at half time (to get a beer or food or whatever) and before or after the game. 3 mins of the game then 30 seconds of ads just annoys me too much!

[Scott1]

Yes,I don't think you can make a comparison tbf between adverts pre,post and at HT to adverts throughout the whole game. Night and day for me.