Quote Originally Posted by Geoff Parkstone View Post
So this week a second premiership rugby team is heading towards administration. Wasps, former winners of the top European cup are about to follow Worcester that way.

That's akin to Southampton and Arsenal imploding, in football terms.

When will professional sports wake up and smell the coffee? Overspending on wages - albeit top rugby players are "only" on 400-500k a year.

Will premier league football look at this, and our recent plight, and wonder how revenues are going to be impacted in the looming economic difficulties. Will TV deals of the future continue to pay for it all to carry on? In reality it's Joe public that pays via "high street" sales driven by adverts which underpin the TV contracts.

Sustainability is one of the words that defines business today. Will professional sports wake up in time?
I fear that as in many walks of life, the rich will continue to get richer and the poor will continue to get poorer, and in some cases those who aspire to take a step or two up the ladder by gambling on future success will crash and burn (or in our case, thanks AGAIN Mr Clowes, crash and almost burn)

Personally, without any particular data to back this up, I think TV revenue for the 'true' elite sports (Premier League, F1, NFL) will sustain, I don't know anyone who has or who intends to change their viewing habits on any of these three, but revenues tail off rapidly when moving away from these and a few others, and the lure of sporting success IMO blinds people to their ability to sustain a business, be it a team or even a series, especially if it's contrived (A1GP, USFL, Formula W, who knows how LIV, The Hundred and women's football will turn out long term)

Lessons should be learned but I doubt they will be