BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Former England football international Stuart Pearce has attributed Super League’s reduced TV deal with Sky Sports down to snobbery.
Super League is set to stay on Sky in 2024, for the next three years, on a broadcast contract worth less than its current deal from 2022 to 2023.
Pearce, a long-time Warrington Wolves fan and ex-Coventry City, Manchester City, West Ham United and Newcastle United defender, was speaking on the White & Jordan radio program on talkSPORT.
On the program former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan criticised rugby league for having “no commercial value” and said “there’s no demand for it”.
Pearce defended rugby league and put the new lower-value TV contract down to snobbery from those in the south.
“It’s snobbery from southern softies,” Pearce said.
“It has everything to do with snobbery.Â
“I find that very sad because this is a wonderful, wonderful sport that you’re missing out on because you ‘ve never been down the M62.
“I find it very sad when you consider the English Football League (EFL) just signed a deal for close on a billion pounds…Â
“I don’t want charity for rugby, I just want parity.”
