Rugby Champions Cup Missing Out On Sponsorship Due To TV Model, Martin Says

European Rugby Champions Cup execs have been told they are missing out on a £7M ($9.2M) headline sponsor because of their "half-baked" football model, according to Nik Simon of the London DAILY MAIL. The "premier European competition" has been sharing broadcast rights between Sky and BT -- although it will switch exclusively to BT next season. It has not had a "big-ticket sponsor" since replacing the Heineken Cup in '14, and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment CEO Steve Martin believes it is "a sign of poor strategy." Martin said, "In terms of building an audience, I think they've got it completely wrong. They've been seduced into copying the Champions League model of four or five sponsors with split broadcasters. The 'let's copy football' approach doesn't always work. Only 92,000 people watched the Spurs match on BT last week and the first thing sponsors look at is broadcasters and audience figures" (DAILY MAIL, 10/7).