Leeds Rhinos secured a comfortable 42-12 victory over Bradford Bulls in front of nearly 17,000 fans at AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium, closing out a successful Rivals Round weekend that saw record attendance figures.
Record Attendance for Rivals Round
Across the seven games, total attendance reached nearly 85,000, the highest for a single round this season and the sixth-highest in Super League history. Three of the league's most supported clubs—Leeds, Wigan Warriors, and Hull FC—each attracted crowds approaching 20,000.
The Rivals Round was deliberately scheduled at this point in the summer as Super League enters final-stage negotiations with Sky Sports for a new broadcast deal. The competition aims to showcase its product to strengthen its negotiating position.
TV Deal Talks Nearing Completion
Sources have told The Guardian that a deal with Sky Sports is expected within 10 to 14 days. The new agreement is likely to offer increased financial terms but with fewer televised games—only two or three per round instead of the current seven. This would require Super League to either sell the remaining games to other broadcasters or produce them in-house via its SuperLeague+ streaming platform.
The red-button broadcast of the Leeds-Bradford derby highlighted the current limitations; Sky's existing deal only mandates two main-channel games per weekend. Both Sky and Super League offer differing accounts of who controls that decision.
On-Field Excitement and Playoff Race
Leeds and Wigan are separated by just one win at the top of the table, with Wakefield Trinity—a Championship side two years ago—squeezed between them. Wakefield's resurgence and Hull KR's historic treble last year are narratives Super League hopes to market as proof of unpredictability and excitement.
Jake Connor starred for Leeds with four assists and several brilliant individual moments, cementing his case for an England World Cup spot this autumn. After the match, dozens of young fans sought photos with him, underlining his appeal.
Behind the top three, four teams are competing for three playoff berths. St Helens, currently without a head coach after Paul Rowley's sacking, aim to preserve their record of never missing the playoffs.
The coming fortnight will bring clarity on the broadcast deal. Meanwhile, the on-field product appears strong, with Leeds eyeing their first league title since 2017 and a compelling run-in ahead.
