40 Mill is what the current contract is. So rugby looks like its a bit to big for its boots trying to ask for so much more. As BT wanted to pay less.
My guess they are trying to hold out for Amazon to pay big bucks. Would be funny if it back fires.
I remember having a discussion with Italia back in the day when he was arguing Wasps games had more exposure than ours and were therefore more valuable in terms of stadium naming rights. The ratings for live games was shockingly low. This was when we were in L1, or possibly even L2, and one live game for us on Sky had more viewers than every Wasps game combined on BT.
The rights are of little value other than filling hours in the schedule, they aren't shifting a lot of subscriptions for Premiership games.
The Premiership have also pissed of the BBC so they won't be looking to help them out even if they could afford it. They were promised the Premiership Final, when we were in lockdown, and then the league pulled out at the last minute.
Premiership Rugby is engaged in fresh controversy after the BBC was forced to cancel advanced plans to broadcast the Gallagher Premiership final between Exeter Chiefs and Wasps on October 24.
The BBC was approached in mid-September by Darren Childs, chief executive of Premiership Rugby (PRL), about simulcasting the final live with BT Sport and bringing the showpiece event to a wider audience.
PRL maintains they were only “exploratory” talks but the BBC was under the impression it would be broadcasting the game and cleared space for it on BBC Two. The broadcaster had arranged some complicated production logistics, secured a studio and booked a commentary team with two former England internationals due to work as pundits on the game.