11 January 2023 , 08:54
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Sale Sharks are looking to branch out and become the first Premiership side to feature on Netflix.
After seeing the huge success of Formula 1's Drive to Survive series on Netflix, it has got certain sports thinking of ways to boost their own profile.
And in fact, the Daily Mail revealed last month that filming for a documentary on the Six Nations will take place in 2023 with the aim of achieving the same popularity F1 had with Drive to Survive. But now Manchester-based side Sale are keen to crack the American market with a similar behind-the-scenes documentary, according to the same publication.
The 2006 Premiership champions have reportedly been gathering footage of life at the club for the past two years and hope to secure a deal with Netflix or Amazon. As well as the two giants, Sale are also looking at the likes of HBO and NBC to commission the series, two of USA’s most prominent TV channels.
Commenting on their exciting plans, Sale chief executive Sid Sutton told the Mail: “What we have to do is promote rugby better and market it in a brave, innovative way. We have to humanise the players so they stand out more. I believe you can promote your stars and do it in a humble way. What better opportunity to do that than with a fly-on-the-wall documentary?
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“It's not just the rugby, but also the human side and how the players put their lives on the line on the field. Rugby is a fantastic game and there are really good people in it. They can be the ones to promote rugby to a wider audience.”
BT Sport Rugby and occasional This Morning host Craig Doyle, and former Ireland and Lions great Brian O'Driscoll are involved in the proceedings. Their production company 3 Rock Productions are responsible for the filming currently being conducted at the home of the 2020 Premiership Rugby Cup winners.
“If you're going to sell rugby, why not sell the greatest domestic league in the world? That's the Gallagher Premiership,” Doyle said.. “The rugby is unbelievably good and there are fascinating stories which are as dramatic as the sport. We want to tell the story of the league through one of its most interesting clubs.”
Sale, who are second in the Premiership, have started compiling footage for the series (Getty Images)This past weekend Sale cemented their top-two spot in the Premiership with a hard-fought bonus point 24-16 win at third-placed Harlequins. Tom O'Flaherty and Rob du Preez cut secured tries to help the Sharks to a 14-6 half-time lead. Joe Marchant crossed to put the hosts three points behind before Akker van der Merwe finished off a driving maul, before Cobus Wiese powered over for Sale's fourth try.
Sale are now 12 points ahead of Harlequins, with a third straight league defeat leaving the south-west London club above Gloucester on points scored.
Post match, Sale's director or rugby Alex Sanderson told BBC Radio 5 live: "The lads knew what they had to do, and we leant into a territory and kicking battle. We got most of the small things right.
"We feel like we are in a decent spot, and that showed the way we were able to wrestle back momentum and ascertain some dominance. We are not out of sight (in the table) by any stretch. It's a buffer, that's all it is."