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Revamping Super Rugby into geographic conferences that will create more local derbies is likely to be heavily backed by TV networks.
Sanzar executives are believed to now be fixed on a 15-team format where the five New Zealand franchises will play each other once before heading offshore.
While the New Zealand teams are locked in battle so too will the South African and Australian sides playing each other once as well.
Then teams will break out and play in the other two conferences. They will finish with another round of conference clashes and the top six will head to the playoffs.
With Sanzar contractually obliged to present a new proposal to broadcast partners by June 30 this year, the conference system is the option being pursued as months of work have been put into researching its viability.
It is also an idea rugby bosses know will appeal to TV which is imperative in the difficult economic climate.
SkyTV's chief executive John Fellet says he has not yet received any formal notification of how the new competition will be structured but his network would welcome a format that provides more games within New Zealand.
"I can't think of any other sporting competition in the world where they have so many time zones," said Fellet of Super 14.
"That has got to have some affect on the wear and tear of the players. So from my point of view, the more that is in my time zone, the more I like it."
When a proposal does finally make its way to Fellet's desk, the big question will be gauging just how much to pay for it.
The comforting news for Sanzar is that SkyTV's balance sheet is in good shape. Unlike free-to-air channels, Sky's business model is not dependent on advertising revenue which accounts for about 10 per cent of their revenue.
The bulk of the broadcaster's income is drawn from subscriptions and a recession is not necessarily a bad thing for Sky.
In previous downturns subscriptions have stayed steady or even increased with many families taking the view that they will cut spending on going out and spend more time at home - hence the investment in satellite TV.
So far that has been the case during this recession which will give Sanzar some hope they might be able to strike a deal worth the same or more than their existing deal.
"We certainly like sports," said Fellet, "and the Sanzar deal has worked very well for us during the last 15 years and I don't see any reason why it won't continue to work well."
