BBC Loses Pro 14 Rights

[Leonormous Boozer]

I think I read that Premier Sports often have free to air events too. I can imagine one or two games a week being free to air with the rest behind a paywall. They're not investing in this league for the kicks, they want to maximise their earnings from it and know hiding it away from casual fans isn't the way to do that.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Having looked at their website it is the same subscription price for the internet option compared to the channel through a Virgin or Sky box. Is that normal?

My only experience is of Eurosport having the internet version cheaper (presumably due to lower quality picture, reliance on the vagaries of life streaming etc).

 

[Thingimubob]

Having looked at their website it is the same subscription price for the internet option compared to the channel through a Virgin or Sky box. Is that normal?

My only experience is of Eurosport having the internet version cheaper (presumably due to lower quality picture, reliance on the vagaries of life streaming etc).

Don't think it is normal, especially as you get free access to their streams / app if you sign up via Sky, though interestingly not via Virgin. I'm fairly sure Sky Sports' version of this was cheaper that the full package, though that was before they switched over to the channel format they use now so not sure if its still the case!

 

[GarethGriffiths]

I suppose that people will just have to go to the games.

Can you take Alexa into the grounds these days?

 

[Groundhog]

TG4 have got Pro 14 rights for the next three season. If those Western Muck Savages can afford it so can the BBC. Céard a Cheapfá Jerry?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

TG4 have got Pro 14 rights for the next three season. If those Western Muck Savages can afford it so can the BBC. Céard a Cheapfá Jerry?

It's Premier Sports not giving them the rights regardless of the offer by the sounds of it.

 

[munstermuffin]

It's Premier Sports not giving them the rights regardless of the offer by the sounds of it.

Could be that they got like RTE. Expect everything for free and basically got a culture shock when others bid. And play the victim and think they've a divine right

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Could be that they got like RTE. Expect everything for free and basically got a culture shock when others bid. And play the victim and think they've a divine right

I don't think that's correct for either broadcaster.

 

[munstermuffin]

I don't think that's correct for either broadcaster.

For RTE it is 100%. Look at anything they've lost and their attitude to it. And it's fact. The RWC, 6Nations, GAA qualifier package, FAI deal for home friendlies and IRFU deal for Nov test which is under review.

Like Premier Sports dont dictate the rights.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

For RTE it is 100%. Look at anything they've lost and their attitude to it. And it's fact. The RWC, 6Nations, GAA qualifier package, FAI deal for home friendlies and IRFU deal for Nov test which is under review.

Like Premier Sports dont dictate the rights.

Premier Sports do. They bought them with an offer that the BBC couldn't match and they won't sell them any rights like Sky did.

You have a loose definition of "facts" there.

 

[munstermuffin]

Premier Sports do. They bought them with an offer that the BBC couldn't match and they won't sell them any rights like Sky did.

You have a loose definition of "facts" there.

But they are 2 completely seperate packages. Like TG4 buy the "Irish rights". They don't get 1st choice but they get a pick of games.
Premier Sports buy a main package. But there is still a Welsh or Scottish package. That is fact.
I don't know is the BBC issue maybe they wouldn't be guaranteed an Ulster game for BBC NI etc but I have my facts as solid as I am saying.

But again not sure what you are disagreeing with. The packages are set with terms. Pro14 set those packages not Premier Sports or Sky.
And well on the RTE bit I am 110% sure my facts are correct. You say some are wrong. Which bit?
The RTE bit is easily shown. They've lost alot of Sport, Ryle Nugent was terminated due to poor performance as Head Of Sport, they've lost all their major sporting events due to poor financial offers despite having bigger pots.

From reading the extracts it seems Premier Sports outbid the BBC for the 2nd UK package and that is how Eir Sport benefit. So Premier Sports bought The 2 UK packages and TG4 the Irish package.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Although Premier sports does have freesports channel on freeview so if they maybe show 1 a week on there it might help.

Good shout. I'm currently watching Toulouse vs Toronto Rugby League on Freesports, which is a delayed broadcast of the "Premier Sports" coverage (according to the logo that pops up at replays etc).

It'd be crazy to say Freesports had the reach of the BBC but I can't see there not being some kind of mixture of delayed broadcast matches and magazine show on Freesports - going by their other coverage. Add in the odd live game for less prestigious fixtures and it would go some way to easing the pain.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Good shout. I'm currently watching Toulouse vs Toronto Rugby League on Freesports, which is a delayed broadcast of the "Premier Sports" coverage (according to the logo that pops up at replays etc).

It'd be crazy to say Freesports had the reach of the BBC but I can't see there not being some kind of mixture of delayed broadcast matches and magazine show on Freesports - going by their other coverage. Add in the odd live game for less prestigious fixtures and it would go some way to easing the pain.

I used to train in the same gym as Toulouse Olympique, big dudes. (Possibly the academy, never figured it out)

Premier Sport would be mad not to have a lot of free to air stuff at the start, they're only going to get a few die hards signing up for the Pro14 coverage so need to encourage more to buy by giving a decent product for free before taking it away.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Pro 14 have officially announced Premier Sports as the English language partner for the UK(native language discussions are still ongoing and as yet unannounced)
https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/04/...dcast-every-guinness-pro14-game-from-2018-19/

As correctly predicted above there will be one game a round shown on the free sports channel available to all. The headline of this deal is that every single game will be shown(in HD as well), so I can be disappointed by the Dragons every week. Also coming is a highlights show, extended pre and post match analysis and also a mid week rugby magazine show, I assume like BT's rugby tonight.

For me I'm happy paying that £10 a month to watch all the Welsh games and the interesting fixtures each round. However considering on my current Sky deal I get sky sports for £15 it doesn't seem like an amazing deal as there isn't too much other sport that interests me on the channel. Bar the odd French and Italian summer tour game.

I also don't think this is the best for the sport's health. I doubt you casual Welsh viewer will tune into a sports channel they have never heard of to watch a game between two Irish sides that has been picked as the 'feature' game (vice versa). I can justify paying an extra £10 a month to watch a few rugby games but there are a number of households that can't and that will only decrease the interest in the league if you can't catch any of the games. It's not been announced but I really hope that Scrum V keeps it's Welsh highlights show, not as it's the best quality wise but it's at least some exposure on a main channel.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

The game a week being live on Freesports (rather than delayed coverage) is quite a big deal and makes me more optimistic overall. It's a freeview channel available to almost everyone and it broadcasts in English. Broadcasting in a language most people don't understand is arguably the single biggest barrier to the casual viewer, and that's a large part of what the BBC offered. Word of mouth to get people to shift to channel 95 shouldn't be too difficult by comparison.

Given my interest in overseas rugby I'm thinking I may be better off sticking with Freeview and opting for rugbypass instead of Premier Sports (since to get either one I'd have to go down the streaming route).

The mention of Premier Sports 2 mildly terrifies me incase they go down the Sky route of splitting coverage a league (e.g. NFL) across multiple sports channels and making you pay for each channel.

If it is doubling the TV money pot from £12-15 million to £30 million then I have to say I'm fully supportive of this move by the Pro14 as a means of keeping the league viable as a high quality product.

 

[profitius]

I also don't think this is the best for the sport's health. I doubt you casual Welsh viewer will tune into a sports channel they have never heard of to watch a game between two Irish sides that has been picked as the 'feature' game (vice versa). I can justify paying an extra £10 a month to watch a few rugby games but there are a number of households that can't and that will only decrease the interest in the league if you can't catch any of the games. It's not been announced but I really hope that Scrum V keeps it's Welsh highlights show, not as it's the best quality wise but it's at least some exposure on a main channel.

Every game will be shown - in HD - so you can take your pick of who you want to watch.


So from what I gather.

- All games will be shown in HD.
- There'll be more pre and post game analysis.
- There'll be proper highlights shows and magazine shows.
- There'll be 2 or 3 matches on friday nights with 4 or 5 matches on saturdays.
- Premier, Eir, Eurosport (Italy) and Supersport (SA) will be the broadcasters in their respective territories.
- Some games will be available for free on Freesport, TG4 and likely S4C.
- Premier sport are launching a premier sport 2 channel in the UK and freesport in HD.
- It looks like Eir and/or Premier sport will organise things from a central hub. In other words they'll package it into a ready made product for other countries around the world. So the highlights show etc will be the same everywhere but in different languages. This will make it easier to show abroad.
- It will be available online from Premier/Eir sport. That gives people more options and like casting it from your phone to a TV.


So overall whats happened is the pro14 have basically been giving away the product for far less than it was worth. Now the pro14 have a way of getting a fair deal for their product.


Premier sports and Eir sports are making the Pro14 their number 1 sport so as Martin Anayi said the other day, they're true partners. They're going to put a lot of resources into promoting it like sky did with premiership soccer. The image of the league has always taken a battering so some positive publicity will do more good than people think.