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Sports Rights: Aussie Rules and NRL (Australian Rugby League)

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  • 13-04-2007 12:35am
    #1
    DMC
    Registered Users Posts: 10,726 ✭✭✭✭


    Something that has slipped under the radar, Setanta have picked up coverage of two of the biggest competitions in Australia, the AFL (Aussie Rules) and NRL (Rugby League).

    Aussie Rules was always a highlights show on Sky Sports, they would show extended highlights of the game of the week and only show the Grand Final live every September, but Setanta this season are showing it under a 5 year deal. Upto 3 live games a week, it appears. TG4 appear to still have 1 hour highlights, TG4 have shown Aussie Rules since its inception. British Eurosport 2 also has highlights.

    Curiously, though.... Setanta have picked up Australian Rugby League. Now, Rugby League is normally the sole domain of Sky Sports, it showing the English Super League live every weekend of the spring and summer. (BBC has the Challenge Cup and some highlights) The NRL, as the Aussie competition is called, had 2 matches every weekend shown live on Sky Sports, but Setanta have now picked up this item from Sky.

    Much ado about nothing, for Irish audiences, you might say, but cast your mind back to the mid-nineties. Rugby League in England was transformed by Sky. It became "Super League", making it a summer sport, and it was also part of a plan to tie in with a "Super League" in Australia. Rupert Murdoch had orchestrated a rebel league, only for Kerry Packer to scupper it (the irony being Packer, a man who orchestrated a rebel cricket organisation!)
    What I'm getting around to is, imagine Mr. Murdoch waking up in London and wanting to watch St. George-Illawarra vs Parramatta Eels and having to subscribe to Setanta to watch it! :D


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    #2
    Mossy Monk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 28,128 ✭✭✭✭Mossy Monk


    DMC wrote:
    imagine Mr. Murdoch waking up in London and wanting to watch St. George-Illawarra vs Parramatta Eels and having to subscribe to Setanta to watch it! :D

    I am sure his NDS company would give him a free way of seeing it.


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