Sky Sports to cover RDP12 for 4 seasons from 2014

awec

Grimebox wrote: »

Yes but you will have to cross the border :pac:

I can watch BBCNI from down here!

totallegend

awec wrote: »

I suppose the other factor here is when are Sky going to show the games? Presumably whatever fixture they are showing each week will be moved to suit their TV schedule.

The current scheduling of games is 100% dictated by TV so no change there.

justsomebloke

awec wrote: »

So can someone confirm for me that every Ulster game will still be televised in some form?

Currently as Sky are the only provider signed up to show games for the 14/15 season so far there is no guarantee on anything.

irishbucsfan

awec wrote: »

So can someone confirm for me that every Ulster game will still be televised in some form?

If Sky don't take them then I'm sure BBCNI will. They must be getting good figures for Ulster at the moment.

Who know about away fixtures though.

irishbucsfan

Now just think how much above that 50% increase we'd get if the league had European qualification!

/grenadechucking

bilston

awec wrote: »

So can someone confirm for me that every Ulster game will still be televised in some form?

Well I read somewhere that 125 out 134 games will be broadcast live so I'd say almost certainly yes, as long as we're in the mix at the top end of the table. Away games are harder to control TV wise but the majority of them will be broadcast I'd have thought.

bilston

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Now just think how much above that 50% increase we'd get if the league had European qualification!

/grenadechucking

Agree with this. Maybe the CL gave Sky some private assurances that this would happen, although Sky would probably want more than a private assurance.

justsomebloke

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Now just think how much above that 50% increase we'd get if the league had European qualification!

/grenadechucking

feck off, you have your own personal thread on this so leave this one alone

Grimebox

Grimebox wrote: »

I don't get this...

Seems great for the league: Extra money for teams etc

We will have a choice to watch a game on Sky or on RTE/S4C/TG4?

What do Sky get out of it? Seems a bit fishy. Could terrestrial channels lose viewers and eventually be forced out of the equation in the long run?

I imagine it's a trial run for something bigger.

Dip their toes in the water, see if it makes a difference, see if they get subs due to it etc.

In 3/4 years a bigger part of the league may become theirs.

So long as the Domestic broadcasters still get to display non-Sky matches I will be delighted!

errlloyd

This surely means we can afford Ioane....

Someone wanna pull up sky's broadcasting schedule this year. I think I watched a decent few fairly low ranked premiership games on sky, so I don't think they necessarily only take marquee fixtures. Also, I guess they'll be trying to expand their customer base in all three cultic nations, so will possibly be more likely to show non derby fixtures.

But this has potential, we're gonna get ref cam, and 3d, and that helicopter camera and will greenwood. I'm so excited.

Cookiemunster

errlloyd wrote: »

This surely means we can afford Ioane....

Someone wanna pull up sky's broadcasting schedule this year. I think I watched a decent few fairly low ranked premiership games on sky, so I don't think they necessarily only take marquee fixtures. Also, I guess they'll be trying to expand their customer base in all three cultic nations, so will possibly be more likely to show non derby fixtures.

But this has potential, we're gonna get ref cam, and 3d, and that helicopter camera and will greenwood. I'm so excited.

ESPN had first dibs on AP matches and had 2 games to Skys 1 most weekends. That's probably why the low ranking games were on Sky.

Sinbad_NI

But where will Barnes and co. point their pro-English commentary at now?

irishbucsfan

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

But where will Barnes and co. point their pro-English commentary at now?

Barnes is more pro-irish at times than any Irish commentator!

Sinbad_NI

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

But where will Barnes and co. point their pro-English commentary at now?

They're only pro-winners.

Whoever is on top in each game is at the Zenith of rugby.

Should be good for the games when Dragons smash an understrength Glasgow, then get hockeyed off the park the following week at Treviso.

[Jackass]

This is superb news for the league, and the fans.

It will build the profile of the league massively, and the only reason the Premiership football in England, or the Heineken Cup have grown to such massive levels, is the sky marketing machine working behind them and pouring money into the competitions also.

Massive opportunity for the league to grow in stature, attendance, bring more money into the league and be able to compete with AP and T14 in the long term (which wont be possible with the money going into those league at the moment)

I'm also looking forward to the sky quality of coverage, which is second to none imo.

Remember, if you take up a sky subscription for the rugby, you're supporting the league and raising it's value to sky ... just saying.

rrpc

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Now just think how much above that 50% increase we'd get if the league had European qualification!

/grenadechucking

Since no new deal has been struck on HEC qualification criteria, it seems Sky have already made up their minds that the Rabo as it now stands is a good product and worth spending their money on.

/chucking it back

icdg

The important fact people seem to be missing is that all of the existing deals for the Pro 12 (other than perhaps the Italian one) end at the end of next season, before the Sky deal even begins. No deals are signed with the PSBs for the season the Sky deal begins so this presumption that Sky will either broadcast the same games as the PSBs, or will take the leftovers (largely involving Scottish and Italian teams) is erroneous at best.

Sky Sports aim in acquiring any sport is to drive subscriptions, the Pro 12 is of limited interest in England, while they are not likely to gain subscriptions if either they are broadcasting the same games as the PSBs or broadcasting mainly games involving Scottish and Italian teams.

So what will happen? We don't know. What might happen is a pick system may operate, where Sky have first pick and the PSBs in each jurisdiction pick afterwards. I am not sure if BBC Northern Ireland will be interested in any deal which doesn't grant them the maximum number of Ulster games though. Of course, as a Top 4 team, Ulster will be often picked by Sky.

Mal-Adjusted

icdg wrote: »

What might happen is a pick system may operate, where Sky have first pick and the PSBs in each jurisdiction pick afterwards

You know, I wouldn't mind this. Sky aren't going to pay good money for a match that people can get elsewhere for free- and why should they?
I want the maximum number of Pro12 matches televised as possible and if Sky Sports add 30 to that, even if they take the choice 30, then so be it. Us Munster/Leinster/Ulster fans may see how it feels to be a Connacht fan

If Sky eventually want exclusivity on the other hand...that's a problem.

icdg

A bit of news on this front in the print edition (doesn't seem to be in the online version) of today's Irish Times, where John Feehan tells Gavin Cummiskey a bit about how this will work:

• Sky's games will be on Saturday afternoons, except in weeks that international rugby is on, where they will be able to pick games on Fridays and Sundays. (I'd imagine that this is where the 8 "extra" fixtures will be shown, PSBs tend to be less interested while the international season is in progress).
• A pick system will operate and it seems Sky will have first pick subject to some restrictions
• It doesn't go into great detail on the restrictions but one that is pointed out is that if Sky picks a derby game it cannot then pick the reverse fixture. So if it picks Leinster v Munster it cannot then later pick Munster v Leinster.
• No other deals are completed yet but if other deals are completed they will be expected to show games on Fridays or Sundays, so it looks like late Saturday games will be a thing of the past.

I'd imagine the others restrictions relate to the amount of picks Sky can make of each team, similar to the Premier League where each team must be featured a minimum and maximum number of times.

Another interesting article giving the BBC's take on things, they've yet to sign any contract and I'd imagine BBC Northern Ireland in particular will want a guaranteed number of Ulster games before they sign anything:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22390889

The Irish Times appears to imply that one of the Irish PSBs might drop coverage depending on whether there is enough fixtures worth looking at left for two broadcasters after the Sky fixtures.

Badabing

I think RTE might drop their coverage and TG4 holding theirs, might Setanta go for live rights again?

dublinman1990

When I first read about the deal in The Metro Herald, I thought it would be awful. I do enjoy the coverage that Daire O'Brien gives when he is on RTE. I think he has great experience in the sport. He gives very solid coverage at whatever Leinster match RTE provides on the day.

The TG4 coverage is very good as well. Maire Threasa Ni Doughbaill is also brilliant at it too, even though I don't understand much Irish.

I wouldn't be happy to see all the Irish Derby matches go to Sky as I don't have it. I do like the idea of providing extra money to the clubs. However; it still is nice a weekend escape for me to see those games on fta television.

It would be a shame not to see it live on that platform.

its_phil

dublinman1990 wrote: »

When I first read about the deal in The Metro Herald, I thought it would be awful. I do enjoy the coverage that Daire O'Brien gives when he is on RTE. I think he has great experience in the sport. He gives very solid coverage at whatever Leinster match RTE provides on the day.

The TG4 coverage is very good as well. Maire Threasa Ni Doughbaill is also brilliant at it too, even though I don't understand much Irish.

I wouldn't be happy to see all the Irish Derby matches go to Sky as I don't have it. I do like the idea of providing extra money to the clubs. However; it still is nice a weekend escape for me to see those games on fta television.

It would be a shame not to see it live on that platform.

Daire O'Brien is the worst presenter on RTE. Has only an agenda for Leinster. I was listening to Joanne Cantwell interview Joe Schmidt and Eric Elwood and everything was well researched with intelligent questions. She is far more knowledgable on the game than McGurk or O'Brien.

jamiedav2011

its_phil wrote: »

Daire O'Brien is the worst presenter on RTE. Has only an agenda for Leinster. I was listening to Joanne Cantwell interview Joe Schmidt and Eric Elwood and everything was well researched with intelligent questions. She is far more knowledgable on the game than McGurk or O'Brien.

Eh, what?
Explain please?

bilston

dublinman1990 wrote: »

When I first read about the deal in The Metro Herald, I thought it would be awful. I do enjoy the coverage that Daire O'Brien gives when he is on RTE. I think he has great experience in the sport. He gives very solid coverage at whatever Leinster match RTE provides on the day.

The TG4 coverage is very good as well. Maire Threasa Ni Doughbaill is also brilliant at it too, even though I don't understand much Irish.

I wouldn't be happy to see all the Irish Derby matches go to Sky as I don't have it. I do like the idea of providing extra money to the clubs. However; it still is nice a weekend escape for me to see those games on fta television.

It would be a shame not to see it live on that platform.

According to some Sky will have first pick of the games each week but they won't be able to show the repeat fixture live. In other words if they show Leinster v Munster in October, they won't be able to show Munster v Leinster in April, so that means at least three of the six Irish derbies will remain live on RTE/TG4/BBC NI. Even if Munster are playing Leinster on Sky you'll still be able to watch Connacht or Ulster or FTA that same weekend. Of course that is provided the FTA companies actually agree a deal with the Pro 12 which isn't yet confirmed.

.ak

its_phil wrote: »

Daire O'Brien is the worst presenter on RTE. Has only an agenda for Leinster. I was listening to Joanne Cantwell interview Joe Schmidt and Eric Elwood and everything was well researched with intelligent questions. She is far more knowledgable on the game than McGurk or O'Brien.

Dunno about the agenda thing, but everything else is correct.

RuggieBear

its_phil wrote: »

Daire O'Brien is the worst presenter on RTE. Has only an agenda for Leinster...

he's a Munster fan from Cork

Podge_irl

RuggieBear wrote: »

he's a Munster fan from Cork

And doesn't even come close to trying to hide it.

Joanne Cantwell is top when it comes to RTÉ rugby imo.

OldRio

I've been out of the country for a few days and this is awful news. The naivety of some on this thread is shocking. Yes, the money is good for the league and clubs.

No FTA for the fans is terrible news. You cannot grow the game without the casual viewer. There will be no FTA coverage. IMHO sooner rather than later.

Sky will move the times about. No kick off times will clash with the soccer. You can be sure of that.
You may think its grand going into bed with Sky but in the morning you will feel very different. Most English soccer fans realise that now.

its_phil

RuggieBear wrote: »

he's a Munster fan from Cork

Even more shocked so