RTÉ lose rights to PRO 12 to Sky

LeinsterDub

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro12/rt%C3%A9-still-in-mix-for-rugby-world-cup-tv-rights-1.1740847



Sky to broadcast 30 games a season . TG4 in Ireland also secured rights.

Can't say it will affect my actual interest Leinster too much as I've a season ticket and most Saturdays we are in the pub after playing a game anyway.

However it does mean no more "Sure I'll just stick on random Irish Province V Someone game" .

Cookiemunster

LeinsterDub wrote: »

However it does mean no more "Sure I'll just stick on random Irish Province V Someone game" .

Why? If BBC NI, Alba, Wales and S4C continue to show games, it'll make very little difference to whats available.

.ak

Just a friendly reminder... No bitching about coverage/language etc. Please read the charter.

LeinsterDub

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Why? If BBC NI, Alba, Wales and S4C continue to show games, it'll make very little difference to whats available.

Well if RTÉ where showing a game it featured an Irish side the above mightn't but I suppose the odds are they will given there are only 6 games a week

vienne86

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Why? If BBC NI, Alba, Wales and S4C continue to show games, it'll make very little difference to whats available.

That's fine for people with satellite dishes.....can you get the Welsh stations on cable?

errlloyd

Suits me, I have sky and I do love the sky hype machine. I wonder how many of those are "top picks"

LeinsterDub

vienne86 wrote: »

That's fine for people with satellite dishes.....can you get the Welsh stations on cable?

With ITV getting the RWC rights it might be time to invest in a dish

icdg

It was probably inevitable one of the two of them would drop out, with the decreased number of matches available. I'd expect either BBC Wales or S4C to do the same, although that may be symantics since the two are meant to begin forging closer links over the next few years as the BBC will begin funding S4C out of the licence fee.

errlloyd

Hmm, not being able to show home and away games means effectively leinster and Munster supporters will see half of their games a year on Sky half on Tg4. Whether sky will bother broadcasting games v Ulster is another thing. Maybe we will see more of Connacht. Here's hoping we do.

This is a disaster as far as I'm concerned. Have a young child and another on the way so I can't make regular trips to the pub. I don't have nor want SKY as I watch no other sport.

How much soccer will RTE show next season that involves no Irish teams and few or no Irish players?

If the answer is 1 or more I have to question their priorities as the national broadcaster.

.ak

Sky will only get a few games, 30 in a season. Not really a disaster?

sydthebeat

Deleted User wrote: »

This is a disaster as far as I'm concerned. Have a young child and another on the way so I can't make regular trips to the pub. I don't have nor want SKY as I watch no other sport.

How much soccer will RTE show next season that involves no Irish teams and few or no Irish players?

If the answer is 1 or more I have to question their priorities as the national broadcaster.

To be honest, the amount of rabo games that RTE2 show during the season is inadequate to follow any teams progress.

TG4 is what it is and will continue to be so.

I think the sky deal will be great for the rabo,they have a proven track record on increasing the profile, and finances, involved in certain sports.
Hopefully this season will be the nadir and the sky deal will breathe new life back into the welsh, Scottish and Italian teams to make them more competitive, which would only be good for the league.

Dravokivich

.ak wrote: »

Sky will only get a few games, 30 in a season. Not really a disaster?

Dont think the issue is with the amount of games theyve got. Its that rte have decided not to be envolved in broadcasting. Its got nothing to do with sky at all.

.ak

Dravokivich wrote: »

Dont think the issue is with the amount of games theyve got. Its that rte have decided not to be envolved in broadcasting. Its got nothing to do with sky at all.

So what? TG4 will still be showing games. I just don't see the issue at all. If it's language bases I don't get that either - the analysis on RTE is awful anyway. :P

.ak

.ak wrote: »

Sky will only get a few games, 30 in a season. Not really a disaster?

Is it not half the games each year? The other half

having commentary and build up in a language I don't speak.

(Covered that in case it breaches charter).

.ak

.ak wrote: »

the analysis on RTE is awful anyway. :P

I enjoy the commentary and analysis - even if it's not of the highest calibre.

.ak

Nope, just 30 games a year.

I dunno, I prefer going to games live or watching games in the pub, I don't really hear much commentary then.

thomond2006

I imagine Sky will broadcast as many 'top pick' matches involving the Irish provinces as they can.

.ak

.ak wrote: »

Nope, just 30 games a year.

I dunno, I prefer going to games live or watching games in the pub, I don't really hear much commentary then.

I hear what you are saying and had season tickets for a long time, even got to a few games the latter end of this season with junior. Next season will be a challenge again.

I'm fairly frustrated by this. The TV licence is going to be a more bitter pill than ever.

ThirdMan

RTÉ, TV3 and Setanta are also embroiled in an equally hard-fought bidding war along with Sky for rights to the All-Ireland hurling and football series.

I'm sure Sky would do a great job, but hurling and football are the two main national sports. The idea of them being shown exclusively on a foreign, subscription based service just doesn't sit right with me.

.ak

ThirdMan wrote: »

I'm sure Sky would do a great job, but hurling and football are the two main national sports. The idea of them being shown exclusively on a foreign, subscription based service just doesn't sit right with me.

Probably a debate for another forum/thread though.

ThirdMan

thomond2006 wrote: »

I imagine Sky will broadcast as many 'top pick' matches involving the Irish provinces as they can.

It says in the article that they'll only get one of each fixture. So if Sky have the Aviva derby then TG4 will have the Thomand game.

CIARAN_BOYLE

.ak wrote: »

Sky will only get a few games, 30 in a season. Not really a disaster?

I reckon that nearly 21 of sky games will involve Leinster or Munster.

Akrasia

It's getting a little bit ridiculous the way things are going. Fine, if one broadcaster has the rights to show a league, but all of this splitting up games amongst the broadcasters means that you might need to pay for 3 sports subscriptions just to follow one sports league (BT, Setanta and Sky)

It's not really fair on the consumer

Sky were supposed to be introducing a non subscription service for sky sports (Sky Now) but it's still not available in Ireland. If they at least introduced this to ireland, then it wouldn't disenfranchise so many fans.

vienne86

I think Sky do a great job, but that is fine for those who can afford it. Between this and the European matches being split between Sky and BT, watching rugby is getting very expensive.

.ak

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I reckon that nearly 21 of sky games will involve Leinster or Munster.

I'm not sure. I could see it being about 15, with the other 15 between Ulster, Ospreys, Glasgow etc.

Akrasia

.ak wrote: »

I'm not sure. I could see it being about 15, with the other 15 between Ulster, Ospreys, Glasgow etc.

And poor old Connacht will never be seen on irish TV again

ThirdMan

.ak wrote: »

Probably a debate for another forum/thread though.

I'm not starting a debate. I just made a single, brief, comment that is related to what we're talking about. But I'm sure it's in the The Charter™ that every single comment must relate to rugby and nothing but rugby.

.ak

Akrasia wrote: »

And poor old Connacht will never be seen on irish TV again

Who?

.ak

ThirdMan wrote: »

I'm not starting a debate. I just made a single, brief, comment that is related to what we're talking about. But I'm sure it's in the The Charter™ that every single comment must relate to rugby and nothing but rugby.

Jeez no need to be so uppity. All I'm saying is GAA won't be discussed here before any debate started by other posters. If I thought that every single comment must relate to rugby and nothing but rugby I would've just deleted it.

who_me

So, is the Sky deal as previously announced? It's just that RTE are not covering the other games?

ThirdMan

My apologies .ak. I know Mods have an important role. I just think they're a pain in the ass.

.ak

ThirdMan wrote: »

My apologies .ak. I know Mods have an important role. I just think they're a pain in the ass.

The feeling's mutual...

vienne86

who_me wrote: »

So, is the Sky deal as previously announced? It's just that RTE are not covering the other games?

That's my understanding of it.

its_phil

Akrasia wrote: »

It's getting a little bit ridiculous the way things are going. Fine, if one broadcaster has the rights to show a league, but all of this splitting up games amongst the broadcasters means that you might need to pay for 3 sports subscriptions just to follow one sports league (BT, Setanta and Sky)

It's not really fair on the consumer

Sky were supposed to be introducing a non subscription service for sky sports (Sky Now) but it's still not available in Ireland. If they at least introduced this to ireland, then it wouldn't disenfranchise so many fans.

TBF BT & Setanta have bundled their packages together so it is only two. Still a good few bean considering.

It's a smart move by Sky to take on the GAA to keep subscribers in the rugby off-season or vice-versa.

b.gud

Akrasia wrote: »

And poor old Connacht will never be seen on irish TV again

Ya because we've been shown so much on Irish TV over the seasons :rolleyes:

This actually might work in Connachts benefit, I don't know the exact figures but I'd say at least half of the Connacht matches this season haven't been televised on any station. I'm hoping that the sky deal means that every single Rabo game will be televised. Which means that there's more of a chance of me getting to see Connacht games then there is currently.

icdg

With 6 Challenge Cup matches per game week on TV next year (of ten) - if the Telegraph is to believed - chances are Connacht will be seen quite regularly in that competition.

The majority of Pro12 games, apart from some Italian home games, were on TV somewhere. Quite an achievement when you remember that typically there are only three Premiership Rugby games on TV each week.

Theta

Sky will get one leg of most games, as in next season they will most likely show Leinster v Muster in the Aviva but the corresponding fixture of Munster v Leinster in Thomand wont be available to them. Its going to be a juggling act really.

wp_rathead

Akrasia wrote: »

And poor old Connacht will never be seen on irish TV again

Sure we never on RTÉ anyway so no big change*

*(Yes im aware we on this weekend though ha)

b.gud

icdg wrote: »

With 6 Challenge Cup matches per game week on TV next year (of ten) - if the Telegraph is to believed - chances are Connacht will be seen quite regularly in that competition.

The majority of Pro12 games, apart from some Italian home games, were on TV somewhere. Quite an achievement when you remember that typically there are only three Premiership Rugby games on TV each week.

Hopefully we'll be seeing Connacht in the Heinken cup matches , (I'm keeping the faith of a 6th place finish)

You are right that there are a lot of games televised but I can remember at least 2 or 3 Connacht home games this year of that weren't televised at all which I think is a shame.

freyners

b.gud wrote: »

Hopefully we'll be seeing Connacht in the Heinken cup matches , (I'm keeping the faith of a 6th place finish)

You are right that there are a lot of games televised but I can remember at least 2 or 3 Connacht home games this year of that weren't televised at all which I think is a shame.

We get about 50% of our games televised. Last year RTE showed only 2 games from the SG and one of those was an Ireland A game

b.gud

freyners wrote: »

We get about 50% of our games televised. Last year RTE showed only 2 games from the SG and one of those was an Ireland A game

It's be interesting to see how that compares to the other clubs in the competition

irishfeen

I wonder could TG4 set up a red button English commentary service like their Welsh equivalent for such sporting events? ... It would basically only mean a second audio feed which in this day in age is child's play.

B0X

irishfeen wrote: »

I wonder could TG4 set up a red button English commentary service like their Welsh equivalent for such sporting events? ... It would basically only mean a second audio feed which in this day in age is child's play.

It'd be technically easy but maybe they dont have the funds for a second commentator?

who_me

Mixed feelings about the way the Pro12 coverage is going. I've always hated any business plan which takes something that was freely/cheaply available, buys exclusive rights, (usually bundles it with a lot of filler in which you've no interest) and charges a lot more for it.

But the Pro12 staggering badly with massive defections from the Welsh sides, the weakness of the lower half, poor attendances, the threatened defection of the Italian sides, the top half treating it as a staging area for the HEC campaign and only taking it seriously once they're out of the Cup. It could badly do with the Sky hype machine. If I have to listen to the dreary, monotonous RTE coverage and analysis ever again, it'll be too soon "Jesus, this is dire stuff. I'm amazed you're still watching. I'm only here because I'm paid to be here.." (My Irish isn't good enough to tell if TG4 are any better, but they certainly seem happier!)

LeinsterDub

B0X wrote: »

It'd be technically easy but maybe they dont have the funds for a second commentator?

Funds aren't the issue they just don't want to do it. Their line is they are an Irish speaking channel and will broadcast in Irish

Dravokivich

irishfeen wrote: »

I wonder could TG4 set up a red button English commentary service like their Welsh equivalent for such sporting events? ... It would basically only mean a second audio feed which in this day in age is child's play.

Also only avail to sky users at the same time.

irishfeen

B0X wrote: »

It'd be technically easy but maybe they dont have the funds for a second commentator?

They could do the English commentary off tube in TG4 HQ ... I'm sure they have enough to give a young new commentator a start in the business.

CIARAN_BOYLE

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Funds aren't the issue they just don't want to do it. Their line is they are an Irish speaking channel and will broadcast in Irish

Also saorview and upc viewers wouldn't be qble to access it

irishfeen

Dravokivich wrote: »

Also only avail to sky users at the same time.

Nope - most if not all set top boxes including Saorview boxes have the facility to change audio streams so it could be made available to anyone with access to TG4.

Dravokivich

irishfeen wrote: »

Nope - most if not all set top boxes including Saorview boxes have the facility to change audio streams so it could be made available to anyone with access to TG4.

Ive never seen anything other than sky here support the red button function.