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Pro14 to leave FTA TV?

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Comments

  • #2
    thomond2006
    Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    b.gud wrote: »
    https://twitter.com/huwthomas/status/970986715706986498

    This is a bit of a blow, had been hoping that would still be able to get a load of the games via FTA

    That's a big wedge of TV money gone.


  • #3
    molloyjh
    Registered Users Posts: 24,745 ✭✭✭✭molloyjh


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    That's a big wedge of TV money gone.

    Yep, that's bad news.


  • #4
    connemara man
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 6,773 Mod ✭✭✭✭connemara man


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    That's a big wedge of TV money gone.

    not good not good at all.

    and it will as an extension mean less TMOs


  • #5
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,174 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    Hopefully S4C pick up the slack and increase their share of broadcasts although I don't see them being in a position to do so to the same level as BBC.

    From the statement on the Pro14 website, I get the impression the league were seeking increased money for the coverage. Hopefully they're able to secure increased figures generally.


  • #6
    prawnsambo
    Registered Users Posts: 12,984 ✭✭✭✭prawnsambo


    Buer wrote: »
    Hopefully S4C pick up the slack and increase their share of broadcasts although I don't see them being in a position to do so to the same level as BBC.

    From the statement on the Pro14 website, I get the impression the league were seeking increased money for the coverage. Hopefully they're able to secure increased figures generally.
    If they were seeking increased money, would that not imply that they already had an offer?


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  • #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    Is Rugby becoming more or less popular? I would have thought more but between this and the six nations struggling to get sponsorship it's hard to know what is going on.


  • #8
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,811 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    The Brexit effect may be making broadcasters reluctant to over commit.

    Sports sponsorship has taken a hit across the water and if the pound weakens further there will be less funds for the provinces in Ireland.

    I wonder will Sky re enter and pick up games especially if they can get all Welsh and Scottish games.

    There had been suggestions that Welsh crowds could be improved by putting the games behind a pay wall.

    The Cardiff and Swansea soccer teams probably have more of an effect.


  • #9
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,174 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    prawnsambo wrote: »
    If they were seeking increased money, would that not imply that they already had an offer?

    Increases from their last deals. I'm just guessing though.
    After the successful expansion into South Africa the Guinness PRO14 is continuing to grow in strength with unprecedented interest leading to rising attendances, increased broadcast viewers and an upsurge in social media engagement.

    As PRO14 Rugby plans for the exciting seasons ahead, the Championship has overseen a highly-competitive tender process with multiple Pay and Free to Air operators across the UK & Republic of Ireland bidding for the broadcast rights in those territories.

    PRO14 Rugby is currently concluding negotiations for these rights ahead of the 2018/19 season and will confirm the final position to partners and supporters once the formal agreements are in place.


    Read more at https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/03/06/pro14-rugby-statement-broadcast-tenders/#8xbW1scGLeSEskt8.99


  • #10
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,335 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    I hope that is only BBC Wales and not BBC NI as well. Would be a complete disaster.

    Hope the league isn't overplaying it's hand here. The South African teams have come in but the product on offer is certainly no better.


  • #11
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    awec wrote: »
    I hope that is only BBC Wales and not BBC NI as well. Would be a complete disaster.

    Hope the league isn't overplaying it's hand here. The South African teams have come in but the product on offer is certainly no better.

    I think you guys might be in trouble, rumours are rumbling that UK rights are gone to pay-tv. Alba and BBC NI are gone as well.


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  • #12
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,335 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    I think you guys might be in trouble, rumours are rumbling that UK rights are gone to pay-tv. Alba and BBC NI are gone as well.
    Well this is a massive step backwards.

    Is this the Premier Sports rumour? That would be embarrassing for the Pro14 to end up there.


  • #13
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,811 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    Wales Online saying bbc have lost out but a highlights show on Sunday evenings a possibility.

    Premier Sports (eir sports) might be going for the uk rights too and push some games onto their freesports channel on satellite.


  • #14
    Burkie1203
    Registered Users Posts: 11,105 ✭✭✭✭Burkie1203


    awec wrote: »
    Well this is a massive step backwards.

    Is this the Premier Sports rumour? That would be embarrassing for the Pro14 to end up there.

    Yup
    https://twitter.com/JackoRugby/status/971014925861773312


  • #15
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,335 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Burkie1203 wrote: »
    Yup
    https://twitter.com/JackoRugby/status/971014925861773312
    This is an incredibly dumb move by the league for the sake of a few quid.


  • #16
    lotmc
    Registered Users Posts: 216 ✭✭lotmc


    BBC issues a statement saying..... "We're proud of our record of covering live Pro14 rugby across television, radio and online and we offered a significantly increased financial bid in order to safeguard these rights on a free-to-air basis for hundreds of thousands of viewers in Wales, and across the UK"

    Its somewhat understandable that Pro 14 were looking at the massive difference between TV money for the Aviva Premiership and the French Top 14, and have tried to squeeze more money from broadcasters.

    The position in Ireland is not resolved yet, seemingly. Pro14 Rugby said on its website it had overseen a "highly-competitive tender process" with multiple pay and free-to-air operators across the UK and Republic of Ireland bidding for the broadcast rights. So, TG4 may also be ditched if Premier Sports / Eir chip in with a significantly higher offer.


  • #17
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    It would want to be a considerably larger bid from Premier Sports for me to be happy with this...


  • #18
    molloyjh
    Registered Users Posts: 24,745 ✭✭✭✭molloyjh


    Burkie1203 wrote: »
    Yup
    https://twitter.com/JackoRugby/status/971014925861773312

    Well this takes away one of the biggest gripes a lot of Welsh have with the league anyway, so there's that.


  • #19
    Bazzo
    Registered Users Posts: 7,047 ✭✭✭Bazzo


    awec wrote: »
    Well this is a massive step backwards.

    Is this the Premier Sports rumour? That would be embarrassing for the Pro14 to end up there.

    I'm a little confused as to why it's a massive step backwards?

    The rumour is that BBC offered a significant increase and were still outbid for the rights. I'm sure it's certainly annoying for Ulster fans in particular who have been well served by the BBC coverage but a large increase in TV rights money is hardly a step backwards.


  • #20
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,174 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    awec wrote: »
    This is an incredibly dumb move by the league for the sake of a few quid.

    It was always going to be the way. Highest bidder wins in television rights. No league in the world is going to turn down the money to keep their games on terrestrial broadcasting.

    Given the massive gap between the money received in France and England against what the Pro14 teams receive, I would imagine they had to spend all of a nano-second thinking about it.


  • #21
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,335 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Bazzo wrote: »
    I'm a little confused as to why it's a massive step backwards?

    The rumour is that BBC offered a significant increase and were still outbid for the rights. I'm sure it's certainly annoying for Ulster fans in particular who have been well served by the BBC coverage but a large increase in TV rights money is hardly a step backwards.
    Because nobody has a Premier Sports subscription. They are moving from massive potential viewer numbers to tiny potential viewer numbers.

    Who is going to pay a tenner a month for 1 or 2 pro14 games at the weekend?

    Looking at the actual bid money is just so short sighted. The league will not grow on Premier Sports.


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  • #22
    errlloyd
    Registered Users Posts: 12,598 ✭✭✭✭errlloyd


    So is TG4 Gonzo too?

    Are we gonna see more than 3 game televised per week?


  • #23
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,335 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Buer wrote: »
    It was always going to be the way. Highest bidder wins in television rights. No league in the world is going to turn down the money to keep their games on terrestrial broadcasting.

    Given the massive gap between the money received in France and England against what the Pro14 teams receive, I would imagine they had to spend all of a nano-second thinking about it.
    Great, they can spend all their extra money trying to market a league that nobody watches.


  • #24
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    Buer wrote: »
    It was always going to be the way. Highest bidder wins in television rights. No league in the world is going to turn down the money to keep their games on terrestrial broadcasting.

    Given the massive gap between the money received in France and England against what the Pro14 teams receive, I would imagine they had to spend all of a nano-second thinking about it.

    It's not as simple as "highest bidder wins". There is intangible value in the game being on free-to-air. I'm sure PS will be showing some games free on their channel, for example.


  • #25
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    errlloyd wrote: »
    So is TG4 Gonzo too?

    Are we gonna see more than 3 game televised per week?

    We don't know about Ireland yet. BBC only said they lost out on UK rights.


  • #26
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,335 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    If you're a UK based Nascar, NHL and Pro14 fan this is probably brilliant news in fairness.


  • #27
    errlloyd
    Registered Users Posts: 12,598 ✭✭✭✭errlloyd


    Yeah, I mean I got into rugby as a child watching Celtic league on Tg4. That's why I am here. FTA has sold them every piece of merch, every ticket, every subscription that I have bought since.

    And subjected you guys to around 7000 posts worth of my ****. Blame FTA.


  • #28
    Bazzo
    Registered Users Posts: 7,047 ✭✭✭Bazzo


    awec wrote: »
    Because nobody has a Premier Sports subscription. They are moving from massive potential viewer numbers to tiny potential viewer numbers.

    Who is going to pay a tenner a month for 1 or 2 pro14 games at the weekend?

    Looking at the actual bid money is just so short sighted. The league will not grow on Premier Sports.

    And Premier Sports are just bidding for the craic? Obviously they think they can get enough viewers for it to be worth their while to put in a significantly increased bid.


  • #29
    errlloyd
    Registered Users Posts: 12,598 ✭✭✭✭errlloyd


    awec wrote: »
    If you're a UK based Nascar, NHL and Pro14 fan this is probably brilliant news in fairness.

    o0O <- actual picture of that Venn Diagram


  • #30
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    Ah here, NHL is good craic


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  • #31
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,335 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Bazzo wrote: »
    And Premier Sports are just bidding for the craic? Obviously they think they can get enough viewers for it to be worth their while to put in a significantly increased bid.
    I'm sure they think that.


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