EirSport secure the broadcast rights to the Guinness PRO14

irishfan9 · 03-05-2018 11:38am #1

EirSport are delighted to secure the broadcast rights to the Guinness PRO14 for the next three years from the 2018/19 season.

The partnership means that for the first time in the Republic of Ireland, rugby supporters can watch all 152 games a season.

Fans can look forward to seeing over 30 hours of Guinness PRO14 related programming every week including up to six live games with pre and post-match analysis. A weekly highlights show to review and preview each round of games will also form part of the eir sport schedule.

This consolidates eir sport’s position as the home of the rugby in Ireland. The eir sport pack will be the only place to watch all of the European Champions Cup from next season, the U-20 World Championships, and will be the home of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Ireland internationals, such as last summer’s tour of Japan and the historic win against the All Blacks in Chicago, could also only be watched on eir sport.

eir sport has entered into a sub-licencing agreement with TG4, allowing the Irish language broadcaster access to a select number of games.

errlloyd · 03-05-2018 11:42am

How can we only get 6 lives games, but still manage to see all 152 games? There are 7 per season?

Is the extra game gonna be the FTA one, or the TG4 one?

Buer · 03-05-2018 11:43am

Has this not been known for months?

http://www.the42.ie/eir-sport-pro14-tv-rights-3793899-Jan2018/

Cookiemunster · 03-05-2018 11:45am

errlloyd wrote: »

How can we only get 6 lives games, but still manage to see all 152 games? There are 7 per season?

Is the extra game gonna be the FTA one, or the TG4 one?

I assuming that this line means that.

eir sport has entered into a sub-licencing agreement with TG4, allowing the Irish language broadcaster access to a select number of games.

Digifriendly · 03-05-2018 11:45am

errlloyd wrote: »

How can we only get 6 lives games, but still manage to see all 152 games? There are 7 per season?

Is the extra game gonna be the FTA one, or the TG4 one?

I think it will be the FTAone to be shown on Freesports which is described on Pro 14website asa 'showcase' fixture.
BTW from this summer Freesports will be HD on satellite.

awec · 03-05-2018 11:46am

This is a good deal for Irish viewers.

Digifriendly · 03-05-2018 11:47am

errlloyd wrote: »

How can we only get 6 lives games, but still manage to see all 152 games? There are 7 per season?

Is the extra game gonna be the FTA one, or the TG4 one?

I think it will be the FTA one to be shown on Freesports which is described on Pro 14 website as a 'showcase' fixture.
BTW from this summer Freesports will be HD on satellite.

thomond2006 · 03-05-2018 11:47am

Reunite the old Setanta dream team!

matt-williams-rugby-coach-ab842411-111d-4a11-b5b6-bede4f188fb-resize-750.jpeg

errlloyd · 03-05-2018 11:48am

awec wrote: »

This is a good deal for Irish viewers.

It's a pain if you're on Virgin, I think it is actually impossible to get eirsport at a reasonable price.

But if you're on Eir, this is a real win. To be fair, it'll probably get both me and the old man to change broadband.

Cookiemunster · 03-05-2018 11:48am

Digifriendly wrote: »

I think it will be the FTAone to be shown on Freesports which is described on Pro 14website asa 'showcase' fixture.
BTW from this summer Freesports will be HD on satellite.

I could be wrong, but I don't think Freesports is on the Sky EPG in Ireland.

kenmc · 03-05-2018 11:50am

awec wrote: »

This is a good deal for Irish viewers.

Only if you're on eir, which is pure sh1te as a TV platform

awec · 03-05-2018 11:51am

kenmc wrote: »

Only if you're on eir, which is pure sh1te as a TV platform

You can get it on Sky too. 27.50 a month though which is pricier than I thought it was.

Forgot about the Virgin thing.

kenmc · 03-05-2018 11:55am

I'll just stick with my Android box.

Kevski · 03-05-2018 11:55am

Disappointing that there’s no streaming option for non-eir customers as I would have happily paid the equivalent of the £10 per month it’s being offered for by Premier Sports in the UK.

wp_rathead · 03-05-2018 11:58am

Can you just get the 2 Eir Sport channels or do you have to get the stupid Eir Sport package with BT Sport and ESPN

Can't get Eir broadband where I am in connemara so bit of a balls..

irishbucsfan · 03-05-2018 11:58am

I think I'll have to take a trip over to the UK each time they're streaming no Premier Sports.

bennyl10 · 03-05-2018 12:01pm

If you're a rugby fan eir makes perfect sense, virgin not offering it looks stupid now, no rugby from an Irish pov on sky sports, and eir have champions league soccer with the rugby World Cup..

27 on sky is cheaper than sky sports too...

Clegg · 03-05-2018 12:15pm

The weekly highlights show is a good thing. The 4 minute YouTube videos the Pro 14 currently offer is in no way good enough. Something like the highlights show BT does for the AP would be welcome.

Zzippy · 03-05-2018 12:16pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Reunite the old Setanta dream team!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I can't get eir broadband so my only option is Eir on Sky @ €27.50 a month? But if I lived in the UK I could watch all the games on Premier Sport for £10 a month? Well, that's kinda sh1t!

bennyl10 · 03-05-2018 12:18pm

Zzippy wrote: »

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I can't get eir broadband so my only option is Eir on Sky @ €27.50 a month? But if I lived in the UK I could watch all the games on Premier Sport for £10 a month? Well, that's kinda sh1t!

Premier sports don't have a lot else though really..

Eir excuse that they have champions league, champions cup, UFC, premier league, etc..

Premier sports, really rugby and gaa is all they have.. with the obscure American ones.

Cookiemunster · 03-05-2018 12:20pm

Confirmed that it's 1 game a week on TG4 on the Q&A page.

eir have sub-licensed 21 games over the course of the regular 2018/19 season to TG4, the Free-To-Air National Irish language broadcaster.

icdg · 03-05-2018 12:22pm

So TG4 get 21 games but will not be allowed show Leinster v Munster or the reverse fixture. Not clear if they they get any play offs either because that 21 games coincidentally or otherwise matches the number of weeks in the regular season.

awec · 03-05-2018 12:22pm

Zzippy wrote: »

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I can't get eir broadband so my only option is Eir on Sky @ €27.50 a month? But if I lived in the UK I could watch all the games on Premier Sport for £10 a month? Well, that's kinda sh1t!

Eir overall is better value.

Premier Sports is complete garbage other than Pro14, unless you're an ice hockey or nascar fan.

irishbucsfan · 03-05-2018 12:23pm

awec wrote: »

Eir overall is better value.

Premier Sports is complete garbage other than Pro14, unless you're an ice hockey or nascar fan.

It’s better value if you like soccer.

Which to be fair I think most people do.

awec · 03-05-2018 12:24pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

It’s better value if you like soccer.

Which to be fair I think most people do.

I would think the number of people who buy sports channels purely for rugby union is a fairly insignificant number in the grand scheme of things.

Cookiemunster · 03-05-2018 12:24pm

icdg wrote: »

So TG4 get 21 games but will not be allowed show Leinster v Munster or the reverse fixture. Not clear if they they get any play offs either because that 21 games coincidentally or otherwise matches the number of weeks in the regular season.

TG4, the home of Connacht Rugby?

bennyl10 · 03-05-2018 12:26pm

All games shown on eir sport 1 & 2 according to the FAQs.. scheduling of matches is Gonna be interesting..

Hurrache · 03-05-2018 12:26pm

awec wrote: »

You can get it on Sky too. 27.50 a month though which is pricier than I thought it was.

Pfffffff! Nope, not paying that much. Wasn't the UK deal only £10 a month? I'd be willing to pay that.

bennyl10 wrote: »

27 on sky is cheaper than sky sports too...

But €27.50 is more than you'd pay for Sky Sports, 3 times more if you already have Sky Movies with them.

bennyl10 wrote: »

Eir excuse that they have champions league, champions cup, UFC, premier league, etc..

None of which are watched in my house. Literally the only sport watched on TV in our house is rugby, with the occasional GAA game on terrestrial.

bennyl10 · 03-05-2018 12:28pm

Hurrache wrote: »

Pfffffff! Nope, not paying that much. Wasn't the UK deal only £10 a month? I'd be willing to pay that, but €27.50 is more than you'd pay for Sky Sports, 3 times more if you already have Sky Movies with them.

SKy sports is 40 a month?..

And you can't even compare premier sports with eir at all!

nc6000 · 03-05-2018 12:30pm

What's the best option for someone currently on Sky who wants to watch both league and european games?

Hurrache · 03-05-2018 12:30pm

bennyl10 wrote: »

SKy sports is 40 a month?..

And you can't even compare premier sports with eir at all!

If you're a new customer, but as an existing customer you'll always get half priced 6/9 month deals which will cover a season.

But your point highlights that nobody is going to pay that much purely for rugby. Had they an on demand service just for rugby as part of the broadcasting deal then that would be ideal for I'm sure a whole load of people.

awec · 03-05-2018 12:32pm

nc6000 wrote: »

What's the best option for someone currently on Sky who wants to watch both league and european games?

Get eir sports on Sky.

Ditch Sky Sports if you don't watch football, golf or F1.

awec · 03-05-2018 12:33pm

Hurrache wrote: »

If you're a new customer, but as an existing customer you'll always get half priced 6/9 month deals which will cover a season.

But your point highlights that nobody is going to pay that much purely for rugby. Had they an on demand service just for rugby as part of the broadcasting deal then that would be ideal for I'm sure a whole load of people.

Yea but the target market of people who care only about rugby is very small.

Hurrache · 03-05-2018 12:34pm

awec wrote: »

Yea but the target market of people who care only about rugby is very small.

But I'm extremely important and demand packages tailored to me god dammit!!

ionapaul · 03-05-2018 12:34pm

Cookiemunster wrote: »

TG4, the home of Connacht Rugby?

Those of us who have Virgin and are Connacht supporters are hoping that TG4's championing of the Westerners doesn't change too much when it comes to their selection of the FTA match each week; I presume that TG4's game will always have one of the four provinces playing? Would be kinda funny if they were forced to broadcast the South Africa derby match or similar

icdg · 03-05-2018 12:34pm

Incidentally Sky still have Ireland summer tours (to Sanzaar countries) exclusively, and the Lions. And non exclusively Ireland Autumn internationals.

bennyl10 · 03-05-2018 12:35pm

awec wrote: »

Get eir sports on Sky.

Ditch Sky Sports if you don't watch football, golf or F1.

Even then sky just have English football, eir have the 5:39 game and champions league.
F1 is on channel 4 and eir

So ya if you are huge into english soccer and golf.. otherwise sky has nothing anymore.

awec · 03-05-2018 12:37pm

Do eir sport carry all of the BT Sport football?

It always bugged me when I wanted to watch football that was on BT, but now that they have pro14 and european rugby on eir I can justify a second sports subscription to the wife.

bennyl10 · 03-05-2018 12:38pm

awec wrote: »

Do eir sport carry all of the BT Sport football?

It always bugged me when I wanted to watch football that was on BT, but now that they have pro14 and european rugby on eir I can justify a second sports subscription to the wife.

Yup you get the full bt sports pack with eir, so all the 5:30 prem games and champions league

Squatter · 03-05-2018 12:56pm

A heads up for some: earlier this season I was paying the monthly sub for the BT sports package (including EirSport) on Sky, then on Black Friday they offered a full year's sub for some incredibly low price, so I promptly signed up. Maybe it will happen again, later this year!

Tigerandahalf · 03-05-2018 1:05pm

https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/05/03/qa-for-eir-sport-broadcast-partnership/

Above is a link to all info one might need re how to view games.

They seem to be saying all games will be on eirsport 1 and 2. All in HD.

If the app can be used while on holidays abroad it will be a great service.

bennyl10 · 03-05-2018 1:06pm

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/05/03/qa-for-eir-sport-broadcast-partnership/

Above is a link to all info one might need re how to view games.

They seem to be saying all games will be on eirsport 1 and 2. All in HD.

If the app can be used while on holidays abroad it will be a great service.

Fixture scheduling is going to be interesting...

awec · 03-05-2018 1:18pm

bennyl10 wrote: »

Fixture scheduling is going to be interesting...

I guess they will want to avoid overlaps, so my guess would be

Friday ~7:30

Saturday ~2, ~5, ~7:30

Sunday ~2, ~5

The Sunday games will be interesting, directly competing against Sunday football could hit viewing figures hard.

irishbucsfan · 03-05-2018 1:19pm

awec wrote: »

I guess they will want to avoid overlaps, so my guess would be

Friday ~7:30

Saturday ~2, ~5, ~7:30

Sunday ~2, ~5

The Sunday games will be interesting, directly competing against Sunday football could hit viewing figures hard.

Wonder what times the South Africans prefer

Tigerandahalf · 03-05-2018 1:26pm

awec wrote: »

I guess they will want to avoid overlaps, so my guess would be

Friday ~7:30

Saturday ~2, ~5, ~7:30

Sunday ~2, ~5

The Sunday games will be interesting, directly competing against Sunday football could hit viewing figures hard.

I wonder will teams be given choice re times for their home games.
I'd say Ulster would hate to lose the Friday night home game.
At least they should try to have a consistent time for home games if possible.
Fans wouldn't be happy to pay for a season ticket if games were on at various times from week to week.

I wonder could some games be broadcasted at the same time. Sitting down on a Friday night to watch Edinburgh v Zebre wouldn't have much appeal.

Wheeker · 03-05-2018 1:40pm

As someone who refuses to pay for TV when 99% of what I watch is available for free via Saorview & Freesat, what are my options to watch PRO14 in 2018/19? I'm living in RoI with Virgin Media broadband. As an Ulster fan I've been spoilt to-date with virtually every Ulster match being available via BBC2NI on Freesat.

I will be able to get TG4 & FreeSports for free via Saorview & Freesat respectively, but that's only 2 matches a week. I had assumed I could subscribe to the Premier Sports online Player (GBP£9.99 p.m.), but this is geo-locked & unavailable in RoI..... I suppose VPN may be an option? Looks like I can't get Eir Sports at all, even if I took Virgin Media TV. So I would have to switch to Eir or Sky & pay an additional €27.50 p.m. for EirSports- seems v.expensive! EirSports has no online web stream like Premier Sports? Very disappointing.... :mad:

Former Former · 03-05-2018 1:43pm

Wheeker wrote: »

As someone who refuses to pay for TV when 99% of what I watch is available for free via Saorview & Freesat, what are my options to watch PRO14 in 2018/19? I'm living in RoI with Virgin Media broadband. As an Ulster fan I've been spoilt to-date with virtually every Ulster match being available via BBC2NI on Freesat.

I will be able to get TG4 & FreeSports for free via Saorview & Freesat respectively, but that's only 2 matches a week. I had assumed I could subscribe to the Premier Sports online Player (GBP£9.99 p.m.), but this is geo-locked & unavailable in RoI..... I suppose VPN may be an option? Looks like I can't get Eir Sports at all, even if I took Virgin Media TV. So I would have to switch to Eir or Sky & pay an additional €27.50 p.m. for EirSports- seems v.expensive! EirSports has no online web stream like Premier Sports? Very disappointing.... :mad:

Well, the whole point of Eir Sport is to get people to switch their broadband provider over to them, why not do that?

ionapaul · 03-05-2018 1:51pm

I guess a lot of us are locked into 12 month contracts with Virgin, etc... I know we have at least 6 months left on our contract and anecdotally Virgin nail you to the wall if you break your contract early.

irishbucsfan · 03-05-2018 1:54pm

Have my broadband through my employer so no choice for me. I’ll have to use Premier Sports

Hurrache · 03-05-2018 1:56pm

Former Former wrote: »

Well, the whole point of Eir Sport is to get people to switch their broadband provider over to them, why not do that?

Better deals, speeds and packages with other providers. Plus the aforementioned issue of people already being locked in with contracts.

Former Former · 03-05-2018 1:56pm

As an Eir BB subscriber, I'm pretty happy with this news. All Pro14 rugby and all European rugby rolled into my BB subscription is pretty sweet.

Being able to hook up my old Sky box and watch in proper HD is nice, even if there are no pause or record features. The Eir Sport app via Chromecast is OK too (again, no live pause).

All in all, an OK outcome.

EirSport secure the broadcast rights to the Guinness PRO14

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