The main thing to remember before was, when Sanzar (as it was then) started, News Corporation had the worldwide TV rights, hence how Sky got it. That was the case with the most recent TV deal, which expired in 2020. But, new rights holders have been announced in Australia, though I don't know about other territories. However it's entirely possible Sky gets the rights for the UK. That said, every possiblilty that they could be picked up by say ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5, BT Sport. It's important to note, News Corporation no longer have the worldwide TV rights, hence no guarantee Sky will get the UK rights.
Nothing in the schedules for next weekend either. Worth noting that Sky have basically all but withdrawn from rugby union, bar Southern Hemisphere and the Lions. Nor would I say there is a guarantee of there being
any
deal, given the Top 14 haven’t been on U.K. TV for almost three years now. It would be a shame if there was none but Southern Hemisphere club rugby is in a bit of a state of flux at present and it might be difficult to do any sort of long term deal until things settle as far as the future structure of the competition is concerned.
Nothing in the schedules for next weekend either. Worth noting that Sky have basically all but withdrawn from rugby union, bar Southern Hemisphere and the Lions. Nor would I say there is a guarantee of there being
any
deal, given the Top 14 haven’t been on U.K. TV for almost three years now. It would be a shame if there was none but Southern Hemisphere club rugby is in a bit of a state of flux at present and it might be difficult to do any sort of long term deal until things settle as far as the future structure of the competition is concerned.
Daily Mail reported when the England v Barbarians match was cancelled due to breaks in Covid Rules that it was due to be Sky Sports last England match under the contract and the Rugby Union department was closing after the match as they have lost all their significant Rugby coverage bar the Lions. Miles Harrison for example seems to work more for ITV & Channel 4 these days than Sky.
On todays 6 Nations coverage due to travel restrictions ITV are based in London with Jill Douglas presenting alongside Gareth Thomas & Benjamin Kayser with Rory Best & Brian O'Driscoll joining virtually from their homes in Ireland & Northern Ireland respectively. Virgin Media One are surprisingly not in the stadium like RTE were in the Autumn but in their Dublin studio with Eoin Reddan & Matt Williams with Ronan O'Gara joining virtually. Far better mix from ITV today than yesterday which was very much English dominated and great report from Gabriel Clarke about Andy Farrell & Shaun Edwards which featured plenty of Rugby League footage and an interview with Jason Robinson.
Slightly off topic, but I do wonder if the Super rugby could just become a bit like the european competitions, with the franchises being disbanded, and having a longer domestic season, e.g. the New Zealand NPC provinces playing home and away, and some of them then playing in a smaller Super rugby competition? I say that, as that could be a possible cause for any TV deal in the UK being a short term one, e.g. one season only.
This season has only Australian and NZ involvement, with their franchises playing in their own competitions, and then a “Trans-Tasman” element at the end. That is likely not the final shape of what will emerge in the long term and although it appears that four of South Africa’s franchises will eventually (but probably not this season) move to the Pro14, they have a problem with what to do with the Cheetahs and there has been talk that they could go back to Super Rugby. None of that has anything to do with television but serves just to underscore that this is a competition that nobody really knows the long term shape of.
This season has only Australian and NZ involvement, with their franchises playing in their own competitions, and then a “Trans-Tasman” element at the end. That is likely not the final shape of what will emerge in the long term and although it appears that four of South Africa’s franchises will eventually (but probably not this season) move to the Pro14, they have a problem with what to do with the Cheetahs and there has been talk that they could go back to Super Rugby. None of that has anything to do with television but serves just to underscore that this is a competition that nobody really knows the long term shape of.
Exactly. It's a sort of closed loop. The competition needs the TV deal to settle its structure, but the TV companies aren't going to pay loads of money unless they know the structure. Looking even deeper, if the claim in the Daily Mail is true, and Sky have closed their Rugby union department, then obviously we need to look four years on, and question if there's a Lions tour then, who may cover it? That's a question and answer for another time though.
This season has only Australian and NZ involvement, with their franchises playing in their own competitions, and then a “Trans-Tasman” element at the end. That is likely not the final shape of what will emerge in the long term and although it appears that four of South Africa’s franchises will eventually (but probably not this season) move to the Pro14, they have a problem with what to do with the Cheetahs and there has been talk that they could go back to Super Rugby. None of that has anything to do with television but serves just to underscore that this is a competition that nobody really knows the long term shape of.
Exactly. It's a sort of closed loop. The competition needs the TV deal to settle its structure, but the TV companies aren't going to pay loads of money unless they know the structure. Looking even deeper, if the claim in the Daily Mail is true, and Sky have closed their Rugby union department, then obviously we need to look four years on, and question if there's a Lions tour then, who may cover it? That's a question and answer for another time though.
I think the Daily Mail was doing a bit of oversimplifying when they said that Sky have closed their rugby union department. It is common for staff to be reallocated when you go through quiet spells, and then return to their previous area when you have the rights to show something.
I think the Daily Mail was doing a bit of oversimplifying when they said that Sky have closed their rugby union department. It is common for staff to be reallocated when you go through quiet spells, and then return to their previous area when you have the rights to show something.
Indeed, there hasn't been any football on ITV since November but it doesn't mean the football staff are sitting around doing nothing, most of them have presumably been working on other sports coverage.
To answer a question from yesterday the BBC 6 Nations Highlights being presented from the green screen BBC Sport Stadium Studio with John Inverdale presenting alongside Brian Moore & Sam Warburton. Can anyone answer the question is this the first time the BBC have used this studio for non football coverage?
Presumably Inverdale won’t be in Dublin for a highlights programme tomorrow. So I would guess it returns to the studio. Could we finally see the green screen studio used for sport other than football? It’ll be interesting to see a virtual set if so. Can’t see them erecting the six nations set they used last year when the football studio will presumably be set up. Of course they might just use BT Sport again.
So they’re usually the regular football studio, albeit with a rugby pitch within the ‘BBC Sport stadium’. So it’s a first time it’s been used for something other than football.