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Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Foxtel is dying.........

The rugby league, AFL, cricket and football departments at Fox Sports are bracing for staff cuts after the broadcaster took an axe to its once-sprawling rugby department on the eve of the new Super Rugby season.

Rugby officials were briefed by Fox executives on Thursday that their sport was the first cab off the rank for staff and programming cuts, as the pay television provider embarks on a cost-slashing campaign on the back of $417 million in financial losses at its parent company Foxtel.

The sport was rocked by news that popular rugby host Nick McArdle had been let go the day before the launch of the new season and that the Monday and Friday night shows had been scrapped in favour of a drastically leaner schedule.

Former Wallaby Drew Mitchell has also been let go, while pundits Greg Martin and Stephen Hoiles will be used on a "pay-per-play" basis as needed throughout the season.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...ve-of-super-rugby-launch-20200123-p53tyi.html


Meanwhile, Castle is seeking a joint FTA and pay TV deal.........

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2020/01/23/rugby-broadcast-castle
 

Rebels3

Jim Lenehan (48)
All games involving Aus teams on channel 10 then the rest of the games pushed to their 10play streaming service would do perfectly. Would be happy to pay $10 a month for the extra games if they put a paywall in front of the other content.

Shove Premiership and Top14 onto RugbyPass and I’d be a very happy man.

Would just need a new home for the non Aussie international’s and the 7s circuit.
 

molman

Peter Johnson (47)
@Rebels3 you can get BeIN as a streaming service (same as through Fox) which tends to have all the non Aussie Internationals like 6 Nations etc.. so already a solution there.

I don't mind a streaming solution as long as there is an app on my TV or one of my media boxes (PS4/Apple TV etc..) and they have replay/on-demand options for all games.
 

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
I reckon that any deal that excludes the possibility of Foxtel users watching one way or another (which obviously includes both FTA and BeIn) would be very short-sighted.


Likewise, it would be really great if FTA gets a crack at one game a week, in prime time. SBS would be my choice.
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
All games involving Aus teams on channel 10 then the rest of the games pushed to their 10play streaming service would do perfectly. Would be happy to pay $10 a month for the extra games if they put a paywall in front of the other content.

Shove Premiership and Top14 onto RugbyPass and I’d be a very happy man.

Would just need a new home for the non Aussie international’s and the 7s circuit.

Isn't Premiership already on RP? I'm just missing top 14, then I'm happy to go.

To be honest with the crowds and the quality of the teams atm, I might even take an interest in the top league.
 

WorkingClassRugger

David Codey (61)
All games involving Aus teams on channel 10 then the rest of the games pushed to their 10play streaming service would do perfectly. Would be happy to pay $10 a month for the extra games if they put a paywall in front of the other content.

Shove Premiership and Top14 onto RugbyPass and I’d be a very happy man.

Would just need a new home for the non Aussie international’s and the 7s circuit.


You're talking about 10 All Access right? I'd happily pay $10/month for extra Super Rugby content if the Aus games were on FTA. Ten would actually be a fairly good fit. No sporting option. Has both the FTA and pay streaming option.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Isn't Premiership already on RP? I'm just missing top 14, then I'm happy to go.

To be honest with the crowds and the quality of the teams atm, I might even take an interest in the top league.

No the Premiership is on Foxtel.
RugbyPass have the European comps and Pro 14.
Top 14 is inexplicably only on French TV atm.
 

Jimmy_Crouch

Ken Catchpole (46)
RA have been bolstering their online capabilities with an increase in human capital. There has been solid investment with the Rugby Explorer app (there is a function whereby you can snap a photo of the foxsports game and share as a video clip). Streaming all the trials with commentary, score tickers and replays is a massive step up. Might be a little behind but the times but they deserve props for the direction they are taking.
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
FTA is still the most accessible product out there for the wider audience, and will remain so for the next broadcast agreement at least.

Come 2025, Foxtel as we know it will be dead, they're haemorrhaging subscribers and can't compete with the lower cost bases that the streaming services provide, jump off a sinking ship or take them for their very last cent?
 

dru

Tim Horan (67)
FTA is still the most accessible product out there for the wider audience, and will remain so for the next broadcast agreement at least.

Come 2025, Foxtel as we know it will be dead, they're haemorrhaging subscribers and can't compete with the lower cost bases that the streaming services provide, jump off a sinking ship or take them for their very last cent?

Jump
 

molman

Peter Johnson (47)
Not most likely. Are getting into sports broadcasting.

Nice. Amazon would be great. Cheap. Existing app on many platforms. The infrastructure to to stream without issue (unlike some of Optus' early problems).

The big question marks are around the production side for these streaming options - local tv crews, commentators, hosts, producer/directors etc...

Fox has a lot of experience on this front and some economies of scale with the multiple sports they broadcast. They have also done some nice things with regards to linking their productions to their news/reporting and other web activities.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Amazon Prime would probably be the most likely.

There were some fairly strong rumours that Amazon were working in with NZRU a couple of years back, believe they actually streamed a test, and was seen as setting up for future involvement.
 

WorkingClassRugger

David Codey (61)
Nice. Amazon would be great. Cheap. Existing app on many platforms. The infrastructure to to stream without issue (unlike some of Optus' early problems).

The big question marks are around the production side for these streaming options - local tv crews, commentators, hosts, producer/directors etc.

Fox has a lot of experience on this front and some economies of scale with the multiple sports they broadcast. They have also done some nice things with regards to linking their productions to their news/reporting and other web activities.

There's companies that can produce the broadcast on behalf of Amazon. We have a prominent example in the Shute Shield broadcast. That's not as big of an issue as many assume
 

molman

Peter Johnson (47)
There's companies that can produce the broadcast on behalf of Amazon. We have a prominent example in the Shute Shield broadcast. That's not as big of an issue as many assume

Fair enough. I thought it was network 7 team that helped with that aspect of the SS? Even still you've got to imagine there is some capital and knowledge setup to get to the same level/quality. Havng watched a range of Rugby broadcasts from around the world there really is a spectrum of quality in game broadcasts. A good producer can really make for more enjoyable viewing. Not to mention that Rugby has some interesting extra requirements like the whole TMO setup.
 
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