Sky retains exclusive hold on all Rugby World Cup games
Super Rugby, NRL and Formula 1 unbundled.
Sky TV [NZX: SKT] has announced its extended partnership with Rugby World Cup Ltd, securing the rights to broadcast the competition this year.
Sky will broadcast live coverage of all World Cup games in England this September.
It’s not all bad news for free-to-air audiences however, with Prime viewers able to watch every All Blacks match and highlights from each day of the tournament.
In 2010, a free-to-air consortium – made up of TVNZ, Maori TV and TV3/Four (formally C4) – won the rights to screen 16 key 2011 Rugby World Cup games live, including the final.
The deal was thanks to a $3.2 million cash injection from the government, which had to referee a messy spat between the three broadcasters – two of whom are state-owned.
The 2011 Rugby World Cup final was the most watched event in New Zealand TV history, attracting a never-before-seen audience share of 98%.
Meanwhile, Sky TV has unbundled access to some of its key sports (Super Rugby, NRL and Formula 1) offering internet-delivered access over season, monthly or weekly passes.
The price with a season pass is $299 for each sport, with monthly passes from $49 and weekly access for $19.90.
InternetNZ chief executive Jordan Carter has thrown his support behind Sky’s stand-alone season pass.
He says it’s another sign that online is fast becoming the future of broadcast content.
“Unbundling its channels so that the consumer now has the ability to pick and choose what they want to watch, when they want to watch it and in HD too is exactly the sort of innovation that a good Internet provides to our TV viewing habits.”
He says the next step is for Sky to extend this model to other high demand content.
Jason Walls
Tue, 03 Feb 2015
Tue, 03 Feb 2015
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Sky retains exclusive hold on all Rugby World Cup games
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