D'Arcy Waldegrave: The fly in the ointment of the rugby broadcast deal

Is the devil in the detail?  

Yesterday NZR proudly released the news that they have finally got their long-negotiated broadcast deal with Sky TV across the line.   

On the face of it, the deal looks good for all concerned. The All Blacks, Super Rugby, and the Black Ferns are all tied up for five years, driving subscription numbers for the pay TV behemoth. Those products are what Sky, and realistically the subscribers, really desire.   

The free-to-air deal provides those unwilling or unable to pay for satellite TV a taste of domestic rugby through the exploits of the teams in the NPC, with some Farah Palmer Cup and Heartland Championship games thrown in. The vehicle for this is TVNZ, which in lieu of Sky TV’s recent purchase of the Three network, appears out of alignment with the pay TV monster’s trajectory. The Three deal not only arrived too late for consideration (I presume), and in eyeball terms, TVNZ has a greater reach, with a larger and less complex method for New Zealanders who aren’t tech savvy or have no interest in multiple platforms.   

The ointment fly is the additional All Black matches that fall outside of the World Rugby test requirements. As yet unscheduled but more than likely to occur, these ‘extra’ matches involve the revenue generating fixtures such as the American-based games. This is where more ‘fat’ for NZR lives. These matches will likely be sold off to the highest bidder, think DAZN or Netflix, so if we want to watch, we’ll be paying. Again.   

I will. I have to. I want to. But is this the thin end of the future pay wedge for AB fans? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Is the devil in the detail. Yesterday, INZ are proudly
released the news that they've finally got their long negotiated
a broadcast deal with SkyTV across the line. On the
face of it, the deal looks pretty good for all
concern The All Black, Super Rugby and the Black Ferns
are all tied up for five years, driving subscription numbers

(00:36):
for the pay TV behemoth. These products are what Sky
and realistically the subscribers really desire. The freedom aired deal
provides those unwilling or unable to pay for satellite TV,
gives them a taste of domestic rugby to the exploits
of the teams in the NPC, with some far a
Palmer cupp and Heartland Championship matches thrown. And the vehicle

(01:00):
for this is TV in Z, which, in lieu of
skye TV's recent purchase of the Three network, appears to
be out of alignment with the PATV Monster's trajectory. The
three deal not only arrived too late for consideration, I presume,
and in eyeball terms, TVNZ is a greater reach. It's
got a larger and less complex method For New Zealanders

(01:22):
who aren't tech savvy or have no interest in multiple platforms,
The omen flies the additional All Black matches that fall
outside of the World Rugby Test requirements as yet unscheduled,
but more than likely to occur. These extra matches involve
the revenue generating fixtures, such as the American based Games

(01:44):
of Days gone By. This is where more fat for
endz are lives. These matches will likely be sold off
to the highest bit I think Desone or Netflix. So
if we want to watch, we'll be praying essentially again,
I will, I have to. I also want to, and

(02:04):
I can afford to. But is this the thin edge?
The thin end? Excuse me of the future? Pay edge?
That wedge for All Black fans. We'll see. That'll do.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
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