TV3 Win 6 Nations rights

[Dave Cahill]

RTE have been dealt a massive blow as TV3 have secured the rights for the Six Nations on a four-year contract beginning for the 2018 season.

TV3 will broadcast every game live and free-to-air for viewers in the Republic of Ireland from 2018 onwards and coverage will also include previews, magazine programmes and highlight shows as well as delayed match replays of all matches to complement live coverage.

It follows on from the station taking the Rugby World Cup off the national broadcaster.

Over the last two years viewership in Ireland has averaged over 400,000 per match.

"We are delighted to be working with TV3 on developing the interest in the Championship and to ultimately grow this wonderful competition in Ireland," John Feehan, CEO of Six Nations Rugby said. "TV3’s coverage of Rugby World Cup was very successful and we believe that they will inject new and exciting ideas in the broadcasting of the Six Nations Championship.”

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Have to say I really enjoyed their coverage. Too many ads but I think that was the case worldwide. A few other annoying things but overall I thought their analysis and knowledge was far better than RTE. Even though Matt Williams is a complete bullshitter, at least he's good value and clearly watches a lot of games. Hope they can get Jennings on board permanently and nab Conor O'Shea as well. Commentary teams need work but slim pickings to be fair.

[simonokeeffe]

They need to get rid of Conor McNamara as a commentator, preferably into a volcano, he sounds like he's in Dicey's after work trying to explain the game to his female colleagues to impress them
Jennings is damn good, but they wont have people who will be back on BBC duty like Wood
Matt Williams is as full of manure as it gets

One must assume its increased money for the IRFU too via central pot

doubt therell be the world cup level of ads though as the rights wouldnt have been as extortionate

Leaves RTE with November internationals and thats it for rugby, youd think Ryle Nugent would have stumped up the cash so he'd have something to commentate on

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I actually like Conor McNamara when he commentates on football but he clearly doesn't know his rugby. When I was writing that post all I could think of was "Matlock". It'd be great if they could steal Michael Corcoran.

[All Blacks nil]

I actually like Conor McNamara when he commentates on football but he clearly doesn't know his rugby. When I was writing that post all I could think of was "Matlock". It'd be great if they could steal Michael Corcoran.

Matlock and turnarounds!!!!

[fourthirtythree]

Pity RTÉ finally got their game together just the one year before they lose the 6N after years of unlistenable shite. I can't help feeling some complete fuckwit in Montrose didn't have the will to really compete once they lost the jewel in the crown of their coverage: Hook.

f%~k them. Years of incompetent shite from them.

Also TV3 don't do HD free to air which is a pity.

[blockhead]

They need to get rid of Conor McNamara as a commentator, preferably into a volcano, he sounds like he's in Dicey's after work trying to explain the game to his female colleagues to impress them
Jennings is damn good, but they wont have people who will be back on BBC duty like Wood
Matt Williams is as full of manure as it gets

One must assume its increased money for the IRFU too via central pot

doubt therell be the world cup level of ads though as the rights wouldnt have been as extortionate

Leaves RTE with November internationals and thats it for rugby, youd think Ryle Nugent would have stumped up the cash so he'd have something to commentate on

+++++++++++++++++1
He is, the worst rugby commentator I have ever heard. And I'm including Geaorge Hamilton in that btw. Hasn't a clue whats going on and comes out with endless useless stats. His lowpoint was during the France game when we were 5 pts up and he spent about 2-3 mins explaning the different scoring scenarios that would get France back into the game.
And the adds, oh the adds.
Hopefully oul auntie beeb will still be broadcasting.
However, this could actually push up ticket sales for the games themselves.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

There were a couple of times when he rattled off some irrelevant bit of info as an important bit of play (5m scrums and the like) were unfolding and Stuart Barnes just totally ignored him and started talking about the game

[simonokeeffe]

the Kiwi who was commentating was very good, apologies if he was Aussie, plus even the casual Irish fan has a natural southern hemisphere deference, he made a good combo with Chris Patterson

other than the two RTE 1s theyre taking a commercial beating in everything they do so this was coming

[FrankBurke]

TV3. Too many ads. Not enough analysis. BBC for me when it happens.

[CiaranIrl]

Nobody will tollerate the endless ads or the instant cutting to ads after the game ends. If they can't find a way to block BBC from appearing to Irish viewers, nobody will watch it and they won't have a hope of earning back what they paid for it.

[Ruckedtobits]

They will certainly need to improve commentary teams. Not only was McNamara cr@p, Toland was too full of gobbledeegook theories as he tried to impress Barnes. Another military analogy I can do without.

Turning to BBC has the probable complication of listening to "Gusher" who will recognise every Ulster player and their entire educational background at one mile sighting but will usual produce "facts" about Leinster and Munster players straight out of the print media.

Hope TV3 make a serious effort to get Conor O'Shea and RO'G, both of whom were top notch. Sky can hold onto Quinny and Shaggy AFAIAC.

[nc6000]

Oh the irony of Hook on the Ray D'Arcy Show whining about RTE losing the Six Nations. Maybe if they weren't paying Ray D'Arcy €500K a year they could have outbid TV3.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/r ... 91048.html

[fourthirtythree]

I'm sticking with blaming Hook in the first place. RTE were unwatchable for years, I have watched on BBC for ages, thinking that Hooks bluster was the way coverage should be poisoned rugby in Ireland.

I can't figure out why TV3 have Murray Kinsella doing crowd stuff rather than rugby stuff. Williams would do that better.

Hope ogara gets hired. He was one of the big positives from recent years on RTE.

[Oldschoolsocks]

I'm sticking with blaming Hook in the first place. RTE were unwatchable for years, I have watched on BBC for ages, thinking that Hooks bluster was the way coverage should be poisoned rugby in Ireland.

I can't figure out why TV3 have Murray Kinsella doing crowd stuff rather than rugby stuff. Williams would do that better.

Hope ogara gets hired. He was one of the big positives from recent years on RTE.

I'm gonna watch the panel that doesn't have Woodie, I'm kinda bored hearing about how things were in his day.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Oh the irony of Hook on the Ray D'Arcy Show whining about RTE losing the Six Nations. Maybe if they weren't paying Ray D'Arcy €500K a year they could have outbid TV3.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/r ... 91048.html

I will never ever understand how people can listen to/watch Ray D'Arcy. He's so unbelievably awkward with his guests, does so much umming and awing and leaves plenty of dead air, it's nothing short of painful to watch.

Actually, TV3 will probably make a play for BOD.

Also I hope they let Tommy Mooney (think that's his name) take the presenting role, not a fan of Matt Cooper myself. Their football coverage is good so I'd be hopeful that they'll do this well. Totally agree about using Murray Kinsella differently too, he was wasted in that role.

[fourthirtythree]

I'm gonna watch the panel that doesn't have Woodie, I'm kinda bored hearing about how things were in his day.

He was awful during the World Cup. Awful. Clueless about players and their actual experience and strengths. I guess he watches a few Munster matches and that's it. Which is fine, except if you are going to pontificate about the other players in the squad who you don't actually know anything about.

[Hippo]

No Matt Cooper hopefully. I'll be watching on BBC anyway, but still.

[Dave Cahill]

No Matt Cooper hopefully. I'll be watching on BBC anyway, but still.

You won't, or rather you won't if its Ireland at home or England vs Ireland or Italy vs Ireland

[domhnallj]

I think I read somewhere that the BBC were sharing the six nations with ITV. No idea where I read that so might have dreamed it. In any case, not sure how that would work in Ireland with that UTV Ireland thing.