TV3 secure rights to RWC2015

[Broken Wing]

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/t ... -1.1759633
RTÉ's rugby coverage is now limited to the 6N and November tests.

The good news is every RWC2015 match live on free TV. All we need now is TV3 HD.

[fourthirtythree]

Let's hope they don't take Hook and Pope (and Frankie Sheahan and Ryle Nugent and and and...) with them. That would also be good news.

EDIT
If they do I'll obviously be watching it on BBC again.

[Lamb of BOD]

It'll be Trevor Welch on sole commentary with Matt Cooper hosting psychic readers in studio at half-time to prophesy the full time scoreline

[Broken Wing]

And, on reading that article fully, they may sell some games to Setanta.

I've not herd whether BBC or ITV have secured the UK rights.

[fourthirtythree]

Setanta were okay last time. I imagine bbc and itv will also have to split it.

[Dave Cahill]

Will TV3 even be in business by the time the world cup starts? UTV Ireland starts jan 2015 and all of TV3s biggest shows are transferring

[Donny B.]

Will TV3 even be in business by the time the world cup starts? UTV Ireland starts jan 2015 and all of TV3s biggest shows are transferring

With a bit of luck no, nothing but wall to wall shite on it anyway.

[simonno6]

What a shame, we are going to miss out on HD for the games as well as missing out on a TV production team that has largely nailed it by now. (one or two exceptions aside).

ITV are the English broadcasters.

[Keith]

Why does RTE even exist? How can you lose the rights to one of the most watched event in the world to a company that is broke.

[Dave Cahill]

Why does RTE even exist? How can you lose the rights to one of the most watched event in the world to a company that is broke.

Because you don't really want them? Because its not worth that much due to commercial restrictions? Because they know that the IRFU couldn't really care less about the RWC?

[TerenureJim]

Why does RTE even exist? How can you lose the rights to one of the most watched event in the world to a company that is broke.

Because you don't really want them? Because its not worth that much due to commercial restrictions? Because they know that the IRFU couldn't really care less about the RWC?

The national team is playing in the most important tournament in the sport, in a country next to ours so perfect times, live sport is one of the few things that draws a big tv audience anymore and our national broadcaster is more concerned with spending our tv licence on what exactly? Champions League with foreign football clubs? US tv shows that most of the audience downloaded months ago? A soap opera that's on the BBC anyway? Another show with Granine Seoige? Jennifer Maguire? That ginger one? Sending Charlie Bird somewhere? Giving George Lee his job back after he decided no one was nice to him in politics?

Sorry I know that's a bit of a rant. Look we all give out about a lot of the RTE coverage but a TV3/Setanta mix it's like watching the local community college trying to cover J5 in the winters cup.

[Dave Cahill]

Its not the most important tournament in the sport. For us, the Six Nations is and thats why RTE could care less as long as they retained those rights.

[johng]

Its not the most important tournament in the sport. For us, the Six Nations is and thats why RTE could care less as long as they retained those rights.

I heard they couldn't

[TerenureJim]

Its not the most important tournament in the sport. For us, the Six Nations is and thats why RTE could care less as long as they retained those rights.

In terms of financial outcomes for the IRFU yes the six nations is the most important (maybe it is for RTE advertisers also I don't know) but I don't get the argument that the RWC isn't the most important tournament in the sport. We'll have to agree to disagree.

To my mind though any television station, particularly the national broadcaster should move mountains to ensure adequate coverage of our national team. It's also madness to not try and secure live sport when viewer figures spike. As noted above why waste licence money on us/uk imports where most of the core audience have probably seen elsewhere.

[Dave Cahill]

Its not the most important tournament in the sport. For us, the Six Nations is and thats why RTE could care less as long as they retained those rights.

In terms of financial outcomes for the IRFU yes the six nations is the most important (maybe it is for RTE advertisers also I don't know) but I don't get the argument that the RWC isn't the most important tournament in the sport. We'll have to agree to disagree.

To my mind though any television station, particularly the national broadcaster should move mountains to ensure adequate coverage of our national team. It's also madness to not try and secure live sport when viewer figures spike. As noted above why waste licence money on us/uk imports where most of the core audience have probably seen elsewhere.

They haven't though, thats a common mistake people like ourselves make. We're at home on the internet, we use social media, streaming music and video, download TV and Films (both legally and illegally), but not everyone is like that - indeed the vast majority still watch their TV and movies the old fashioned way particularly when one recalls how poxy bband speeds are outside of urban centres.

RTE has a public service remit. Yes - showing the national team is important, but they can't spunk all their money away on that, or on sport in general, not everyone likes sport and of those who do, the majority wouldn't necessarily be rugby fans. If RTE had additional money to spend on sport, they would have spent it on GAA because its considerably more popular.

[leinster4life13]

If its anything like this(setanta, I know) I will be happy, RTE is shite, commentators are muppets, pundits are a sideshow unto themselves. Maybe we will get coverage that is about the rugby as opposed to agenda driven coverage.

[Keith]

RTE has a public service remit. Yes - showing the national team is important, but they can't spunk all their money away on that, or on sport in general, not everyone likes sport and of those who do, the majority wouldn't necessarily be rugby fans. If RTE had additional money to spend on sport, they would have spent it on GAA because its considerably more popular.

I don't buy this at all. RTE are more than happy to throw away money on giving people like Pat Kenny, Miriam etc. rediculous wages. If they were smart they would of been easily able to outbid a company that is broke for the RWC.

[simonokeeffe]

AFAIK the shows Tv3 are losing to IUTV cost them a lot of money to buy so there wasnt a huge margin on them so to speak so rest assured TV3 wont be going out of business

In other happy news does this mean George Hook retires early?

[Dave Cahill]

RTE has a public service remit. Yes - showing the national team is important, but they can't spunk all their money away on that, or on sport in general, not everyone likes sport and of those who do, the majority wouldn't necessarily be rugby fans. If RTE had additional money to spend on sport, they would have spent it on GAA because its considerably more popular.

I don't buy this at all. RTE are more than happy to throw away money on giving people like Pat Kenny, Miriam etc. rediculous wages. If they were smart they would of been easily able to outbid a company that is broke for the RWC.

Of course they are more than happy to do so, they are massively popular presenters who bring in huge listener/viewerships on a daily basis...double what a Munster Leinster game gets - daily, weekly they're in excess of an England Ireland match! And you think they should ditch that in favour of a competition that the Union rates as, what, fourth or fifth on its lists of priorities? Please. If they put any more effort or money into it than sellotaping a 5c to a compliments slip then I'd be both surprised and disappointed.

[Keith]

RTE has a public service remit. Yes - showing the national team is important, but they can't spunk all their money away on that, or on sport in general, not everyone likes sport and of those who do, the majority wouldn't necessarily be rugby fans. If RTE had additional money to spend on sport, they would have spent it on GAA because its considerably more popular.

I don't buy this at all. RTE are more than happy to throw away money on giving people like Pat Kenny, Miriam etc. rediculous wages. If they were smart they would of been easily able to outbid a company that is broke for the RWC.

Of course they are more than happy to do so, they are massively popular presenters who bring in huge listener/viewerships on a daily basis...double what a Munster Leinster game gets - daily, weekly they're in excess of an England Ireland match! And you think they should ditch that in favour of a competition that the Union rates as, what, fourth or fifth on its lists of priorities? Please. If they put any more effort or money into it than sellotaping a 5c to a compliments slip then I'd be both surprised and disappointed.

Wait now, I'm not saying ditch them. I'm saying to cut their ridiculous wages which could save RTE millions over a certain period of time. The RWC is a massive draw as there are people who would never even watch a 6N that would tune into a WC. I remember in 2011 the RWC was the talk of all my mates and most of them had never seen a rugby match before in their lives. World cups always attract new fans.