The Future for the PRO14 - Part 6 - Pay TV, More SA Makes Sweet 16

First topic message reminder :

A new thread to continue the tracking of where the multi-country Championship is heading.

With the TV deals done for Ireland, UK, Italy and South Africa, PRO14 quietly announced their deal for tapping other broadcast markets around the world with rights partner, RDA, who already have the Heineken Cup and English Premiership in their stable.  

Here’s extract from what the PRO14 press release said:  

Guinness PRO14 is the first rugby union championship to host clubs from the traditional rugby powers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, with teams from South Africa competing against the top sides from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy.....

....RDA’s focus will be on growing revenues in core markets as well as increasing the Guinness PRO14’s global footprint. Current media agreements in host markets secured by PRO14 include eir sport in Ireland, Premier Sports in the UK and Super Sport in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Martin Anayi, CEO, Guinness PRO14 commented: “It’s an incredible time in the Guinness PRO14 with our expansion into South Africa, the success of our clubs in Europe and the confirmation of our new broadcast partners in Ireland and the UK. Every season the biggest names in world rugby take to the pitch in our Championship guided by some of the sharpest minds in the game providing imaginative, high-intensity match-ups which make for compulsive viewing.

“The Guinness PRO14 is one of the most talked about rugby properties in the world right now and it’s the perfect time to join forces with RDA who have a track record of success when it comes to sports media rights. With brands such as Premiership Rugby, Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup in their portfolio we can ensure that rugby fans will feel a part of the Guinness PRO14 action no matter where they are.”

...,Richard Dennis, CEO, RDA commented: “The Guinness PRO14 is an action-packed tournament. With a global-playing base of 300 players capped at full international level, and 100 top players from countries such as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the Pacific Islands, PRO14 will have a worldwide appeal to rugby fans. It also boasts some impressive stats, 1.3 million attendees last season and games averaging 5.9 tries, so it’s no surprise scoring has risen for the fifth year in a row. We’re very much excited to be working with the Guinness PRO14.”

RDA adds the Guinness PRO14 to a strong rugby portfolio covering the newly sponsored Champions Cup, European Challenge Cup, Premiership Rugby, Betfred Super League and the RFL International Test Series.

Anayi in another pre-season general interview said that PRO16 would be the ideal size for the Championship that would allow less regular season games to be played and avoid test windows. It’s likely the final two spots would go to two more SA teams - likely from Super Rugby before the start of its new Sanzaar TV contract in 2020.

Anayi also mentioned that they were bringing in a new programme to allow them employ professional referees directly on their elite refs panel.

BamBam wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

BamBam wrote:You're an utter moron - read the schedule

https://www.pro14rugby.org/match-centre/broadcast-schedule/

Round 2, second game down is Connacht vs Zebre - look at the host broadcaster

In fact, I've cut it out for you, because I don't believe that you're smart enough to find it

https://ibb.co/kqCwJo

Yes the broadcaster is TG4, seriously, you are not having a good day, again.

Even if I've done a Dowlais and mixed up my abbreviations, my original point still stands - 9 FTA games in Wales, 10 in Ireland - are you really going to b1tch like a teenage girl about one game?

Back tracking.

I didn't doctor anything, that was what the website showed at the time

I'll admit my mistake on mixing up the broadcasters

Are you going to admit you're a pathetic little liar who stated that UK viewers would need to subscribe to multiple broadcasters to get every game?

Do you acknowledge that it is 9 FTA games in the UK vs 10 in Ireland? Not 9 in 17 weeks vs 75 or whatever bull crap you made up earlier?

Do you agree that you are a liar and anything you write isn't worth the screen space that it takes up ?

BamBam

I will leave you to it.

You are making a fool of yourself.

Seriously, I do not even know why you are getting yourself involved in this, shouldn't you be talking about English rugby ?

I know you would rather constantly score cheap points on my behalf on here, but your obsession is uncomfortable.

Ta Ta.

Perhaps you can find somebody else to obsess over for a while.

The Oracle wrote:

PhilBB wrote:

The Oracle wrote:
At Rodney Parade I don’t think there’s been a huge swing either up or down on attendances in the last 10 years or so,

http://www.cardiffrfcfans.co.uk/analysis/club_attendances.php?seasonID=23&clubID=20

You may wish to stip out Judgement Day in order to make a comparison across pre-JD and the JD era.

Dragons average attendance seems to swing up and down by about 500 either way (10% or so +/-). The overall trend since inception seems to be upwards though, rather than declining, but that’s not factoring in the Judgement Day attendances since 2013, but I’m not sure how they calaculate those anyway (surely not by counting everyone in the ground?!).

The crowds are split in half for JD - half to Newport / NotNewport, the other half to Cardiff.

RugbyFan100 wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

RugbyFan100 wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

It's not like the league have explained how they reach decisions, I mean it's not like the Irish provinces either own their own ground or are primary tenants and have no issues around ground sharing

Do the Scarlets, Kings, Cheetahs and Cardiff "ground share with football teams" as the Pro14 put it?

Really? Where did they put it like that?

In the quote you posted at the top of this page.

You've not had a good week.

No it doesn't say that but to answer your question Kings do ground share with a football team at Nelson Mandela stadium wheres Cheetahs share with the Free State Cheetahs, Scarlets share with Llanelli too don't they and Cardiff share with Cardiff RFC and have the Principality next door which impacts on CAPs availability

LordDowlais wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Premier Sports is owned by Premier Media who are run by the man who used to run Setanta, that was until Eir bought Setanta

So that just proves what I am saying EIR sports and Premier Sports are the same thing. Yes ?

With that deal you get all the European games, all the Pro14 games, all in one nice neat package, where as in the UK we have to subscribe to premier Sports and BT Sports, but we still do not get as good a deal as we won't get the games that are just on EIR sports.

Yet you and BamBam see fit to make me out as stupid ?

Please educate yourself on Ireland

Premier Sports and Eir are the same as Pixar and Apple are the same as in they aren't other than at one time the same person has run them. For a self proclaimed successful businessman your grasp of business really is pitiful

If you subscribe to Premier Sports you get every Pro14 game
If you subscribe to BT sports you get every European game and about 1/2 of the English games live and the other half as highlights
The combined cost of both is less than Sky Sports  ON ITS OWN which previously showed some Pro14 and some European games

To get all European games, last year, you had to subscribe to BT Sports as well - that was very expensive
This coming year is a better deal than the previous year

If you subscribe to eir Sports you get every European game and every Pro14 game and no English games

PhilBB wrote:

The Oracle wrote:

PhilBB wrote:

The Oracle wrote:
At Rodney Parade I don’t think there’s been a huge swing either up or down on attendances in the last 10 years or so,

http://www.cardiffrfcfans.co.uk/analysis/club_attendances.php?seasonID=23&clubID=20

You may wish to stip out Judgement Day in order to make a comparison across pre-JD and the JD era.

Dragons average attendance seems to swing up and down by about 500 either way (10% or so +/-). The overall trend since inception seems to be upwards though, rather than declining, but that’s not factoring in the Judgement Day attendances since 2013, but I’m not sure how they calaculate those anyway (surely not by counting everyone in the ground?!).

The crowds are split in half for JD - half to Newport / NotNewport, the other half to Cardiff.

I’m surprised there have been so many! Feels like only 3 or 4. Time flies.

Ok, so we take 18k off total attendance for 2013, 15k off for 2014, 26k off 2015, 34k off 2016, 30k off 2017 and 31k off 2018, plus add back on the 8k or so that would have been had each year if the fixture had been at RP. When that is done the total attendances are relatively stable across the 15 years.

Sounds like a lot of work. Dragons have had decend crowds considering they have been the 4th region most years and been at the bottom end of the table. It means they have a solid die hard support and if they managed to get a team together like Scarlets and win the league they could have bigger crowds than Scarlets.

Kingshu wrote:Sounds like a lot of work. Dragons have had decend crowds considering they have been the 4th region most years and been at the bottom end of the table. It means they have a solid die hard support and if they managed to get a team together like Scarlets and win the league they could have bigger crowds than Scarlets.

I agree. For all of the dross and decline on the field at the Dragons over recent years (in relative terms) the crowds haven’t really been hit that much. I was originally responding to LD who said the Pro14 is dying in Wales. To be ‘dying’ the Pro14 needed to be at a much higher level of attendance and support in the past and to now be much lower. But I can’t see it at the moment. And I'm not convinced that going from 2 terrestrially televised games a week to 1 (or whatever it will be) will make much difference to crowds. I have nothing to back that feeling up. It is just a hunch. But I just don’t think that 1 more televised game per week = more fans through the gates. I think you hit the nail on the head - for the Dragons there are around 5-6000 die hards that will attend regardless of the number of games televised, the performance on the field, the tactics, players leaving, etc. So hopefully that crowd is a baseline/minimum, so the only way is up.

LordDowlais wrote:OK so it's not called Premier Sports in Ireland it goes under the guise of EIR sports, but you know this.

It does not matter what the channel is called. In Ireland you have access to 75 live Pro14 games this side of Christmas, all for one price.

For people in the UK to get the same, they would need to pay for multiple channels.

Surely we can just pay for Prem sports player and watch free games on s4c and the freeview sports channel for £9.99 a month ?

And as for 'people in Wales not willing to pay for it' all my friends in Wales I've spoken to are getting it as are my Welsh friends in other parts of the UK.

munkian wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:OK so it's not called Premier Sports in Ireland it goes under the guise of EIR sports, but you know this.

It does not matter what the channel is called. In Ireland you have access to 75 live Pro14 games this side of Christmas, all for one price.

For people in the UK to get the same, they would need to pay for multiple channels.

Surely we can just pay for Prem sports player and watch free games on s4c and the freeview sports channel for £9.99 a month ?

And as for 'people in Wales not willing to pay for it' all my friends in Wales I've spoken to are getting it as are my Welsh friends in other parts of the UK.

I think what LD often does is project how he's feeling (e.g. not feeling much love for the Pro14; interest in the Pro14 declining; not willing to pay for subscription) and try to pass it off as something that's happening across the nation. Easily done, especially if your close circle of friends feel a similar way. But I don't think it's a true reflection of the whole nation. Like Munkian, lots of people I've spoken to think it's a good deal for all of the rugby you get.

The Oracle wrote:
I think what LD often does is project how he's feeling (e.g. not feeling much love for the Pro14; interest in the Pro14 declining; not willing to pay for subscription) and try to pass it off as something that's happening across the nation.  Easily done, especially if your close circle of friends feel a similar way.  But I don't think it's a true reflection of the whole nation.  Like Munkian, lots of people I've spoken to think it's a good deal for all of the rugby you get.  

I think you have hit the nail on the head

The Oracle wrote:

munkian wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:OK so it's not called Premier Sports in Ireland it goes under the guise of EIR sports, but you know this.

It does not matter what the channel is called. In Ireland you have access to 75 live Pro14 games this side of Christmas, all for one price.

For people in the UK to get the same, they would need to pay for multiple channels.

Surely we can just pay for Prem sports player and watch free games on s4c and the freeview sports channel for £9.99 a month ?

And as for 'people in Wales not willing to pay for it' all my friends in Wales I've spoken to are getting it as are my Welsh friends in other parts of the UK.

I think what LD often does is project how he's feeling (e.g. not feeling much love for the Pro14; interest in the Pro14 declining; not willing to pay for subscription) and try to pass it off as something that's happening across the nation.  Easily done, especially if your close circle of friends feel a similar way.  But I don't think it's a true reflection of the whole nation.  Like Munkian, lots of people I've spoken to think it's a good deal for all of the rugby you get.  

munkian wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:OK so it's not called Premier Sports in Ireland it goes under the guise of EIR sports, but you know this.

It does not matter what the channel is called. In Ireland you have access to 75 live Pro14 games this side of Christmas, all for one price.

For people in the UK to get the same, they would need to pay for multiple channels.

Surely we can just pay for Prem sports player and watch free games on s4c and the freeview sports channel for £9.99 a month ?

And as for 'people in Wales not willing to pay for it' all my friends in Wales I've spoken to are getting it as are my Welsh friends in other parts of the UK.

Don't point out his lies, he'll just accuse you of having an agenda, wanting to score points against him and denying he said anything of the sort

marty2086 wrote:

No it doesn't say that but to answer your question Kings do ground share with a football team at Nelson Mandela stadium wheres Cheetahs share with the Free State Cheetahs, Scarlets share with Llanelli too don't they and Cardiff share with Cardiff RFC and have the Principality next door which impacts on CAPs availability

Sharing. With your club's second team.

That's priceless.

Kingshu wrote:Sounds like a lot of work. Dragons have had decend crowds considering they have been the 4th region most years and been at the bottom end of the table. It means they have a solid die hard support and if they managed to get a team together like Scarlets and win the league they could have bigger crowds than Scarlets.

They used to. When they were called Newport.

Then a bloke called Cobner and a bloke called Moffett convinced a bloke called Brown to royally screw it all up on the dogmatic altar of "Regionalism".

The Oracle wrote:

Kingshu wrote:Sounds like a lot of work. Dragons have had decend crowds considering they have been the 4th region most years and been at the bottom end of the table. It means they have a solid die hard support and if they managed to get a team together like Scarlets and win the league they could have bigger crowds than Scarlets.

I agree. For all of the dross and decline on the field at the Dragons over recent years (in relative terms) the crowds haven’t really been hit that much. I was originally responding to LD who said the Pro14 is dying in Wales. To be ‘dying’ the Pro14 needed to be at a much higher level of attendance and support in the past and to now be much lower. But I can’t see it at the moment. And I'm not convinced that going from 2 terrestrially televised games a week to 1 (or whatever it will be) will make much difference to crowds. I have nothing to back that feeling up. It is just a hunch. But I just don’t think that 1 more televised game per week = more fans through the gates. I think you hit the nail on the head - for the Dragons there are around 5-6000 die hards that will attend regardless of the number of games televised, the performance on the field, the tactics, players leaving, etc. So hopefully that crowd is a baseline/minimum, so the only way is up.

http://cardiffrfcfans.co.uk/analysis/attendance_by_opponents_in_pro14.php?clubID=20

I think its probable under 5k of die hards.

5 games last year attracted fewer than 5,000. Three of the others had away supporters. The Leinster game was packed full of freebies.

BamBam wrote:

Don't point out his lies, he'll just accuse you of having an agenda, wanting to score points against him and denying he said anything of the sort

What I noticed when actually pointing out his lies to him, by linking to his posts that confirmed his lies, was that he lacks the grace to admit that he'd been caught out.

He's a compound liar.

PhilBB wrote:

The Oracle wrote:

Kingshu wrote:Sounds like a lot of work. Dragons have had decend crowds considering they have been the 4th region most years and been at the bottom end of the table. It means they have a solid die hard support and if they managed to get a team together like Scarlets and win the league they could have bigger crowds than Scarlets.

I agree. For all of the dross and decline on the field at the Dragons over recent years (in relative terms) the crowds haven’t really been hit that much. I was originally responding to LD who said the Pro14 is dying in Wales. To be ‘dying’ the Pro14 needed to be at a much higher level of attendance and support in the past and to now be much lower. But I can’t see it at the moment. And I'm not convinced that going from 2 terrestrially televised games a week to 1 (or whatever it will be) will make much difference to crowds. I have nothing to back that feeling up. It is just a hunch. But I just don’t think that 1 more televised game per week = more fans through the gates. I think you hit the nail on the head - for the Dragons there are around 5-6000 die hards that will attend regardless of the number of games televised, the performance on the field, the tactics, players leaving, etc. So hopefully that crowd is a baseline/minimum, so the only way is up.

http://cardiffrfcfans.co.uk/analysis/attendance_by_opponents_in_pro14.php?clubID=20

I think its probable under 5k of die hards.

5 games last year attracted fewer than 5,000. Three of the others had away supporters. The Leinster game was packed full of freebies.

The point I was making was that, given how cr*p we've been on-field and all of the shenanigans off it, the crowds we've been getting for the last few seasons are probably mostly made up of die hards. Or to put it another way, I doubt there are many glory supporters making up those average attendances! But yes, 5-6000 was probably a bit high. And even die hards don't go every week.

The Oracle wrote:

PhilBB wrote:

The Oracle wrote:

Kingshu wrote:Sounds like a lot of work. Dragons have had decend crowds considering they have been the 4th region most years and been at the bottom end of the table. It means they have a solid die hard support and if they managed to get a team together like Scarlets and win the league they could have bigger crowds than Scarlets.

I agree. For all of the dross and decline on the field at the Dragons over recent years (in relative terms) the crowds haven’t really been hit that much. I was originally responding to LD who said the Pro14 is dying in Wales. To be ‘dying’ the Pro14 needed to be at a much higher level of attendance and support in the past and to now be much lower. But I can’t see it at the moment. And I'm not convinced that going from 2 terrestrially televised games a week to 1 (or whatever it will be) will make much difference to crowds. I have nothing to back that feeling up. It is just a hunch. But I just don’t think that 1 more televised game per week = more fans through the gates. I think you hit the nail on the head - for the Dragons there are around 5-6000 die hards that will attend regardless of the number of games televised, the performance on the field, the tactics, players leaving, etc. So hopefully that crowd is a baseline/minimum, so the only way is up.

http://cardiffrfcfans.co.uk/analysis/attendance_by_opponents_in_pro14.php?clubID=20

I think its probable under 5k of die hards.

5 games last year attracted fewer than 5,000. Three of the others had away supporters. The Leinster game was packed full of freebies.

The point I was making was that, given how cr*p we've been on-field and all of the shenanigans off it, the crowds we've been getting for the last few seasons are probably mostly made up of die hards.  Or to put it another way, I doubt there are many glory supporters making up those average attendances!  But yes, 5-6000 was probably a bit high.  And even die hards don't go every week.

Considering how poor we've been and how much bile gets thrown our way our attendances aren't awful.

Even an average somewhere between 4-5k is pretty decent. To maintain that over the past few seasons, with a number of home league wins something like 4 then 4 and last season 2 ain't bad, especially after September 17, where winning league games at home wasn't an option for us.

Surely a lot of teams do frees anyway? It's all part of the winning hearts and minds #bringyourfire

munkian wrote:

Considering how poor we've been and how much bile gets thrown our way our attendances aren't awful.  

What bile?

RiscaGame wrote:Even an average somewhere between 4-5k is pretty decent. To maintain that over the past few seasons, with a number of home league wins something like 4 then 4 and last season 2 ain't bad, especially after September 17, where winning league games at home wasn't an option for us.

Surely a lot of teams do frees anyway? It's all part of the winning hearts and minds #bringyourfire

Its only a 'joke' when we do it, do keep up.

munkian wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:Even an average somewhere between 4-5k is pretty decent. To maintain that over the past few seasons, with a number of home league wins something like 4 then 4 and last season 2 ain't bad, especially after September 17, where winning league games at home wasn't an option for us.

Surely a lot of teams do frees anyway? It's all part of the winning hearts and minds #bringyourfire

Its only a 'joke' when we do it, do keep up.

The joke was the scale of it, as shown by the attendances thereafter.

Isn't that a fair comment, or are you playing the "I'm too chippy" card again today?

PhilBB wrote:

munkian wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:Even an average somewhere between 4-5k is pretty decent. To maintain that over the past few seasons, with a number of home league wins something like 4 then 4 and last season 2 ain't bad, especially after September 17, where winning league games at home wasn't an option for us.

Surely a lot of teams do frees anyway? It's all part of the winning hearts and minds #bringyourfire

Its only a 'joke' when we do it, do keep up.

The joke was the scale of it, as shown by the attendances thereafter.

Isn't that a fair comment, or are you playing the "I'm too chippy" card again today?

Cardiff have been guilty of it in the past though. The CCS springs to mind. So sounds like it could be the norm? The scale then was pretty big then if I remember rightly.

Oh well, I see the traditional Welsh derby on boxing day has been scrapped.

LordDowlais wrote:Oh well, I see the traditional Welsh derby on boxing day has been scrapped.

Instead you've got two Welsh derby weekends either side of Boxing Day - how terrible for you

Any chance you'll admit you're a liar while you're here?

BamBam wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Oh well, I see the traditional Welsh derby on boxing day has been scrapped.

Instead you've got two Welsh derby weekends either side of Boxing Day - how terrible for you

Any chance you'll admit you're a liar while you're here?

There are actually 3 consecutive weekends of derbies for the Irish and Welsh from the weekend before xmas to the first weekend in January

The Oracle wrote:
Cardiff have been guilty of it in the past though.  The CCS springs to mind.  So sounds like it could be the norm?  The scale then was pretty big then if I remember rightly.

CCS was the ultimate freebie show. A complete disaster from start to finish and the club only stopped paying it off last season.

LordDowlais wrote:Oh well, I see the traditional Welsh derby on boxing day has been scrapped.

Why don't you put your hands up when you've been caught out?

PhilBB wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Oh well, I see the traditional Welsh derby on boxing day has been scrapped.

Why don't you put your hands up when you've been caught out?

Right, I cannot stick this anymore.

Phill you are ruining this forum, either talk about rugby or bugger off.

You do realise people have left this forum because of you, don't you ? I am still in contact with a lot of ex-members.

I have a right to say what ever I like on this forum, not what the likes of you or Bambam want me to say. Now either put me on ignore or bugger off.

"I have a right to say whatever I like"

Translates to

"I have the right to prove that I'm an utter moron who blusters complete rubbish every time I touch the keyboard"

LordDowlais wrote:

Right, I cannot stick this anymore.

Phill you are ruining this forum, either talk about rugby or bugger off.

You do realise people have left this forum because of you, don't you ? I am still in contact with a lot of ex-members.

I have a right to say what ever I like on this forum, not what the likes of you or Bambam want me to say. Now either put me on ignore or bugger off.

Andy, we are all here to talk rugby. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff that you post is factually untrue, so people call you out on it. You can write what you like, just as others can call you out on it.

Surely part of the rugby discussion is honesty and accuracy. Why don't we all aim for that? For instance, you called me a liar. I proved that I was not, yet you lacked the grace to acknowledge that. Why did you behave that way? It negatively affects the other stuff you write.

As for those who have left because of me..... that's their loss. I rarely post here anyway. If some are so sensitive as to not like being called out when they post garbage, maybe its best they don't post it in the first place.

Don't you agree with all of the above?

LordDowlais wrote:

PhilBB wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Oh well, I see the traditional Welsh derby on boxing day has been scrapped.

Why don't you put your hands up when you've been caught out?

Right, I cannot stick this anymore.

Phill you are ruining this forum, either talk about rugby or bugger off.

You do realise people have left this forum because of you, don't you ? I am still in contact with a lot of ex-members.

I have a right to say what ever I like on this forum, not what the likes of you or Bambam want me to say. Now either put me on ignore or bugger off.

So you can say whatever you like but other people can't?

marty2086 wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

PhilBB wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Oh well, I see the traditional Welsh derby on boxing day has been scrapped.

Why don't you put your hands up when you've been caught out?

Right, I cannot stick this anymore.

Phill you are ruining this forum, either talk about rugby or bugger off.

You do realise people have left this forum because of you, don't you ? I am still in contact with a lot of ex-members.

I have a right to say what ever I like on this forum, not what the likes of you or Bambam want me to say. Now either put me on ignore or bugger off.

So you can say whatever you like but other people can't?

I have not said that others cannot. I am just sick of this I own the internet culture that is on here.

you get frowned upon if you quote Wales online. This is the biggest bug bare for me, if I want to use WOL I will.

Then you get the members who ALWAYS have to be right.

Bambam would not even be talking on this subject if he did not see my name on here.

Members who put the red mark against you for whatever reason but do not have the balls to say why they disagree.

This place is getting pathetic, I will go back to giving this place a wide berth.

LordDowlais wrote:
I have not said that others cannot. I am just sick of this I own the internet culture that is on here.

you get frowned upon if you quote Wales online. This is the biggest bug bare for me, if I want to use WOL I will.

Then you get the members who ALWAYS have to be right.

Bambam would not even be talking on this subject if he did not see my name on here.

Members who put the red mark against you for whatever reason but do not have the balls to say why they disagree.

This place is getting pathetic, I will go back to giving this place a wide berth.

How about starting by admitting that you're wrong, when you are, else it looks like YOU are the one who "ALWAYS have to be right". After all, you're unwilling to admit when you've been proven to be wrong.

It sounds to me like you don't want to practice what you preach.

It also sounds to me like you're running away when you've been caught out, instead of doing the grown up thing of admitting your error.

Still, each to their own, eh?

LordDowlais wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

PhilBB wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Oh well, I see the traditional Welsh derby on boxing day has been scrapped.

Why don't you put your hands up when you've been caught out?

Right, I cannot stick this anymore.

Phill you are ruining this forum, either talk about rugby or bugger off.

You do realise people have left this forum because of you, don't you ? I am still in contact with a lot of ex-members.

I have a right to say what ever I like on this forum, not what the likes of you or Bambam want me to say. Now either put me on ignore or bugger off.

So you can say whatever you like but other people can't?

I have not said that others cannot. I am just sick of this I own the internet culture that is on here.

you get frowned upon if you quote Wales online. This is the biggest bug bare for me, if I want to use WOL I will.

Then you get the members who ALWAYS have to be right.

Bambam would not even be talking on this subject if he did not see my name on here.

Members who put the red mark against you for whatever reason but do not have the balls to say why they disagree.

This place is getting pathetic, I will go back to giving this place a wide berth.

You're not that important sweetheart

As for your constant threats to leave, I'm fairly sure no one actually cares

LordDowlais wrote:https://ibb.co/kqCwJo

OMG, are you serious ?

It is obvious you have doctored this to get yourself out of a hole.

Firstly, the original link you have provided is different.

https://www.pro14rugby.org/match-centre/broadcast-schedule/

Secondly why would a Welsh speaking channel, who's audience is people in Wales show a game that does not include any Welsh teams ?

God you are desperate.

LD.  

It’s real simple to understand.

First - start with the principle that the PRO14 plans to broadcast every game in the Championship this season which would explain why Connacht v Zebre would be shown in Wales or Kings v Glasgow in Ireland.  

To achieve that, the primary broadcaster in each country is agreeing to sell/share broadcast of games in its territory to other broadcasters so that all fans have an opportunity to see all games.  For example, Eir has sold transmission rights to Premier Sports of Leinster v Scarlets or Munster v Glasgow.  Equally, Premier Sports has sold transmission rights to EirSport for games such as Ospreys v Connacht or Edinburgh v Ulster.  

EirSport is owned by Eir plc - a public company.  It has the primary rights for home games of the three Irish teams in their broadcast territory of Republic of Ireland.   They’re giving some games to TG4 to show simultaneously or delayed on FTA.  EirSport is more expensive to purchase as an annual contract (€245 or €27 per month if you’re a Sky Subscriber) than Premier Sports, unless you already have Eir broadband.  

Ulster are part of the UK broadcast territory along with the Scottish and Welsh teams.  Premier Sports (a privately owned company) has the primary rights for games in the UK.  Premier Sports is showing some FTA games on Freesports and also on S4C.

Here’s the position from PRO14  on the FTA games in UK with S4C for the next 3 seasons:

One game per round from the Guinness PRO14 will be screened by S4C, ensuring that Welsh language commentary remains a part of the Championship’s coverage. The games, which will be produced by BBC Wales, will also be broadcast live on television and online via the new-look S4C Clic service.

Of the 21 games, 17 will be simulcast live in conjunction with primary-rights holder Premier Sports with a further four games (all Welsh derbies) screened on delayed coverage.

S4C Coverage per season until 2021:
–          17 Live games including two Christmas derbies
–          4 Derby games shown on delay
–          Guinness PRO14 Final Series: Delayed coverage if Welsh region involved
–          Guinness PRO14 Final: Live coverage if Welsh region involved

The agreement continues the Free-To-Air broadcaster’s long-standing relationship with PRO14 Rugby, one that stretches back to the Championship’s inception in 2001. With selected games involving the Welsh regions also ear-marked to be broadcast on Free Sports, it ensures a healthy selection of Free-To-Air action available to passionate rugby fans in over 23 million homes across the UK.

Read more at https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/07/24/s4c-will-continue-to-show-free-to-air-guinness-pro14-games-until-2021/#jgJgQwLsUKovIi6A.99

Because there’s only one FTA channel in Ireland and only 3 teams then it follows that more FTA matches will be shown in UK (7 teams) than in Ireland.  Looking at broadcast schedule published TG4 is showing 22 games and S4C/Freesports is showing 34 games in matches scheduled so far.

It seems like the TV coverage seems to have had a lot of thought put into it. It seems well thought out and will be interesting to see the standard of coverage. As long as it isn't "he passed the ball" "great pass" etc from the commentators and analysis.
As I am not a EIR customer and my broadband isn't up till next year EIR sports is not free for me. As a result I must choose do I want it or not and pay accordingly.
I am happy with it going to PPV as it allows the teams to be more self supporting and also makes it more attractive to the SA teams when it rolls around. And it's not like Super Rugby that is only PPV there are still games on every week on free view. Seeing other teams might help build the interest in the whole tournament.
The Heineken Cup when it went PPV was going to be the death of it but never happened. Onwards and upwards.

Brendan wrote:It seems like the TV coverage seems to have had a lot of thought put into it.  It seems well thought out and will be interesting to see the standard of coverage.  As long as it isn't "he passed the ball" "great pass" etc from the commentators and analysis.
As I am not a EIR customer and my broadband isn't up till next year EIR sports is not free for me.  As a result I must choose do I want it or not and pay accordingly.
I am happy with it going to PPV as it allows the teams to be more self supporting and also makes it more attractive to the SA teams when it rolls around.  And it's not like Super Rugby that is only PPV there are still games on every week on free view.  Seeing other teams might help build the interest in the whole tournament.
The Heineken Cup when it went PPV was going to be the death of it but never happened.  Onwards and upwards.

Out of interest is there no broadband at all in your area ? Is that a common issue and, when brought in, do you think attendances may drop ?

He means his broadband CONTRACT isn't up til next year. So he can't switch provider to Eir.

munkian wrote:

Brendan wrote:It seems like the TV coverage seems to have had a lot of thought put into it.  It seems well thought out and will be interesting to see the standard of coverage.  As long as it isn't "he passed the ball" "great pass" etc from the commentators and analysis.
As I am not a EIR customer and my broadband isn't up till next year EIR sports is not free for me.  As a result I must choose do I want it or not and pay accordingly.
I am happy with it going to PPV as it allows the teams to be more self supporting and also makes it more attractive to the SA teams when it rolls around.  And it's not like Super Rugby that is only PPV there are still games on every week on free view.  Seeing other teams might help build the interest in the whole tournament.
The Heineken Cup when it went PPV was going to be the death of it but never happened.  Onwards and upwards.

Out of interest is there no broadband at all in your area ? Is that a common issue and, when brought in, do you think attendances may drop ?

As John says I am on a contract till next year.  Live just outside the city so great broadband options.

Irish people love three things
1. Sport
2. Winning
3. Having a good time

Each of the provinces have had jumps in attendance when doing well and winning and then it drops a bit when things don't go as well but never as low as previous.  If Ulster were to win the league or cup (going on their attendance v success) they could well be filling out Ravenhill at 18k each week as they have a large loyal support.

As long as the Provinces are winning the attendance will go up.  While the league of Ireland is poorly attended Cork City FC have doubled attendances from about 2.2k to 4.4k.  Only change is they started winning again.  It's the Irish way in sport I guess.

If someone in Wales wants to guarantee that he or she can watch all their regional games live on TV (Pro14 and Europe) and all Wales games on TV (all test matches throughout the year) - how much is it going to cost per month?

RugbyFan100 wrote:If someone in Wales wants to guarantee that he or she can watch all their regional games live on TV (Pro14 and Europe) and all Wales games on TV (all test matches throughout the year) - how much is it going to cost per month?

Why not go and look up the prices?

Some people say that fans of pro14 teams can ditch sky if they want to now - but the reality is, that many pro14 fans are also rugby fans - and want to watch super rugby and other test matches on sky sports. That's when it gets expensive.

What, you mean that people have to pay for things that cost money? Well I never

BamBam wrote:What, you mean that people have to pay for things that cost money? Well I never

who knew.

RugbyFan100 wrote:Some people say that fans of pro14 teams can ditch sky if they want to now - but the reality is, that many pro14 fans are also rugby fans - and want to watch super rugby and other test matches on sky sports. That's when it gets expensive.

Sorry what's your point? You keep complaining as if you expect something for nothing, what exactly do you think is the solution here?

marty2086 wrote:

RugbyFan100 wrote:Some people say that fans of pro14 teams can ditch sky if they want to now - but the reality is, that many pro14 fans are also rugby fans - and want to watch super rugby and other test matches on sky sports. That's when it gets expensive.

Sorry what's your point? You keep complaining as if you expect something for nothing, what exactly do you think is the solution here?

The point is, it's expensive to get all the sports channels. Because there's now so many of them. Whoever thought that breaking up Sky Sports' monopoly on broadcasting sports was a good idea didn't really think through the consequences for the consumer.

I expect you'll find something to disagree strongly with in this post though. Such is your penchant for starting a cyber fight, given the terryfying rock hard internet warrior you are.