Channel 7 get World cup rights?

[***MH***]

f**k! Half the reason I got Fox this year was because I figured most WC games would be live on fox! Now I gotta buy a set top box!? I don't have an areal on the roof either so It's rabbit ears again.. lame!

#FirstWorldProblems

Can afford Foxtel, doesn't want to pay to upgrade their FTA equipment.

 

[VictoryFC]

Cant Foxtel get FTA channels? And doesn't Foxtel already have a DVR? Genuine questions, thats just the impression I got.

 

[deal.with.it]

Apparently Foxtel only has 7 and 7two, not 7mate.

 

[Hoofhearted]

Most of the analogue signals in Australia are currently being switched off, so everyone is going to have to get digital ready now.

We have digital tvs in the house, but I also have an old Tube tv that I have set up in the kids room with a $30.00 set top box and it gets all the digital channels (inc HD). If you can afford $100+ a month for fox I'm sure you can afford a cheap set top box. Seriously they could offer free travel and tickets to all the games and people would still find something to complain about! The World Cup on free to air means that the entire population of Australia will have access to every game, not just the couple of million that have Foxtel.

 

[Western_Eel]

Apparently Foxtel only has 7 and 7two, not 7mate.

Yeah no 7 mate on satellite foxtel, it really sux

 

[reanimate]

I'm not a Union fan either, but occasionally will have a look at major matches (e.g. World Cup, Lions tour like last night's match etc.).

I agree with you that Ch9's coverage of rugby union - during their very short stint they had the coverage for, before offloading the rights to Ch10 this year because they couldn't be half-arsed covering the game anymore - was nothing short of D-grade. I remember all the union fans really giving it to Ch9 on their facebook page during the World Cup after Ch9 spruiked the tournament ad nauseum in the lead up to it saying how good the coverage was going to be etc., only to completely botch the telecasts. No wonder why Fox Sports got huge ratings for that tournament - nearly all the genuine union fans ditched Ch9.

And you're right. I did watch that semi-final and Raaaaaaaaay had absolutely no idea what was happening at times. Not to mention, he tried to call the match RL style which didn't work, and constantly referred to players as "No. 10, No.11 etc." not realising the players have something called a NAME.

You could tell Hadley didn't even know which numbers corresponded with which positions, it was truly embarrassing stuff.

A few years ago, I would've never dreamed that a day that all matches would be televised on FTA could be possible. This announcement, as you said, bodes very well for the 2017 RLWC rights (Australia or New Zealand being the favourites to host the tournament) and gives me more hope that the international game is getting back to the level it was pre-SL war.

It not only bodes well for the next RLWC rights battle, it also bodes really well for the next NRL rights battle- it shows 7 are seriously interested in taking RL from 9.

Regarding the tournament being confined to 7Mate, I don't think it matters that much since nearly all homes now have the digital channels (given lots of areas have already switched off their analogue signal) as well as the fact that all of the matches are in the early hours of the morning. I will be happy for this tournament to be exclusively on 7Mate if it means getting HD broadcasts in return and not Ch9's 20th century SD coverage (assuming that BBC or Premier Sports Network - the host broadcasters whom the other international countries will be taking the tv coverage from - are broadcasting in HD).

Yeah, it's true 7Mate is far, far more accessible now than it was even a few years ago- I just hope 7 at least advertises the WC on their main channel, even if they only screen it on 7Mate. Also, as someone who generally watches all their tv through their Foxtel box, it sucks that 7Mate isn't accessible through Foxtel. It's not that big a deal though, it's easy to switch.

 

[Willow]

f**k! Half the reason I got Fox this year was because I figured most WC games would be live on fox! Now I gotta buy a set top box!? I don't have an areal on the roof either so It's rabbit ears again.. lame!

That's a sad tale.

Buy a decent antenna, a HD box, and ditch Fox. It'll be the best thing you ever do.