Given their pathetic coverage of the World Cup, I hope Sky or TV3 get the rights....
From Stuff....
NPC may go free to air
01 May 2004
By JIM KAYES
New Zealand's national game could be back on free-to-air television when Sanzar renegotiates its broadcasting deal with News Corporation Ltd.
At least, the domestic National Provincial Championship could be.
The Rugby Union and its Sanzar partners Australia and South Africa are putting the finishing touches to the package they will take to News Ltd when they look to renew their 10-year US$555 million ($892 million) broadcasting deal.
Rugby Union chief executive Chris Moller has said the package could be ready in weeks but will not discuss the content of what is being prepared for News Ltd.
However, The Dominion Post has spoken to people who were involved in the Rugby Union's working party on what to offer News Ltd, and who are now involved in planning how the deal will be pitched.
They have confirmed that dropping the NPC from the package is an option. South Africa's domestic Currie Cup competition and Australia's limited State of Union domestic games would also be culled.
To counter that, the proposal to News Ltd is likely to include a revamped Super 12 that would have 14 teams, one extra from both Australia and South Africa, and a longer playoff series.
The tri-nations series could remain relatively untouched, though the winner might be pitted against the top team from the Six Nations as Sanzar looks to increase the content it takes to News Ltd.
Increasing the content and jazzing up competitions is vital if Sanzar is to sign up to the sort of money it got in 1995.
No decision had been made about not having the NPC included in the News Ltd deal, but one highly placed source said dropping each country's domestic competition "was being seriously considered".
There are two reasons for that. News Ltd sees little value in the domestic competitions, as they are popular mainly in those countries and worth little when sold on.
One source, however, said the more important reason was that the New Zealand union in particular believed it could make more money by selling the NPC separately.
Though it is not a significant competition for News Ltd, the NPC is a big deal in New Zealand and should be keenly fought over by free-to-air companies TVNZ and TV3, and by pay TV company Sky Television.
The New Zealand union has an advantage over Australia and South Africa as New Zealand does not have anti-siphoning laws, which ensure some sports are shown free-to-air in those countries.
So it could force the three channels into a bidding war. It will have to be careful, however, it does not annoy Sky, which is sure to buy the main rights package to the Super 12 (or 14) and tests from News Ltd, and is a subsidiary of News Ltd.
The Rugby Union also needs to be wary that its plans to change the structure of the NPC and remove the All Blacks to play more tests do not lessen its appeal to the broadcasters.
TVNZ lost its rugby monopoly after Sky bought the New Zealand rights to the Super 12, tri-nations, NPC and in-bound tours from News Ltd when the 10-year Sanzar deal was signed in 1995.
The state broadcaster had the delayed rights for three years but lost those to TV3 in 1998. Since then TVNZ's rugby has consisted of a pauper's diet of sevens tournaments and the four-yearly World Cup.
TVNZ head of sport Denis Harvey said it was keen to get more rugby on free-to-air TV One but would want more than just the NPC.
"We'd be interested in a package that makes sense of the rugby calendar," Harvey said. "We would be interested in a total package."
Harvey conceded TVNZ's pockets were not as deep as Sky's but said it had a wider reach and was free. It will use those strengths to argue for a philosophical change in the Rugby Union, away from simply making money to taking the game to more people.
Sky has subscribers in about 600,000 of the 1.3 million homes in New Zealand.
Sky TV head of sport Kevin Cameron was not available for comment yesterday but has said that rugby is a key component in driving subscriptions.
From Stuff....
NPC may go free to air
01 May 2004
By JIM KAYES
New Zealand's national game could be back on free-to-air television when Sanzar renegotiates its broadcasting deal with News Corporation Ltd.
At least, the domestic National Provincial Championship could be.
The Rugby Union and its Sanzar partners Australia and South Africa are putting the finishing touches to the package they will take to News Ltd when they look to renew their 10-year US$555 million ($892 million) broadcasting deal.
Rugby Union chief executive Chris Moller has said the package could be ready in weeks but will not discuss the content of what is being prepared for News Ltd.
However, The Dominion Post has spoken to people who were involved in the Rugby Union's working party on what to offer News Ltd, and who are now involved in planning how the deal will be pitched.
They have confirmed that dropping the NPC from the package is an option. South Africa's domestic Currie Cup competition and Australia's limited State of Union domestic games would also be culled.
To counter that, the proposal to News Ltd is likely to include a revamped Super 12 that would have 14 teams, one extra from both Australia and South Africa, and a longer playoff series.
The tri-nations series could remain relatively untouched, though the winner might be pitted against the top team from the Six Nations as Sanzar looks to increase the content it takes to News Ltd.
Increasing the content and jazzing up competitions is vital if Sanzar is to sign up to the sort of money it got in 1995.
No decision had been made about not having the NPC included in the News Ltd deal, but one highly placed source said dropping each country's domestic competition "was being seriously considered".
There are two reasons for that. News Ltd sees little value in the domestic competitions, as they are popular mainly in those countries and worth little when sold on.
One source, however, said the more important reason was that the New Zealand union in particular believed it could make more money by selling the NPC separately.
Though it is not a significant competition for News Ltd, the NPC is a big deal in New Zealand and should be keenly fought over by free-to-air companies TVNZ and TV3, and by pay TV company Sky Television.
The New Zealand union has an advantage over Australia and South Africa as New Zealand does not have anti-siphoning laws, which ensure some sports are shown free-to-air in those countries.
So it could force the three channels into a bidding war. It will have to be careful, however, it does not annoy Sky, which is sure to buy the main rights package to the Super 12 (or 14) and tests from News Ltd, and is a subsidiary of News Ltd.
The Rugby Union also needs to be wary that its plans to change the structure of the NPC and remove the All Blacks to play more tests do not lessen its appeal to the broadcasters.
TVNZ lost its rugby monopoly after Sky bought the New Zealand rights to the Super 12, tri-nations, NPC and in-bound tours from News Ltd when the 10-year Sanzar deal was signed in 1995.
The state broadcaster had the delayed rights for three years but lost those to TV3 in 1998. Since then TVNZ's rugby has consisted of a pauper's diet of sevens tournaments and the four-yearly World Cup.
TVNZ head of sport Denis Harvey said it was keen to get more rugby on free-to-air TV One but would want more than just the NPC.
"We'd be interested in a package that makes sense of the rugby calendar," Harvey said. "We would be interested in a total package."
Harvey conceded TVNZ's pockets were not as deep as Sky's but said it had a wider reach and was free. It will use those strengths to argue for a philosophical change in the Rugby Union, away from simply making money to taking the game to more people.
Sky has subscribers in about 600,000 of the 1.3 million homes in New Zealand.
Sky TV head of sport Kevin Cameron was not available for comment yesterday but has said that rugby is a key component in driving subscriptions.
