Is this the end of Friday night rugby?

[ulsterfleg]

With Sky set to take over coverage of the league is this the end of the Friday night fixtures at Ravenhill?
As most sports fans know Sky dictate the times when matches are played to maximize the advertising revenue and to fit in with their ever growing soccer portfolio.

As Friday evenings are programed for soccer on Sky will we lose our beloved Friday evening games?
Will we be playing now on Sundays or even at weird times on a Saturday?

Be sad to see the beeb go, but money makes the world go round I bought my season tickets based on knowing the usual Friday evening fixtures would let me enjoy my rugby and spend family time at home at the weekends, am I going to have to change my plans or maybe leave the wife?

Confused..

[Kanbei]

Sky can only show a 2 or 3 home matches per year and they will be on Saturdays. The rest as far as I am aware will still be on Friday nights.

[ulsterfleg]

Sky are to show 30 games live from the league on Saturdays and Sundays.

BBC2NI are not showing any as our games are to be shown on Sky suppose that means live coverage may go if they stick to Friday fixtures.

BBC2 Wales are signed up for the Welsh home games live as are the Scots not looking good for us.
Ulster not saying much about it at this stage.

[BaggyTrousers]

With Sky set to take over coverage of the league is this the end of the Friday night fixtures at Ravenhill?
As most sports fans know Sky dictate the times when matches are played to maximize the advertising revenue and to fit in with their ever growing soccer portfolio.

As Friday evenings are programed for soccer on Sky will we lose our beloved Friday evening games?
Will we be playing now on Sundays or even at weird times on a Saturday?

Be sad to see the beeb go, but money makes the world go round I bought my season tickets based on knowing the usual Friday evening fixtures would let me enjoy my rugby and spend family time at home at the weekends, am I going to have to change my plans or maybe leave the wife?

Confused..

Dear Confused,

Many many schoolboy errors in your post, it appears you have one as much as no research on the subject.

SKY are a good addition to the range of broadcasters but will cover a mere 30 something games over the season, the bulk of the rest available in various arts & arts by the various regional BBC & CH4 stations plus the beloved RTE & its nonsense Oirish station TG4 just as BBC Scotland will outrageously have some games on Alba which has at least the saving grace of an English speaking commentators mate meaning there is only Gaelic drivel part of the time as the commentary team communicate via the Queen's. Taffy4 will mainly cover games on Sunday and it has a full English option - bacon sausage egg tomato & beans.

So Confused, the vast number of Ulster games will continue to be Friday games.

Leave your wife only if you are guaranteed a legover elsewhere or of course if you hate her guts, staying together may seem noble but in the end everyone suffers including the kids & your missus will continue to enjoy a quick knee-trembler in the stationary cupboard. Leave the bitch is my advice.

Anyway, your panic has been resolved & please don't feel the need to thank me, helping people is a reward in itself, one doesn't need some weeping grateful soul slobbering over one, I don't know where you've been ........ and that wife of yours, frankly your better than that.

Confused, you've been helped , but really only in respect of the rugby, kindly do not take my marital advice seriously, for all I know, you may be a shitbag & she may be the saintly part of the equation.

Sincerely etc etc

BT.

[BaggyTrousers]

Ulsterfleg, now you are answering your own queries. FFS ask your wife to PM me, I'm giving her the name of a good attorney who will sue your ass until it has no more to give.

Would you care to post the sources of your information & doubtless between the rest of us we can decipher it in a rational manner.

Sometimes I wish I was a New Yorker & just didn't get involved. Sheeeeeeesh

[rorybestsbigbaldnoggin]

"Is this the end of Friday night rugby?"

No.

Sky are to show 30 games live TOTALfrom the league on Saturdays and Sundays.

BBC2NI are not showing any as 2 or 3, max of our games are to be shown on Sky suppose that means live coverage may go if they stick to Friday fixtures.

BBC2 Wales are signed up for the Welsh home games live as are the Scots not looking good for us.
Ulster not saying much about it at this stage.

So, Sky are showing 30 games.
That means, total, 60 teams will be shown live by Sky over the season.
60 divided by the 12 teams means 5 appearances per each team.
5 Ulster games will be broadcast on Sky. I would presume that either 2/3 would be home, and the other 3/2 away.


So at maximum, there are 3 Ulster home games where Sky may have the weekend-time of the game altered from Friday night. Outside of those weekends, I can see no earthly reason why the other 9/10 home games would be anything other than Friday night.

You're right in saying there's been no word on BBC2NI coverage yet; I would presume, and hope, that this is because BBC2NI are haggling over which games they'll get. [That's probably inflating the bargaining power of BBC2NI vis a vis Sky beyond all recognition, but I seriously doubt that there won't be liver coverage of all Ulster games next season.]


EDIT: Ah. I see Baggy has explained more expansively and more profanely. Good work sir

[Russ]

I read the first line of guff

Ulsterfleg. Are you on facebook? Are you often seen wearing a kilt and shouting freedom?

Easterby Out

[BR]

Is it the end of Wednesday night games?

[BaggyTrousers]

Is it the end of Wednesday night games?

Yes, but not in Wales.

Feck Wales. Easterarse out ......... or maybe In, achh, lets see how it goes but he's no Plumtree, not even a bleedin' strawberry bush though he is scarlet.

[10 or 15 only]

Is it the end of Wednesday night games?

Is that what the wife told you, BR?

[Russ]

Sky has ruined rugger

Easterby Out

[BaggyTrousers]

Sky has ruined rugger

Easterby Out

I think you will find BT Sport deserves that accolade.

[Russ]

Sky has ruined rugger

Easterby Out

I think you will find BT Sport deserves that accolade.

Shirley BBC when they started broadcasting the number of nations

Easterby Out

[Moiraman]

Dear Confused,

Many many schoolboy errors in your post, it appears you have one as much as no research on the subject.
SKY are a good addition to the range of broadcasters but will cover a mere 30 something games over the season, the bulk of the rest available in various arts & arts by the various regional BBC & CH4 stations plus the beloved RTE & its nonsense Oirish station TG4 just as BBC Scotland will outrageously have some games on Alba which has at least the saving grace of an English speaking commentators mate meaning there is only Gaelic drivel part of the time as the commentary team communicate via the Queen's. Taffy4 will mainly cover games on Sunday and it has a full English option - bacon sausage egg tomato & beans.

BT.

RTE no longer covering Pro12.

[Rooster]

There may well be more Saturday night rugby than most people think depending on the tv contract that is holding up the release of times and dates of matches