Top 14 on Sky from Next Season

[Neill_M]

Sky have the bought the UK rights to show the Top 14 games from next season for 5 yrs. Article below.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... rugby.html

The ceasefire between BSkyB and BT over European rugby proved short-lived on Thursday night after Sky Sports confirmed it had poached coverage of France's Top 14 from BT Sport.

Having lost both Champions League football and Premiership rugby to its newest and bitterest rival, Sky hit back in kind by signing a five-year contract with Ligue Nationale de Rugby for the richest domestic competition in the game, starting next season.

It is the first time that BT has surrendered one of its sports properties to Sky, with its decision to commit only to a one-year deal opening the door for the latter to swoop for a 55-match package and enabling it to show more live rugby next season than ever before.

The announcement follows confirmation last week that the two warring media giants would share coverage of the successor to the Heineken Cup following peace talks first revealed by Telegraph Sport.

The Top 14 deal was also yet another secured by Sky since BT's £897 million capture of the exclusive rights to European club football from next summer.

Others include the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, PGA Tour golf, IPL cricket and English domestic rugby league. BT recently responded by wrapping up the rights to Britain's pre-Wimbledon grass-court tennis tournaments.

Barney Francis, Sky Sports' managing director, said of the Top 14 deal: "This agreement brings even more top-class rugby union to Sky Sports."

Paul Goze, the LNR president, added: "We're pleased to announce this partnership with Sky and to secure such a strong partner on a long-term deal."

[BR]

Any more word on the P12 deal?

[OneMore]

In pure rugby union non-international terms Sky's package of

Half a European Cup
Top 14
Super Rugby
Pro 12 bits and bobs

Is still much better than BT's

Half a European Cup
English Premiership

But then the subscription fee is higher. Are we any the wiser about whether BT will start charging BT phone/broadband customers separately for BTSport?

[Rooster]

So PRL started a war between BT and Sky to get themselves more cash and as a result Les Frogs have managed a deal with Sky so probably have moved even further ahead in the cash stakes than the English

[UlsterNo9]

Interesting buy from Sky in my opinion.

I enjoy watching the french teams playing in europe in the european cup style format but watching france vs france week in week out for me has no real appeal.

PRO12 confirmed BR but I would imagine this deal considerably dwarfs it. It certainly has gone quiet on that front.

[BR]

I'm not sure that Sky or BT would have been offering a huge amount for T14. It's not IMHO going to pull in subscriptions in its own right. P12 might (depending on how much is shown).

[Rooster]

I'm not sure that Sky or BT would have been offering a huge amount for T14. It's not IMHO going to pull in subscriptions in its own right. P12 might (depending on how much is shown).

No doubt Sky will use a feed from Canal or whoever has the LNR stuff and I worry about the times of our televised matches because of that.

[BR]

I'm not sure that Sky or BT would have been offering a huge amount for T14. It's not IMHO going to pull in subscriptions in its own right. P12 might (depending on how much is shown).

No doubt Sky will use a feed from Canal or whoever has the LNR stuff and I worry about the times of our televised matches because of that.

T14 usually only have 1 Friday night game, so odds are in our favour.

[ColinM]

I'm not sure that Sky or BT would have been offering a huge amount for T14. It's not IMHO going to pull in subscriptions in its own right. P12 might (depending on how much is shown).

P12 may pull in a few subscriptions from the Celtic nations, maybe including Clive, but we're talking tiny audiences from low population areas (compared with England). With the T14 there may be an appeal from hardcore rugby fans, the type that watch the s15s for example, and Sky will see a product that costs nothing to produce (probably just Ibanez in a studio with a presenter) and see it as a neat add on to their year round rugby offering.

[damianmcr]

Don't forget Sky have the rugby championship, autumn internationals, currie cup and itm cup as well.

Sent from my super duper phone using Tapatalk 2

[BR]

Don't forget Sky have the rugby championship, autumn internationals, currie cup and itm cup as well.

Sent from my super duper phone using Tapatalk 2

Yip, put together in a package, it becomes attractive, but t14 on it's own wouldn't be worth much. IMHO

[LegsLikeSausages]

Don't forget Sky have the rugby championship, autumn internationals, currie cup and itm cup as well.

Sent from my super duper phone using Tapatalk 2

Yip, put together in a package, it becomes attractive, but t14 on it's own wouldn't be worth much. IMHO

Agreed. Top 14 is always home 1st XV vs away 2nd XV. I had the dreadful misfortune to attend the Paris derby in October. It was the worst game of professional rugby I have ever witnessed and there was zero atmosphere. A group of Welsh lads in front of me were told off for singing. I am baffled that it commands so much in TV rights.

[Snipe Watson]

Don't forget Sky have the rugby championship, autumn internationals, currie cup and itm cup as well.

Sent from my super duper phone using Tapatalk 2

Yip, put together in a package, it becomes attractive, but t14 on it's own wouldn't be worth much. IMHO

Agreed. Top 14 is always home 1st XV vs away 2nd XV. I had the dreadful misfortune to attend the Paris derby in October. It was the worst game of professional rugby I have ever witnessed and there was zero atmosphere. A group of Welsh lads in front of me were told off for singing. I am baffled that it commands so much in TV rights.

The money churning around the game in France is a total mystery. Especially since there is so much of the country where it isn't played at all.

[Rocket]

I think with the more competitive pro12 as a result of the rugby championship you will see more interest.

Also Sky market sport better than anyone, they made the heineken and the premier league football unmissable. BBC just can't market sport

[Neill_M]

Top 14 changing their LBP system for next season from a 7 pt deficit to a 5 pt deficit. Below article shows the impact it would have had this season.

http://www.therugbyblog.com/new-top-14- ... his-season
http://www.therugbyblog.com/frances-new ... -14-season

For info - The Top 14 playoff games are on Sky ch799 starting this weekend - they can be hard work to watch sometimes!

Friday , May 9
Toulouse vs Racing Metro Paris 19:45

Saturday , May 10
Clermont Auvergne vs Castres 16:30