AT a time when talk of paywalls has dominated much of the sport’s agenda, confirmation that the new United Rugby Championship (URC) will be available on free-to-air television in Ireland is very welcome.
fter private equity firm CVC Capital Partners purchased a 14.3pc stake in the Six Nations earlier this year, supporters had been left concerned that they would have to shell out to watch the unique tournament, but those tensions have been eased for now.
The PRO14, as it was known until its latest rebrand to URC, has struggled for many reasons in recent years, not least because most of the games were on a subscription service that many fans, particularly those of the casual persuasion, opted not to pay for.
Eir Sport did a superb job in much of their coverage of the league and although their expertise will be missed when the company pulls out of the sporting market, not too many supporters will be shedding a tear at being able to watch their province in the URC on free-to-air television for at least the next four years. RTÉ and TG4 have agreed a deal whereby both broadcasters will share the rights to 52 of the 60 Irish games every season.
It will be fascinating to see what direction a big hitter like RTÉ take their coverage of the URC, while TG4 have consistently pushed the boat out in terms of clever additions to their live match-day package.
For all that the rugby die-hards in this country had no problem parting ways with their hard-earned cash, there are thousands of other more casual viewers who will hopefully be drawn towards the sport, now that they will be able to watch games for free on a weekly basis.
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The new broadcasting deal should be heralded as a major plus for a competition that in truth has been falling further and further behind the English Premiership and French Top 14. The good news is furthered by confirmation that the URC will link up with RTÉ to offer a domestic and international streaming service (aptly titled URC TV), details of which will be announced later in the summer.
Players, like supporters, will also welcome URC being available on free-to-air TV, as there is no doubt that the more eyeballs on them the better, in terms of boosting their own profiles.
Back when rugby was dominating Irish television, players were more recognisable than many of their modern day counterparts, simply because so much of their club careers have been played on satellite TV.
The exact format, particularly in regard to qualification for the Champions Cup, may not be to everyone’s liking, including the IRFU and the four provinces, but the introduction of South Africa’s four strongest franchises will be welcomed across the board.
European tournament organisers have confirmed that talks are ongoing in order to ensure that the Bulls, Lions, Stormers and Sharks will be permitted to qualify for the Champions Cup going forward.
Although that will make both the domestic and European competition much tougher to win, the feeling is that the increased playing standard will be good for Irish rugby, especially when it comes to stepping up to the Test arena.
Ireland’s dominance in the PRO14 is reflected by the fact that Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht are the league’s four highest ranked teams heading into next season’s Champions Cup, which is also set to be tweaked to include a shortened pool stage and a two-legged (home and away) round of 16.
Traditionalists may be sitting less comfortably at all this change, but it will be fascinating to see how both tournaments evolve.
With an expected increase in South African participation fee in the URC, as well as the bump from the new TV deal, the IRFU and the four provinces are in line for a welcome cash boost, even if it has been deemed ‘slight’.
The PRO14 in its former guise really failed to capture the imagination of many supporters, especially those outside of Ireland, but there is plenty of justified optimism around the URC for the new season.
Every one of the stakeholders involved in the revamped competition needs it to be a success.
Making it available on free-to-air TV is a strong starting point.