European Champions Cup set to return to Irish terrestrial TV

Oh dear. Not working out as planned then! Just going after the money doesn't always work out.

Also interesting is that Racing v Munster is on Free to Air in France (Round 1).


European Champions Cup set to return to Irish terrestrial TV
Organisers will treat Ireland differently with more free-to-air coverage but not before 2019

The organisers of the European Champions Cup will look to bring their flagship tournament back to terrestrial television in Ireland, albeit only from the 2019-20 season onwards and in a limited capacity, while selling rights to one pay-per-view broadcasting company rather than two.

This season’s tournament will be the third of the compromise five-year deal for broadcasting rights in Ireland and the UK, in which the ten pool games across each weekend are split between Sky Sports and BT Sport. The Director General of EPCR (European Professional Club Rugby) Vincent Gaillard accepts that this is an unsatisfactory arrangement.

This is particularly so in Ireland, where not only are viewers obliged to subscribe to both Sky Sports and BT Sports (via eirSport) but in many instances, such as those who subscribe to Virgin, no longer receive the former Setanta or BT channels that are now part of the eir Sport package.

“The tenders will be launched during the course of 2017, so I’m hoping that by the end of next year we will have new contracts in place and therefore effective as of 2019 onwards.”

“I think we will treat Ireland separately in what we’re going to do, but more free to air coverage in Ireland is where we would start. Early days again but that would certainly be an objective.”

The last ‘live’ game on Irish terrestrial television was RTE’s coverage of the 2006 final between Munster and Biarritz, after which they had rights to highlights until 2009.

Nor, he maintained, will there be a split pay per view deal. “It could be a free-to-air broadcaster, and a pay-per-view broadcaster, as we have in France for instance. But not two pay-per-view broadcasters. It is not working very well for us at the moment.”

However the current deal in France has further marginalised the European Champions Cup, as all ten games each weekend are on beIN Sports, whereas Canal+ has retained the rights to the Top 14, with just one Champions Cup and one Challenge Cup game free to air on France Television each weekend.
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After last season’s final in Lyon for the final, this season’s finals will be held in Murrayfield. Expressions of interest in hosting the 2018 final have been received from both traditional and non-traditional rugby venues, with Gaillard revealing that EPCR are looking more toward the latter; specifically Italy and Spain.

“Italy is a place to start. Spain would be another one and there’s a couple more as well that could be of interest but it would be fair to say we’ll focus on those two first.”

The objective of five commercial partners has yet to happen, and entering the third season under EPCR, only former title sponsors Heineken (and for a much reduced level) and Turkish Airlines remain official partners.

Gaillard maintained that a third partner will be announced shortly, adding: “I’m pretty certain that within a year or possibly two we will have completed all five (partners), maybe six.”

As for last season’s Anglo-French carve-up of the knock-out stags in the Champions Cup, Gaillard said: “I certainly hope it will be broken. We definitely want to see the Irish provinces coming back strong. We want a truly European tournament. It’s in absolutely no-one’s interest for the competition to end up as a French or English (tournament).”

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/european-cup/european-champions-cup-set-to-return-to-irish-terrestrial-tv-1.2818440

Sin é wrote:As for last season’s Anglo-French carve-up of the knock-out stags in the Champions Cup, Gaillard said: “I certainly hope it will be broken. We definitely want to see the Irish provinces coming back strong. We want a truly European tournament. It’s in absolutely no-one’s interest for the competition to end up as a French or English (tournament).”

Totally agree with that. English and French sides need more competition and hopefully it'll come from the likes of Ulster and Leinster this year. If Irish rugby can get stronger and be competitive it's good for everybody. It could take a while though.

Do you think that with the deals French and English got for those league, we could see a drop off in the money the tv men are willing to pay for the rights to the supper cup of all cups glitterball championship?

That's a bit childish.

And if n the flip side could a strong resurgence from the irish welsh and Scott's in the next two seasons see a huge bidding war?

Cyril wrote:That's a bit childish.

Sorry. But it's a valid point. And to be clear last year was the first year I missed a Heineken cup final in 8 years and that was only due to surgery. So on a personal level I still enjoy the competition, but I'm also allowed a sense of humour and to take the urine.
Just as your entitled to question my humour

carpet baboon wrote:

Cyril wrote:That's a bit childish.

Sorry. But it's a valid point. And to be clear last year was the first year I missed a Heineken cup final in 8 years and that was only due to surgery. So on a personal level I still enjoy the competition, but I'm also allowed a sense of humour and to take the urine.
Just as your entitled to question my humour

Fair enough

To be honest, apart from the different proportions of sides from particular nations making the knockouts I haven't noticed much difference in the last couple of years. Similarly, when we've had bouts of English, Irish and French dominance in the past as the cycle moves on.

It's the same competition with minor tweaks. There are still great games, poor games, drubbings and upsets.

The present deal isn't working because they were too greedy and definately underrated what the Celtic Countries (particularly the Irish) brought to the competition which has resulted in loss of market share and in France, pushed the value of the Top 14 up as it is on Free to Air over there.

Sponsors & advertisers have voted with their feet.

Cyril wrote:

carpet baboon wrote:

Cyril wrote:That's a bit childish.

Sorry. But it's a valid point. And to be clear last year was the first year I missed a Heineken cup final in 8 years and that was only due to surgery. So on a personal level I still enjoy the competition, but I'm also allowed a sense of humour and to take the urine.
Just as your entitled to question my humour

Fair enough

To be honest, apart from the different proportions of sides from particular nations making the knockouts I haven't noticed much difference in the last couple of years. Similarly, when we've had bouts of English, Irish and French dominance in the past as the cycle moves on.

It's the same competition with minor tweaks. There are still great games, poor games, drubbings and upsets.

I agree still enjoyed going to the games, but one thing I have noticed in the knockout stages, and maybe it's just me, but they don't seems as much of an "event" . And before someone comes up with the " is it because your team aint there" I have been to more quarter and semi finals with teams I don't support than ones where I have a dog in the fight as it were.
And I still maintain that the 2007 final between wasps and tigers was one of the best I have been to.

That's great news, always enjoyed the games on RTE and it would be great if they got a few again.
Will never forget the Leinster v Toulouse cracker around 2006.

It would be ironic if BT Sport didn't get the PPV contract seeing as it was them throwing the toys out with the Eng Premier that ballsed the comp up in the first place

Sin é wrote:The present deal isn't working because they were too greedy and definately underrated what the Celtic Countries (particularly the Irish) brought to the competition which has resulted in loss of market share and in France, pushed the value of the Top 14 up as it is on Free to Air over there.

Sponsors & advertisers have voted with their feet.

Are the Celtic Countries excluded now? Missed that change.

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Sin é wrote:The present deal isn't working because they were too greedy and definately underrated what the Celtic Countries (particularly the Irish) brought to the competition which has resulted in loss of market share and in France, pushed the value of the Top 14 up as it is on Free to Air over there.

Sponsors & advertisers have voted with their feet.

Are the Celtic Countries excluded now? Missed that change.

I know - blink and you'd have missed it. One minute they were there, the next minute gone.

There's no countries any more, only leagues with teams, apparently.

Ah, and it's all Italians now! Got it. Sorry thought we'd moved beyond the line of thought that some teams 'deserve' to be included no matter what every year and onto a more results based system. I'll get my coat!

No 7&1/2 wrote:Ah, and it's all Italians now! Got it. Sorry thought we'd moved beyond the line of thought that some teams 'deserve' to be included no matter what every year and onto a more results based system. I'll get my coat!

We have moved on from the principle of every country participating to one that is nearly highest ranked based in the senior level comp.

In my view, it should go further. To a 16 team tournament with strict top 5 ranking for PRO12 and Premiership and top 6 in Top 14.

It should also run in one block - 6 pool + 3 knockouts with no breaks - after leagues have finished. Or else knockouts after the leagues finish. The tinkering has reduced it to being less important than domestic comps which, in my view, is wrong - for teams, fans, broadcasters, sponsors, etc and has limited its potential value.

But that's just me.

I agree, bar potential. The drop in interest from a Pro 12 perspective will be back as soon as your teams pick up a bit; which they will.

European Champions Cup set to return to Irish terrestrial TV

I hope BBC Wales are paying for it.

No 7&1/2 wrote:I agree, bar potential. The drop in interest from a Pro 12 perspective will be back as soon as your teams pick up a bit; which they will.

I think the interest will come back when we can actually watch the competition.I had very little interest over the last few years even when Leinster were taking Toulon to extra time in an away semi-final.I watched that match on a dodgy stream where before the new T.V. deal I'd have made an effort to see it properly live.

It's hard to have an interest in a competition when you only see snippets of it.

[quote="Pot Hale"] The tinkering has reduced it to being less important than domestic comps which, in my view, is wrong - for teams, fans, broadcasters, sponsors, etc and has limited its potential value.  



Hmmm.... well that's where the growth wants to be I reckon, in those Leagues. Maybe we're getting it all wrong in claiming the Euro competition now doesn't work and has lost its gloss. Maybe that was the very goal - the natural cancer cure bought up by 'big pharma' and then thrown in a bin. There goes the competitor for hearts and minds

Oh God, I'm a cynical auld divil, me!

Well it's good they recognise the mess they made by splitting the broadcasting, and will return to one PPV. Great news for Ireland as well. I take that as trying to get the Irish fans back on board.

So they are still struggling with sponsors. Just as well Heineken didn't abandon them, even if only staying for a reduced fee.

The newly re-interested Irish fans should now campaign to have Heineken brought back as named Main Sponsor! Get yisser teeshirts and banners ready. We'll re-convert this show back into our own image yet, goddamnit!

It should be renamed the glitterball championship

SecretFly wrote:European Champions Cup set to return to Irish terrestrial TV

I hope BBC Wales are paying for it.

I thought that Irish TV was skint. That is why you lot told us they were paying a pittance for the Pro12. Well, we all know where the priorities lie from the broadcasters in Ireland.

And you lot tell us that it is us Welsh who are doing the most damage to the league.

LordDowlais wrote:I thought that Irish TV was skint. That is why you lot told us they were paying a pittance for the Pro12. Well, we all know where the priorities lie from the broadcasters in Ireland.

And you lot tell us that it is us Welsh who are doing the most damage to the league.

It's not the broadcasters making that statement,try reading more carefully.

Yeah, yeah.

I bet whoever is paying for the rights to air this in Ireland is going to pay more than whoever is paying to air the Pro12 in Ireland. Priorities, priorities. You will not wriggle out of this, the Irish give less of a toss about the Pro12 than anybody does in Wales, it's about time people on here started admitting it.

LordDowlais wrote:I thought that Irish TV was skint. That is why you lot told us they were paying a pittance for the Pro12. Well, we all know where the priorities lie from the broadcasters in Ireland.

And you lot tell us that it is us Welsh who are doing the most damage to the league.

They obviously now realise the real value of Irish supporters - they want to get them back on board to fill the stadia and so attract sponsors.

People laughed at me when I posted a while back that the thinking in future is that more than likely they will be paying people to go to games.

Sin é wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I thought that Irish TV was skint. That is why you lot told us they were paying a pittance for the Pro12. Well, we all know where the priorities lie from the broadcasters in Ireland.

And you lot tell us that it is us Welsh who are doing the most damage to the league.

They obviously now realise the real value of Irish supporters - they want to get them back on board to fill the stadia and so attract sponsors.

People laughed at me when I posted a while back that the thinking in future is that more than likely they will be paying people to go to games.

So, you agree then ?

The Irish public and the broadcasters do not give two efs about the Pro12.

Why didn't you just say that ?

LordDowlais wrote:Yeah, yeah.

I bet whoever is paying for the rights to air this in Ireland is going to pay more than whoever is paying to air the Pro12 in Ireland. Priorities, priorities. You will not wriggle out of this, the Irish give less of a toss about the Pro12 than anybody does in Wales, it's about time people on here started admitting it.

Wriggle out of what?

The organisers of the ERCC have said they want the competition on free to air.That means they will take reduced money because there is no other way that will happen.

Nobody Irish has said anything in the statement in the OP but you can't resist any chance to have a go,you need to grow up.

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Yeah, yeah.

I bet whoever is paying for the rights to air this in Ireland is going to pay more than whoever is paying to air the Pro12 in Ireland. Priorities, priorities. You will not wriggle out of this, the Irish give less of a toss about the Pro12 than anybody does in Wales, it's about time people on here started admitting it.

Wriggle out of what?

The organisers of the ERCC have said they want the competition on free to air.That means they will take reduced money because there is no other way that will happen.

Nobody Irish has said anything in the statement in the OP but you can't resist any chance to have a go,you need to grow up.

I need to grow up ?

You need to stop skirting around the point in hand. We were being told on here that the pot was empty for the Irish broadcasters when it came to paying more for the Pro12, like BBC Wales do for the Pro12. Now all of a sudden, more money has been found somewhere to air the CC. Stop skirting around it. Admit the fact that the Pro12 is not a big deal in Ireland and that most people in Ireland do not care about it. You couldn't make it up.....

Oh wait, only when it suits our Irish members on here.

Putting this on free to air TV is sticking two fingers up towards the Pro12 in Ireland. As if it was not up against it already, it now has to compete against the CC for tele money. That is the tele money we were told was not there though.

Can you not see the irony in all this ? Only on V2 I suppose.

LordDowlais wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Yeah, yeah.

I bet whoever is paying for the rights to air this in Ireland is going to pay more than whoever is paying to air the Pro12 in Ireland. Priorities, priorities. You will not wriggle out of this, the Irish give less of a toss about the Pro12 than anybody does in Wales, it's about time people on here started admitting it.

Wriggle out of what?

The organisers of the ERCC have said they want the competition on free to air.That means they will take reduced money because there is no other way that will happen.

Nobody Irish has said anything in the statement in the OP but you can't resist any chance to have a go,you need to grow up.

I need to grow up ?

You need to stop skirting around the point in hand. We were being told on here that the pot was empty for the Irish broadcasters when it came to paying more for the Pro12, like BBC Wales do for the Pro12. Now all of a sudden, more money has been found somewhere to air the CC. Stop skirting around it. Admit the fact that the Pro12 is not a big deal in Ireland and that most people in Ireland do not care about it. You couldn't make it up.....

Oh wait, only when it suits our Irish members on here.

Putting this on free to air TV is sticking two fingers up towards the Pro12 in Ireland. As if it was not up against it already, it now has to compete against the CC for tele money. That is the tele money we were told was not there though.

Can you not see the irony in all this ? Only on V2 I suppose.

So no one cares about the pro 12 then please explain why kingspan is sold out for every game?

And havnt Irish teams won it more than any other nation?

Your starting to sound like phill more and more each day ld

carpet baboon.

I care about the Pro12. I could not give a crap for the Franglo cup.

Read my reply to asoreleftshoulder for my point of view. You and the rest of the Irish members on here change your tact more often than a traffic light changes colours.

Where has this extra tele money that you were all telling us was not there appeared from ?

Unlike Phil, I want the Pro12 to prosper, this will not happen unless our partners are pulling their weight.

LordDowlais wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Yeah, yeah.

I bet whoever is paying for the rights to air this in Ireland is going to pay more than whoever is paying to air the Pro12 in Ireland. Priorities, priorities. You will not wriggle out of this, the Irish give less of a toss about the Pro12 than anybody does in Wales, it's about time people on here started admitting it.

Wriggle out of what?

The organisers of the ERCC have said they want the competition on free to air.That means they will take reduced money because there is no other way that will happen.

Nobody Irish has said anything in the statement in the OP but you can't resist any chance to have a go,you need to grow up.

I need to grow up ?

You need to stop skirting around the point in hand. We were being told on here that the pot was empty for the Irish broadcasters when it came to paying more for the Pro12, like BBC Wales do for the Pro12. Now all of a sudden, more money has been found somewhere to air the CC. Stop skirting around it. Admit the fact that the Pro12 is not a big deal in Ireland and that most people in Ireland do not care about it. You couldn't make it up.....

Oh wait, only when it suits our Irish members on here.

Putting this on free to air TV is sticking two fingers up towards the Pro12 in Ireland. As if it was not up against it already, it now has to compete against the CC for tele money. That is the tele money we were told was not there though.

Can you not see the irony in all this ? Only on V2 I suppose.

Who has said that?Show me where a rep from an Irish broadcaster has said anything like this. You have just made that up out of thin air and had a go at the Irish because of some figment of your imagination.

I'm not I'm not supposed to say this as a mod. But what are you even talking about right now? You don't know how the value of any still extremely hypothetical and unagreed future TV deal for European games compares to what is being paid for the Pro12. And the only person who has said this is from the EPCR side. There isn't anything in the public domain which is even an expression of interest from any Irish broadcaster yet, never mind anything close to a deal.

I'm not being rude, but this makes no sense. Are you angry because you believe that an unagreed, uncosted deal for TV rights proves that Irish people don't care about the league? Or you believe that broadcasters like RTE or TG4 have demonstrated they have more money for rugby than they have let on based on... nothing? Have you read beyond the headline?

All he is saying is that they are not doing at all well in Ireland due to being split across two pay-to-view broadcasters and people are not paying for both, so they might change their approach. That is the whole story.

If anything the fact that the two pay-per-view broadcasters deal isn't working in Ireland shows a lack of interest in the European Cup

Didn't you get the memo notch. The irish are secretly out to destroy the pro12 and blame it all on the welsh, whilst simultaneously proving our true worth the the PRL and the French in the money we bring to the Euro cup, thus ushering in an Irish/English/French super league and bring about our secret goal of destroying welsh rugby.
It was all spelled out in smoke signals and hand gestures by dudley Phillips at the weekend

The plan is finally coming together, thank God.

Notch wrote:If anything the fact that the two pay-per-view broadcasters deal isn't working in Ireland shows a lack of interest in the European Cup

Yeah, but don't worry. The Irish broadcasters will give them a leg up, whilst still paying less than they should for the Pro12.

Paying for what they get is how you say it... Sky paying for the rest. But we've been through this before....

This site should be renamed GroundHog Day

carpet baboon wrote:Didn't you get the memo notch. The irish are secretly out to destroy the pro12 and blame it all on the welsh, whilst simultaneously proving our true worth the the PRL and the French in the money we bring to the Euro cup, thus ushering in an Irish/English/French super league and bring about our secret goal of destroying welsh rugby.
It was all spelled out in smoke signals and hand gestures by dudley Phillips at the weekend

And here comes the sarcasm.

This is typical of our Irish members on here, you will skirt around the point in hand and use sarcasm to down play it. Kevin and Perry,aka marty and munchkin will be along next to turn this into a Wales V Ireland bitchfest next.

We have had these debates for ages on here, about how much each nations broadcasters are paying for the tv rights when it comes to the Pro12. We are constantly told by the Irish that BBC wales can pay more as they have the backing of the BBC. Yet the pot is empty in Ireland after the Irish broadcasters have paid for everything else. So please stop making out as if I am a loony.

Now all of a sudden, there are funds available to pay for the Franglo cup. So that is the no money in the Irish broadcasters pot argument put to bed. We need to compete with the French and English, we need better TV deals put in place. That will not happen in Ireland now, most of you will be watching the CC on free to air. The Pro12 is always going to be on a loser.

SecretFly wrote:Paying for what they get is how you say it...

Other nations broadcasters are paying a lot less for what they get than others pay.

You don't think you're inviting people to make fun of you with the absurd and bizarre things you say? And by aggressively referring to 'the Irish'? We don't all know each other or something. You will be mocked mercilessly for this because you are being incredibly dense. No-ones making out anything. You are talking about a fantasy in your own head. Go and read the article that has you so het up, properly this time.

Sorry lord you seem to have missed the point that the op is not from the irfu or any irish broadcasters.
So yes I will take the urine when you have so wildly miss read the opening post.
The man in charge of the Euro cup wants the Euro cup on one single broadcaster. Feck all to do with us

Notch wrote:You don't think you're inviting people to make fun of you with the absurd and bizarre things you say? And by aggressively referring to 'the Irish'? We don't all know each other or something. You will be mocked mercilessly for this because you are being incredibly dense. No-ones making out anything. You are talking about a fantasy in your own head. Go and read the article that has you so het up, properly this time.

So are the Irish TV broadcaster going to be paying to air the Franglo cup on free to air ? Or not ?

carpet baboon wrote:Sorry lord you seem to have missed the point that the op is not from the irfu or any irish broadcasters.
So yes I will take the urine when you have so wildly miss read the opening post.
The man in charge of the Euro cup wants the Euro cup on one single broadcaster. Feck all to do with us

So who is going to air this in Ireland if it is not BT sport ?

LordDowlais wrote:

carpet baboon wrote:Didn't you get the memo notch. The irish are secretly out to destroy the pro12 and blame it all on the welsh, whilst simultaneously proving our true worth the the PRL and the French in the money we bring to the Euro cup, thus ushering in an Irish/English/French super league and bring about our secret goal of destroying welsh rugby.
It was all spelled out in smoke signals and hand gestures by dudley Phillips at the weekend

And here comes the sarcasm.

This is typical of our Irish members on here, you will skirt around the point in hand and use sarcasm to down play it. Kevin and Perry,aka marty and munchkin will be along next to turn this into a Wales V Ireland bitchfest next.

We have had these debates for ages on here, about how much each nations broadcasters are paying for the tv rights when it comes to the Pro12. We are constantly told by the Irish that BBC wales can pay more as they have the backing of the BBC. Yet the pot is empty in Ireland after the Irish broadcasters have paid for everything else. So please stop making out as if I am a loony.

Now all of a sudden, there are funds available to pay for the Franglo cup. So that is the no money in the Irish broadcasters pot argument put to bed. We need to compete with the French and English, we need better TV deals put in place. That will not happen in Ireland now, most of you will be watching the CC on free to air. The Pro12 is always going to be on a loser.

Money comes and goes, Lord.  Is the part about BBC Wales being subsidised by the National BBC wrong?  Money comes and goes when National Broadcasters have only 5ish million people to get money out of.  I've asked you before, does BBC Wales exclusively pay for Football World Cups, Olympics etc.  If they did, they'd be much more careful with their other outlays.  You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and all that jazz.  
But IRISH people still contribute a lot to Pro12 - they still have to pay for Sky coverage, Sky don't give them coverage for free... Sky then gives money to Pro12.

LordDowlais wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Paying for what they get is how you say it...

Other nations broadcasters are paying a lot less for what they get than others pay.

No, they're paying for what they get.

SecretFly wrote:But IRISH people still contribute a lot to Pro12 - they still have to pay for Sky coverage, Sky don't give them coverage for free... Sky then gives money to Pro12.

Forget SKY. WE all pay for SKY, not just the Irish. I am talking about the Irish equivalent of BBC Wales. They pay a lot less, so do BBC Scotland. I have conceded the point on here when people like you have said that broadcasters in Ireland cannot afford to pay more.

So how are they going to pay for the CC ? Why would they pay for it ? Unless it is all free for the broadcasters to air.

SecretFly wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Paying for what they get is how you say it...

Other nations broadcasters are paying a lot less for what they get than others pay.

No, they're paying for what they get.

Which is ?

LordDowlais wrote:

Notch wrote:You don't think you're inviting people to make fun of you with the absurd and bizarre things you say? And by aggressively referring to 'the Irish'? We don't all know each other or something. You will be mocked mercilessly for this because you are being incredibly dense. No-ones making out anything. You are talking about a fantasy in your own head. Go and read the article that has you so het up, properly this time.

So are the Irish TV broadcaster going to be paying to air the Franglo cup on free to air ? Or not ?

We don't know,nobody knows.The head of the ERCC says he wants it to be aired on FTA in Ireland but it's just one press conference from him so far.There is nothing else to base it on.

LordDowlais wrote:I thought that Irish TV was skint. That is why you lot told us they were paying a pittance for the Pro12. Well, we all know where the priorities lie from the broadcasters in Ireland.

And you lot tell us that it is us Welsh who are doing the most damage to the league.

Is this your first post of the day?