6N staying on free to air TV

I could not be happier, this is the best news I have heard in a very long time, well done. It looks as though this went all the way to Westminster as well.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/six-nations-set-remain-free-20261094

What do you think everyone ? Good news or bad news ?

Although it does look like the AI's could be up for grabs. Amazon being the front runners.

According to the article no such decision will be made until next month. At the moment it's just looking as though it'll stay on FTA, but things can change in the time remaining.

Good news although would have been quite happy for Amazon to get it as their coverage of ANC was excellent I thought and we already have Prime so no further cost. However, being on free to air is obviously better purely from viewing numbers standpoint as more viewers equals more interest so game hopefully expands, more money which hopefully gets down through tiers.

My personal feeling is that international sport should be free to air, whereas club sport can/should go on subscription TV. I do understand the financial pressures though so would understand if international rugby went on SKY or similar. But I just feel that international sport (all of it) should be accessible to all, in an ideal world (which of course we do not live in! )

Also, it's interesting that they are trying to put the 6N in the crown jewel bracket.

Sounds like lots of ifs and buts and no decision yet.not bothered as I have the access. Rather it didn't go to amazon as the background feeds are blurry whenever anything is actually happening and it takes some to get used to it..

It's the right decision. Everything else, including the rugby world cup, should go behind a paywall before the six nations does.

LordDowlais wrote:Also, it's interesting that they are trying to put the 6N in the crown jewel bracket.

i agree with that. The Six Nations is a national sport tradition and treasure and should remain on free television.

It all depends on what the union did with the money.  Few people get into the sport in  fan point of view because of seeing the game on TV.  6 nations is as much about nationalistic pride as rugby and most couldn't tell you anything else the rest of the year.

If the money was put into actual grassroots like club and schools then it might be able to maintain actual growth.

My one fear is if the 6N stays on FTA and the Summer and AIs go on PPV then certain nations will be looking to get their hands on that money too. Whereas if it was the other way with only the 6N behind a paywall all the money goes to the 6Ns

Well thats an utterly misleading headline

What the headline should be is "BBC and ITV set to increase bid to keep 6Ns matches"

If BBC and ITV stump up another few million quid then Amazon and co could turn round and stump up a few million more and the games then still go behind a paywall.

The 6Ns is not set to stay on FTA, there's just now a chance that it will.

If it stays on FTA it would certainly be a doubled edged sword for me

Pro- Great to have easy access to watching it and larger numbers watching

vs

Con - Easy to watch Scotland f up year after year and larger numbers watching

Wales games on S4C are non negotiable according to Steve Phillips:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56530409

Good news.

LordDowlais wrote:Wales games on S4C are non negotiable according to Steve Phillips:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56530409

Good news.

That doesn’t mean it is actually ‘non-negotiable’!!! Tell me you realise that?! It’s a turn of phrase!

The Oracle wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Wales games on S4C are non negotiable according to Steve Phillips:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56530409

Good news.

  That doesn’t mean it is actually ‘non-negotiable’!!!  Tell me you realise that?!  It’s a turn of phrase!

yes i know.

but at least the people in charge think the same as me.

LordDowlais wrote:

The Oracle wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Wales games on S4C are non negotiable according to Steve Phillips:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56530409

Good news.

  That doesn’t mean it is actually ‘non-negotiable’!!!  Tell me you realise that?!  It’s a turn of phrase!

yes i know.

but at least the people in charge think the same as me.

He’s not in charge of TV deals!!!  He’s got very little to do with the BBC/S4C bidding for it

Get it off free to air and we get rid of all these plastic 6 nations fans abusing players, coaches, pundits.

TightHEAD wrote:Get it off free to air and we get rid of all these plastic 6 nations fans abusing players, coaches, pundits.

Not a hope. The trolls will exist and continue their toxic agenda whatever platform sport is on unfortunately.
As it happens I'm not on Tw*tter etc but surely those sorts of social media need to be accountable and have registered users which are traceable. That would stop 99% of it, problem is so much is anonymous.

mountain man wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:Get it off free to air and we get rid of all these plastic 6 nations fans abusing players, coaches, pundits.

Not a hope. The trolls will exist and continue their toxic agenda whatever platform sport is on unfortunately.
As it happens I'm not on Tw*tter etc but surely those sorts of social media need to be accountable and have registered users which are traceable. That would stop 99% of it, problem is so much is anonymous.

It seems to me the internet warrior troll-types always manage to find a way.  Even if additional protections were put in place.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/six-nations-set-remain-free-20627515

More rumours emerging. Funny to red the back to back 'reports' or nicking from other sources on Walesonline. They're even recycling their previous articles. But it saves clicking on the Telegraph.

Well the SRU have said that the 6ns are in exclusive talks with BBC and ITV for continuing coverage.

Signs are still hopeful

ITV and BBC deal being reported as a done deal now:

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/six-nations-strikes-new-free-to-air-exclusivity-deal-with-itv-and-bbc/?fbclid=IwAR3WlYfu05uQh-aVEIqPU2w8xyV2gEzJCHVegQSwwInH63XKqGOkM0ap5Q0

Interesting split of games between BBC and ITV. The men’s Wales and Scotland games will be on BBC, the rest on ITV.

Undervalued to an extent but positive that tied into this is also coverage of the U20s championship. Always like to see the next wave.

The Oracle wrote:Interesting split of games between BBC and ITV. The men’s Wales and Scotland games will be on BBC, the rest on ITV.

Was that not the case for the last couple of years?

BamBam wrote:

The Oracle wrote:Interesting split of games between BBC and ITV. The men’s Wales and Scotland games will be on BBC, the rest on ITV.

Was that not the case for the last couple of years?

I hadn’t noticed it if so.

Its been a mixture depending if its home or away from an England perspective.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Undervalued to an extent but positive that tied into this is also coverage of the U20s championship. Always like to see the next wave.

Yes, that is a very good point too. I do enjoy watching the U20s too. It definitely adds to the whole weekend.

Yes I’ll 3rd that. Used to love watching U20s on a Friday as a warm up to the senior games on the Saturday.

I didn't enjoy watching the last Wales U20s team...

The Oracle wrote:Interesting split of games between BBC and ITV. The men’s Wales and Scotland games will be on BBC, the rest on ITV.

I think it was BBC Wales who asked for the Wales games.

LordDowlais wrote:

The Oracle wrote:Interesting split of games between BBC and ITV. The men’s Wales and Scotland games will be on BBC, the rest on ITV.

I think it was BBC Wales who asked for the Wales games.

Yeah, ITV have normally always done our away matches.