Rugby fans: We're fucked from next year ...

[Fresh Mint]

Basically we're fucked ...

From the Straits Times newspaper yesterday.

Spoiler: toggle

[img]http://i39.tinypic.com/dym0p2.jpg[/img]

If you can't read it, basically the high(low)lights are:

* Australia Network has lost the rights (from Sanzar) to show the S15 or the Tri-Nations Next year. That was my only way of watching the SH rugby in Singapore and a few other countries in Asia.
* South Africa Super Sports have promised to clean up their act and no longer broadcast to Asian satellites, so will not be able to watch in Thailand, Indonesia and anywhere else where they had digital satellite.
* Setanta, a bunch of potato munching bog trotters whose only claim to fame I can see is nearly going bankrupt last year, have the exclusive rights to broadcast all SH rugby next year. They have zero presence in Asia, but apparently aim to recoup their investment by selling-on packages to local broadcasters or by offering subscriptions to stream from the web at $15 a game.
* Basically no local broadcaster is going to pay to broadcast a minority sport, so it looks like the only way we'll get to watch rugby next season is on our PCs, because I can't see pubs investing in the gear to download and stream

[Mr Oz]

Well you can always watch the rugby league.... *bang* that was the door hitting the back of my head on the way out...

[baloo]

Friggin South Africans !

[Fresh Mint]

Eh? How are the Jaapies to blame? Apart from Aussie Network, if it wasn't for the Jaapies and their bootleg Siper Sport feed, there would be no SH rugby in Asia.

[baloo]

It's always the Jaapies fault.

This really isn't good. Must look at what slingbox solutions or even piping pirate internet feeds to the TV, the I'm worried about quality.

Surely the Rugby body of Asia can get involved here somehow.

[Fresh Mint]

If they can't even get the soccer shown here, what chance do we have of putting pressure on the rugby ...

[baloo]

Soccer is being shown here.

[expat yorkshire]

surely sentana will want to sell on the rights to espn /star sports or mio ..... otherwise whats the point

[Fat Bob]

Setanta have also secured rights to Guiness Premiership, Magners League, 6Nations....so good get for setanta. Let's hope they release a channel in SEAsia (well, Singapore).

and give them an email!

http://www.setanta.com/asia/Setanta-Spo ... ontact-Us/

[Fresh Mint]

Soccer is being shown here.

Is it? I've been away for a few weeks.

So they reached a deal?

[baloo]

Soccer is being shown here.

Is it? I've been away for a few weeks.

So they reached a deal?

Yes, being broadcast on Starhub and MIO with Free To Air getting a handful of important games to show.

[Fat Bob]

Minty: it has previously been ther Jaapies fault because of the availability of SuperSports. Hence Singapore (where people don't have satelite dishes) got left out because, unless a channel picked up the rugby game somehow, then it was never shown. As the population of rugby viewers in Singapore is probably a small proportion of rugby viewers across Asia, then there was no one else outside of Singapore shouting at the companies to get the rugby on TV.

However, I think this could be a good thing, as long as Setanta sort out their servers with Starhub or get a channel set up with either Starhub or Singtel.

[Fresh Mint]

Yeah.

I guess we've had it rough because we've been unable to get (illegally) Saffer Super Sport here, whereas in Thailand and elsewhere they can.

They are really gonna suffer now.

[Fat Bob]

Yeah, they will. We won't though. there's already a good following of rugby supporters and enough people wanting to sponsor it in singapore. It's happened before: remember this year's 6Nations was only sorted out on the thursday before the first game.

Let's hope for a channel or at least Singapore-based servers linked into Starhub's 100Mbps local server deal.

[baloo]

Starhub please, I'd still be screwed if it's MIO.

And we must have the Super 15 shown or else my Melbourne Rebels membership and merchandise will go to waste.

[Fat Bob]

I think your Melourne Rebels membership and merchandise will go to waste no matter whether you see the games or not!

[baloo]

we'll be crap for a few years but then we'll win everything. Melbourne only produces successful teams.

[Fresh Mint]

Let's hope for a channel or at least Singapore-based servers linked into Starhub's 100Mbps local server deal.

Would that mean that pubs could show it?

No fun watching it on your own on your PC at home ...



I'm looking forward to the Rebels coming along next season. I was rather hoping they'd be able to sign a few more marque players, but I guess a slow start it is.

I wonder if they'll pick up a lot of disillusioned mungoeball fans from the Storm?

[Burbage]

we'll be crap for a few years but then we'll win everything. Melbourne only produces successful teams.

And then they get stripped of their titles for cheating.

[Fat Bob]

Let's hope for a channel or at least Singapore-based servers linked into Starhub's 100Mbps local server deal.

Would that mean that pubs could show it?

No fun watching it on your own on your PC at home ...

Depends, would pubs have a top-speed broadband package from Starhub? Would they link computers up to the TV? Picotin has previously done this, but only for non-Starhub games and the quality was crap. Until it's streamed properly with high quality bandwidth from local servers, then I can't see it being high enough quality signal (forever buffering, static images etc).

[Mr Oz]

we'll be crap for a few years but then we'll win everything. Melbourne only produces successful teams.

And then they get stripped of their titles for cheating.

Well that will be a relief for that year that I won't have to worry about the reds being last...
Anyway they'll be made up of potched reds and waratahs players anyhow with a "few over the cap" league converts in the mix. They will be like the western force once the money gravy train is there they will be good but once it's gone that will be the end of them.

[Possum]

A friend has a Sling box in Aus that comes over the internet and onto her TV here...not sure how it works but can pass on her hubbys details if you want the info. Love going over to watch all the sport (netball, AFL, Rugby etc) we can’t get here

[Rosbif71]

and the Kveball (Soccer) is going to be screwed up next year. English Premier League will be on Mio where the other channels are crap
so if you want Kevball and some decent channels it means forking out for Starhub and Mio

[Fresh Mint]

Not remotely interested in Kevball.

[Burbage]

It's a minority sport in Australia too, even though they have four teams in the comp.