Is This The Death Of Rugby…
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Shane Horgan and the boys discuss why recent headlines surrounding a change in ownership of Six Nations TV rights could be cataclysmic for the sport
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Putting 6Ns behind a pay wall will destroy the sport in the UK.
Paywallnnnnnn
Young people know how to watch things without paying
@@wavell14 they need to care about it first and it certainly helps if they can access stuff easily on FTA TV. Look at what happened when Cricket went behind the paywall in this country. Viewing figures plummeted, interest plummeted, the sport is worse off as a result.
@@wavell14 And they're terrible and unreliable and drop every 43 seconds. This would be a disaster that would undo any of the good moves they've made to grow the sport over the last few years. Also, it's not just for young people, and it'd be a dumb reason to be fine with it going behind a paywall
6 Nations isn't a product it's national pride and a way of life 😭😭😭😭
And the people making these decisions will sit around a boardroom, eating prawn sandwiches and scratching their heads wondering why they can't attract more casual fans and grow interest in the game...
But then they'll get their six-figure bonus cheque and promptly stop worrying about it.
Government just needs to make 6N a category A event and enforce its free to air broadcast.
Six Nations is the only time where I go into work and people who aren’t actively involved in the game ask me about what happened at the weekend…
Putting it behind a paywall kills it
Corporate greed is the death of everything.
I don't watch any club rugby as I can't afford the subscriptions. If the 6 nations goes behind a paywall I won't watch that either.
My 85 year old rugby obsessive former county player for Cornwall Dad, has to spend £157 a month to watch his rugby each month - and recently realised that won’t get him the European games. The game is killing itself.
Can you get an illicit firestick with all the channels?
iptv
how on earth is he paying that much per month ?
That is daft! There is online streaming sites all over the internet😵💫
@@Monaleen85Yes because all 85 year olds are dab hands at illegal internet streaming. 😂
What your team are describing has happened to international cricket and professional cricket in general . My mother was enthralled by the 2005 ashes series aged 85 and had never watched it save for me as a schoolboy . She watched every minute and was even understanding the nuances by the end . Soon after that cricket sold out , is the professional game in a healthier state now or even club cricket which is withering away in many villages across the country ?
One of the most exciting series ever played, England's biggest win in decades, huge interest in the sport. Immediately pull it off FTA TV. Brilliant wasn't it. Same clowns who invented T20 cricket and didn't capitalise on it so had to make the crisp cup and that's now being sold off to Indian clubs. Just stuff up after stuff up.
The 5 / 6 Nations for anyone who has watched it over the last 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years it is the BEST rugby tournament all time.
good news, tnt pulled out due to Ireland and Wales forcing them to have Welsh language commentary
I think it's more likely to do with the fact that Ireland & Wales respective parliaments may have passed legislation requiring their 5x matches in 6-nations are Free-to-Air i e. Legally cannot be behind a Paywall. I could be wrong, but i think that's actually it - not commentary (commentary from both 6N covering broadcasters in Ireland - Virgin Media & RTE - is in English)
Living in canada. All rugby is behind a pay wall in north america. Due to this fact , nobody watches rugby unless die hard fans. So business driven networks dont put any effort into growing the game. This I believe is the reason why rugby is not taking hold in this continent
Ya, I'm a Canuck also, and I would certainly love to watch full games . . .but I made a bargain with myself awhile ago that I would only spend so much on entertainment. I just stick with the highlights. Sigh.
Please, God, don't let money dictate rugby! We've all seen what the IPL has done to test cricket!!!
The problem is rugby desperately needs money.... the problem is they will lose the casual viewer who just watch the 6n... which is huge.
Rugby seams intent to eat itself from within 🤷🏻♂️
When I were a lad! We went out with a cheap cricket set in the Summer and played Cricket. My kids have never seen cricket on TV and neither them or their friends have ever played it. The difference? It used to be on BBC and now is on pay for view. I work with an ex-professional cricketer and he despairs that cricket is not exposed enough for the kids.
Great idea, put it behind a paywall and double ticket prices while we are at it just to make sure that no one watches rugby and no one is in Twickenhan.
They have just done this to professional cycling coverage in the UK and it has gone down like a lead balloon with fans and professionals alike. Greed in sport is the same as greed in any business and the working fan misses out. It will damage cycling in the short term and longer by driving sponsors away from the sport who know that fewer eye balls are on the screen. The same will happen in Rugby and it makes me sick.
Totally agree with Mike. Look what has happened to cricket. Unfortunately the RU is in debt as is Scotland. They are still run by amateurs so they will sell the silver.
@@iansinclair7581 What has happened to cricket? All i see are record years of viewership in the international game… First class cricket is struggling because a match is 4 days long and no channel has it on let alone paid networks. County championship got no views and they streamed the season on youtube lol.
And golf Ian as a casual follower of cricket and golf I have no idea who are the top players or who plays for England these days.
as a paying supporter who travels annually to Murrayfield to watch live matches, if this goes behind a paywall my fear is that i am going to be expected to turn up for an 8pm kickoff on a Friday with all the travel implications of that. I live 100 miles from the Stadium and getting to and from matches outside peak hours is horrendous if i have to take my car i wont have a drink it will spoil the whole event for me. It will save me a fortune no train fares no match day meal in Edinburgh no alcohol in or around the stadium lots of money wont be spent.
What about free-to-air on RTE? I think the Irish government lists it as free-to-air, so let's hope that continues!!
When they talk about a deal, it's the UK. In Ireland the 6N will stay on rte.
@@fergalbannon4614 The RTÉ/Virgin media contract is up this year and will have to be bid on again. Currently deferred free to air coverage is technically all that's legally required (but thankfully not exercised). The 6N is due to be added to the list of protected sporting events but nothing would surprise me after the GAA Go fiasco. I would hope and pray we don't end up with some sort of ridiculous hybrid deal where the Ireland games will be on FTA but the rest on TNT!
It's all Free to Air in Ireland split between RTE and Virgin One (TV3 in old money). So similar to the UK set up where split between BBC and ITV.
It's also free to air in France on France 2.
People could switch to using vpns ie. to pretend that they are in France / Ireland to continue not paying a subscription if not in either country, but that still requires paying (and not everyone has that).
@@Luic1987 I've been using a VPN to watch URC, Munster/Leinster European games and the Autumn internationals for a while on RTÉ and VM1, it's like £25 a year. I'll do this for the 6N if I have to but I don't want to.
The casual fan isn't gonna bother. Neither will young fans who just happen to tune in because their dad watched it LIKE HOW I GOT INTO THE GAME IN THE FIRST PLACE ffs.
Currently, in ireland, only deferred coverage of 6N games involving Ireland are protected as free to air; live 6N games can be on pay tv.
Live games (those involving ireland only) are under consideration for inclusion under free to air legislation, but nothing has been heard on that front since February 2024; it could all be shelved for all we know.
I pay for TNT but the 6n's must remain on free to air. Surely the Public Service Broadcasters (PSB) - RAI, France TV, RTÉ, Virgin Media Ireland, BBC, ITV, STV S4C and TG4 could launch a joint bid through Eurovision Sport (European Broadcasting Union) Other non 6n's European countries who currently pay for broadcast rights could contribute via the EBU . Other EBU members who do not currently broadcast the 6n's would have an option to do so which in turn would extend the reach and exposure of Rugby across Europe. Who then broadcasts it in each country would need to be agreed, as it is now, by the PSB companies. ( In the UK all European Athletics, Swimming and Cycling coverage is provided by the EBU).
Didn't we go through this before when England went to Sky in 1996. Over thn.ge period to 2015 when it returned to terrestrial, the grass roots (5-18) pyramid declined massively. I seem to remember a previous England RFU saying they has to bring it back becuase the projections showed rugby dying off
I know nothing about rugby but have been watching it. If it goes behind pay wall i won't even know it exists
I'm a very casual rugby watcher, I don't watch club rugby, I only watch England when its on tv, if its behind a pay wall i won't watch, I enjoy watching the 6 nations and I would miss it but I'm not a big enough fan to pay to watch it, which is the big point here, alot of 6 nations watchers are like this
That's absolutely fine... Wonderful for the sport and it's development.
With 6n of free tv ive watched it in Rugby League clubs and its helped bridge that gap between codes.
It will kill the game at £400 a year sorry no thanks but it's all about the money
A truly special game. Maybe the king of all games. Ive been a fan for over sixty years. The game has been grown well making it a truly culturally important spectacle and far more than just a game. I’m delighted to see its wider recognition and to see the players properly rewarded. Are they becoming greedy? Does the cost make it elitist? This is devastating, without doubt and almost certainly a death knell. People won’t pay, can’t pay. Sad to say there are other things in life. We’re being robbed. What can we do to stop it?
I love the grumpy bearded Irish dude! We could definitely share a pint! He cuts through the BS!!! .. from a Bok supporter!!!
Shane Horgan... Ex Ireland and Leinster winger. Great business head on him
2:20 don't know who's talking here, but he's absolutely right.
Pricing out normal people from everything, not just sports it's everywhere.
What a miserable world this is turning into, one for a few to enjoy.
Key phrase here is according to rugbypass. The website is utter dogshit and yet its being quoted as an authoritative source
Dog shit it may be but it is owned by world rugby so you can't get much more authoritative than that can you?
It’s happening
the autumn series going behind a paywall BOILED MY PISS last year. whoever makes these decisions, is it Bill Bomont? should retire and leave the normal people to actually enjoy something without their meddling.
you know its dead when they use M6N. its the 6 nations
I hate this so much. I grew up playing football, no access to rugby and got into it through watching the 6nations.
Simple maths…. £300-£400 a year or £60 per game your home country is playing it…. They will kill the general public appeal! My pub TNT quote is £400 a month, £5000 a year means £15,000 drinks sales @ £5 a pint. I’d need to sell 3000 pints. 20 people watching (if lucky) drinking on average 2.5 pints per game = 50 pints per game so I need at least 60 fixtures worth watching, 15 x 6N means 45 champions league games & Premiership rugby - just not enough to make it viable for most small/medium pubs!
I started watching rugby with the 6 nations, made sky to watch the world cup, I now even follow URC. I would pay for 6N but how many others would discover rugby?
To put six nations on a pay channel brings to mind the saying, "they know the price of everything and the value of nothing'.
The value to rugby having the publicity and exposure from the current coverage far outweighs £10m.
It’s shocking to see Billy Bunter Horgan being the most articulate rugby player in media at the moment - when I used to watch him we honestly thought he was like a special needs Farm boy who’d stumbled onto the pitch!! Fair play he’s brilliant lately
Sad times, i love watching the nationals. However, I had a brilliant time this weekend spectating at my local club, great rugby, a few beers and free entry. Support your local.
If they want to increase viewership, they need to get rid of the two 2 week gaps in the games. Casual fans, which we rely on, switch off from it when there is only one weekend of games in a 3 week period.
It's already behind a paywall. Many people either can't afford or don't pay the enforced License Fee Tax. £170 per year is twice the price of Amazon Prime, Netflix or any other Streaming service. Also, we now have to accept this isn't our father's era and what were our traditions were born out of limitations rather than sentiment or deliberate choice.
I grew up in the 70s watching the 5 Nations, Wimbledon, Test Match Cricket and Snooker...because it was the only sport on TV. Today every kid has unlimited choices of entertainment including computer games. Whether we like it or not Rugby's a minority form of entertainment compared to what it once was.
Would not watch behind a pay wall it would be catastrophic for rugby
Just like professional cricket and cycling in this country.
I suspect ITV and BBC aren't renewing at 90m GBP
Not going to pay to watch it. I'll just view the highlights on TH-cam.
In NZ the game is losing punters in their droves.
Who would have thought? 😢😢
Absolutely terrible idea OMG !!
I have a pretty strong feeling that the rugby rights will lose value over the next few years if the 6N goes behind a pay wall.
They're worth €90m today for free to air, €100m for TNT.
But. In 5-10 years, after three has been consistently less viewership. They might only be worth €90m for TNT and €80m for free to air.
I really hope this doesn't happen, but I have little faith in world rugby to run things correctly. If it does happen, they will DEFINITELY be putting the sport in a worse place in a few years.
On face value I agree that it's bad business to move behind a paywall, but would be great to understand the opportunity more. Some thoughts are that firstly, the future of TV appears to be streaming, and not all streamers are equal eg would it be better if it was Netflix, Amazon Prime or TH-cam? What is the US experience like where the NFL is on all sorts of channels,
they need to rename the competition to the WC and promise the fans that NZ and SA won't ever join, then the fans will be very happy to pay to see NH win the WC.
It would be an absolute travesty if the competition went behind a paywall and taken away from the masses for a quick buck.
At a guess i think TNT would probably let one game per round be on free to air television although it would more than likely be the least interesting game of that round, for example if England were playing France then you would end up with Ireland v Italy instead.
Sport is for the people and this is going to ruin the game
Look at what tnt have just done to cycling only in UK and Ireland, raised price from £6.99 to £31.99 and lumped cycling in with footy and rugby union, TNT have no qualms about their desire to make money
TNT just adding Eurosport channels behind a paywall - incl UK live rights to the Olympics. Adding 6 Nations would mean very little marque sports on free-to-air. How does that encourage youngsters into sport? Money for business side but it needs more than that. Where next for the Rugby World Cup?
It would not surprise me if we sed a World cup in
Sudi Arabia or Qatar
Other than the U.S.A., that is where the money is.
I can see a time coming where the World Cup might be streaming only
possibly on Rugby Pass T.V. , TNT Sports myb
Amazon Prime or Netflix.
Sport in general is getting so expensive it's getting close to getting out of reach for the vast majority of people
in the U.K..
The way that you grow the game is to put it in front of as many eyeballs as possible. Putting one of the premier competitions for the sport behind a paywall seems like and absolutely bonkers way to go about business.
Rugby has been on large reach channels like ITV and BBC for decades yet the club game is barely keeping its head above water. Change is needed, probably not TNT but there needs to be change. Football has eaten up every other sport in its dominance. Whether its rugby, cricket or athletics, there is so little money in the grassroots these days.
It’s shocking particularly for the elderly Rugby is doing its best to lose players and viewers I hate to say it … 1 year ago I said we genuinely might see rugby die in the next 15 years
I genuinely don't understand how stupid and short sighted the people in charge of the game are.
What was the biggest impact renaming Twickenham had? It pissed off the fan base.
What's the biggest impact putting the six nations behind a pay wall will have? It'll lose the fan base.
Cricket is behind a pay wall, yet still has sell out crowds. Feel like these guys just dont want any change.
The Group think got us here today. A 10 team English league. Off field activities make a difference to what is on it. Clubs are in huge debts. Fans at Clubs rarely if ever see their best team on a pitch. Repeat that too yourself as its an awful fact. Lawyer rugby is boring to watch. Cannot remember seeing serious foul play player sent off. If TNT had the money from the Gulf & made a Rugby channel i would buy in. The legacy media are dieing on their feet. You guys & your like a more popular. Joe Rogan pants the corporations. Hello. You are disruptor . So let's have some off it.
Rugby is on the cusp . Try this. The 6N was 5 but only 4 compete but its now just 3. The audiences for 4 5 6 are shrinking. Rugby is brutal so is the commercial world.
Adapt or die. Hey we could always go back to being broke.
Nostalgia doesn't cut it. I feel rugby is leaving me. Not the other way around. How about clubs stream their own content & I get too see a regular team playing. They can then stream the 6 Nations. Big teams would do well. People get choices. The content is king. Streaming is easy. You reach millions. Escape the collective. Think Global not regional that is the reach sport has.
Taking away the six nations from the people that cant afford to pay for TNT. Means that less people get to experience it and in my view we need young kids sitting in front of the telly dreaming" i want to do that" . With all this head injury and i don't want my child getting injured. Rugby is becoming a sport many turn away from, which would be such a shame.
This is why way more people are getting a dodgy box
It was behind a paywall before. England had a deal with Sky sports back in the late 90s and early 00s for home games
Fortunately it looks like it won't happen for now. Maybe TNT decided to leak something and see what the reaction was, and then changed their minds. It would be a tragedy for it to go behind the paywall. Look at the playing numbers of cricket after it went behind the paywall. It's how you kill a sport.
Going the same way as football without the tribal fanbase football hashave seen 3 gallagher premiership sides disappear and all the welsh regions are struggling talk of cutting 4 down to 3 never thought i would see wales probably getting the wooden spoon
It's hard to justify signing up to tnt sports for a year if its just for 5 weekends of 6 nations
As with football, cricket, rugby league, jeez even darts I will stop watching. Love sport, hate paywalls. I have watched (just about) every game of 6N since the early 80s. If it's not available FOC I will just move on. Been watching women's 6N for a few years, that will sate my sport requirements until that goes behind a paywall along with, I hear the Tour De France is doing the same.
The powers that be will do anything to increase revenue. NOT because it good for rugby, but because they can justify their salary increases.
Well looks like it’s going to be time to fire up the VPN and pretend I’m Irish.
Smart choice. And perfectly legal 🫡
Wonder if they will try prevent this in the future. Hope not. I’ve been using a well known brand of VPN for years. Absolute lifesaver
Rugby's doing a pretty good job of killing itself even without the 6 Nations going behind a pay wall.
Every other main professional sport is under pay per view, why the fear with rugby?.
See what happened to rugby union in Australia when they put it behind a paywall. Will kill the sport
Horrendous idea, I’m sure there’s money in it for them but this will kill the games exposure to the masses.
Wales online? isn't this the reputable mag that broke the story of the URC kicking the SA teams to the sideline and joining the Premiership?🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣☘🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
TNT changed their format after BT Sport so much, it became unwatchable. They replaced, knowledgable (with the exception of Healey) great pundits and employed these screeching OTT commentators who are clearing reading their pun laden BS, from a script. I cancelled my subscription because of this. The RFU are underfunding grass roots rugby and paying Sweeney and co, fat bonuses. Champs cup now sits behind a pay wall. If the 6Nations does the same, the game is gone for the vast majority of us. Rugby is now about greed, as a former player and passionate supporter of 45 years, it’s honestly devastating.
ALWAYS RADIO GUESS GOING BACK 40 YEARS
Not enough people watch rugby so put it all on pay tv genius
It'll go the same way as all sport behind a pay wall .... it'll die or people will just watch highlights on TH-cam
ill just illegally stream it anyway but itll be annoying
Just look what happened to boxing when it went on pay-per-view. Bye bye union...
Stupid idear.Rugby needs to adapt or just become niece sport.Rugby in England will die a slow death over the next 10 years.
Idiotic short sighted if it happens
Hopefully, six nations is total pooh & which team takes the most chemicals,, i think people already know that one,
I did not know that - can you post the links ?
Great news. Tory sport so you lot can afford it anyway.
The BBC is the OG paywall. £170 for a tv license chaps.
Make the rugby WC every year, only have NH teams in it and put it behind a expensive pay wall. Pretty sure NH fans will all pay to see a NH team being able to win the WC, hell the Irish might even get past the QF.