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Time for the USA question again...

Dai Perk

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Sep 19, 2018
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Scotland
I'm dying to watch Super Rugby here in the USA. ESPN+ always used to carry it, but there are no listings as of now.

Stan Sport carries it in Australia, and I set up something called Unlocator to VPN to Oz, which the app claimed would fool it. It doesn't work.

Please, for the love of god - is anyone watching SR in the USA, and if so, HOW???

Thanks as always,

-Dai Perk
 
I'm dying to watch Super Rugby here in the USA. ESPN+ always used to carry it, but there are no listings as of now.

Stan Sport carries it in Australia, and I set up something called Unlocator to VPN to Oz, which the app claimed would fool it. It doesn't work.

Please, for the love of god - is anyone watching SR in the USA, and if so, HOW???

Thanks as always,

-Dai Perk
was this thing supposed to get around having to pay for Stan or have you joined up?

Rugby Aus still list ESPN as the broadcaster in the Americas

 
was this thing supposed to get around having to pay for Stan or have you joined up?
I signed up and don't mind paying, it just won't let me watch lol

I can't get an answer from ESPN, and there are still no listings. Ugh.
 
Rugby Aus still list ESPN as the broadcaster in the Americas
I guess they haven't updated their site - spoke to a human at ESPN today, and she said "There is no current deal to stream Super Rugby. There may be a last-minute change, but we don't want you to expect that." Oy vey!
 
I guess they haven't updated their site - spoke to a human at ESPN today, and she said "There is no current deal to stream Super Rugby. There may be a last-minute change, but we don't want you to expect that." Oy vey!
still no luck?
 
@Dai Perk Blues seems to think there is still hope
I wish I shared their optimism! Already 2 weeks into the AU, and opening weekend of the Aotearoa is over, no listings anywhere. And people wonder why rugby doesn't catch on over here! :p
 
I wish I shared their optimism! Already 2 weeks into the AU, and opening weekend of the Aotearoa is over, no listings anywhere. And people wonder why rugby doesn't catch on over here! :p

Rugby has caught on over here and continues to grow year after year. You can always watch the Super Rugby highlights on YouTube. It's not the same as watching a complete match, but it's better than nothing. Meanwhile PRO14 is still streamed on ESPN+ and some of the upcoming Major League Rugby matches will be as well.
 
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Rugby has caught on over here and continues to grow year after year. You can always watch the Super Rugby highlights on YouTube. It's not the same as watching a complete match, but it's better than nothing. Meanwhile PRO14 is still streamed on ESPN+ and some of the upcoming Major League Rugby matches will be as well.
Sure it's the "game" I'm intrigued by. I want to see the game played at the highest level. But it's also about the personalities. I don't care to have learn more names.
 
I just got this email from SANZAAR. It doesn't look good.



"Apologies but the ongoing effects of COVID-19 have had a drastic impact on the sporting landscape, not just on tournament formats and match operations but in the commercial landscape as well. Sporting federations ability to negotiate new commercial deals in areas such as sponsorship and television broadcasting has been severely compromised in the market due to reduced budgets, a decrease in business confidence, less available product and the ongoing uncertainty created by the pandemic.

At present we are still negotiating and looking for solutions to have Super Rugby broadcast in North America. Hopefully we will have some news in the near future.

SANZAAR"
 
Its a shame, but one i suspect coming from ESPN. Super rugby would want to sell their product to any bidder even in North Korea or Somalia. But who is willing to pay? Clearly not ESPN or any other US sports broadcaster.

Its more weird consodering ESPN and Supersport signed a deal but now we are showing US sports and they are still not showing Super rugy.

I guess now that we are out of Super rugby i should not care. But its a big market for rugby and Super rugby is a good product to convince the market.
 
Its a shame, but one i suspect coming from ESPN. Super rugby would want to sell their product to any bidder even in North Korea or Somalia. But who is willing to pay? Clearly not ESPN or any other US sports broadcaster.

Its more weird consodering ESPN and Supersport signed a deal but now we are showing US sports and they are still not showing Super rugy.

I guess now that we are out of Super rugby i should not care. But its a big market for rugby and Super rugby is a good product to convince the market.
i thin thats definitely some it, probably difficult arranging deals with both Aus and NZ individually and both probably want a bit more than their products are worth individually :(

not sure why RugbyPass isn;t covering north america though if ESPN doesn;t want it
 
not sure why RugbyPass isn;t covering north america though if ESPN doesn;t want it
That's been another frustrating thing - Rugby Pass and Stan Sport both allow you to go through the process of signing up before informing you that, oh, by the way, you can't actually watch this in your country. Ugh.

It's true we do have a lot of rugby to watch if you're willing to pay, but it's too bad Super Rugby isn't one of the options. Super Rugby was the first league I started watching, so it always has special appeal for me. And man, oh man, having fans in the audience makes such a difference!
 
That's been another frustrating thing - Rugby Pass and Stan Sport both allow you to go through the process of signing up before informing you that, oh, by the way, you can't actually watch this in your country. Ugh.

It's true we do have a lot of rugby to watch if you're willing to pay, but it's too bad Super Rugby isn't one of the options. Super Rugby was the first league I started watching, so it always has special appeal for me. And man, oh man, having fans in the audience makes such a difference!
Stan is only in Aus, its channel 9's streaming platform so im not surprised you cant watch in general although i am surprised its not working through a VPN
 
i thin thats definitely some it, probably difficult arranging deals with both Aus and NZ individually and both probably want a bit more than their products are worth individually :(

not sure why RugbyPass isn;t covering north america though if ESPN doesn;t want it

Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU were both streamed on ESPN+ in 2020 (I saw every match), so it's been done before. I hope Super Rugby and ESPN+ can come to an agreement for next year because I really want to watch the new team from FIJI play. https://www.rugbyworld.com/countrie...tment-sought-for-fiji-super-rugby-team-120907
 
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Its a shame, but one i suspect coming from ESPN. Super rugby would want to sell their product to any bidder even in North Korea or Somalia. But who is willing to pay? Clearly not ESPN or any other US sports broadcaster.

Its more weird consodering ESPN and Supersport signed a deal but now we are showing US sports and they are still not showing Super rugy.

I guess now that we are out of Super rugby i should not care. But its a big market for rugby and Super rugby is a good product to convince the market.

I look forward to watching the four South African teams play in PRO14 (soon to be PRO16). I was bummed out that they left Super Rugby, but you can only mourn for so long.
 
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