welshmanofsteel
Academy Player
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2023
- Messages
- 1
Putting aside the rhetoric. Put aside the shock that a Welsh 15 destined for the Rugby World cup commencing in just a few weeks could not take advantage of a three man advantage. Putting aside the weak defence which allowed England to score a try with three players on the bench. Putting aside ill-discipline which saw Wales give up a red card advantage in the last quarter to let a mediocre England team through to a home win. Putting aside all that. The real shock of the Summer Internationals is that unless you live in the UK, it is impossible to legitimately watch any Welsh or English rugby match played on at Cardiff or Twickenham live.
Sitting in Switzerland with subscriptions to SKY, AMAZON Prime CANAL + Sport and TF1, I watched the England v Wales game on Saturday evening on a small French television channel called "direct L'Equipe". The screen was split between the England v Wales and the second division football match between French teams SC Bastia v Valenciennes FC
TF!, a major French TV channel carries the French matches and I believe provides coverage for all World Cup matches. Canal + Sport carries international fixtures Australia/New Zealand, or Argentina/ South Africa.
Such is the finesse with which the TV companies have carved out terroirs – you must live in the UK and you must have subscriptions to both Amazon Prime AND SKY to allow you to watch all Wales and England matches.
The slice and dice of television rights means expat fans of all nations outside their home nation are actively excluded from being able to see all their "home nation" international fixtures and most likely their premier domestic fixtures.
When you approach the governing body to seek to secure rights in territories the major providers exclude. To fill this gap. To provide a unified service to all expat fans – silence. Zero interest. Not even an acknowledgment from those charged with Fan Engagement and promoting the international sport of rugby.
There must be something wrong when two giants of international rugby struggle for airtime in a rugby loving nation such as France with second division French football.
Welshmanofsteel
Zurich
Sitting in Switzerland with subscriptions to SKY, AMAZON Prime CANAL + Sport and TF1, I watched the England v Wales game on Saturday evening on a small French television channel called "direct L'Equipe". The screen was split between the England v Wales and the second division football match between French teams SC Bastia v Valenciennes FC
TF!, a major French TV channel carries the French matches and I believe provides coverage for all World Cup matches. Canal + Sport carries international fixtures Australia/New Zealand, or Argentina/ South Africa.
Such is the finesse with which the TV companies have carved out terroirs – you must live in the UK and you must have subscriptions to both Amazon Prime AND SKY to allow you to watch all Wales and England matches.
The slice and dice of television rights means expat fans of all nations outside their home nation are actively excluded from being able to see all their "home nation" international fixtures and most likely their premier domestic fixtures.
When you approach the governing body to seek to secure rights in territories the major providers exclude. To fill this gap. To provide a unified service to all expat fans – silence. Zero interest. Not even an acknowledgment from those charged with Fan Engagement and promoting the international sport of rugby.
There must be something wrong when two giants of international rugby struggle for airtime in a rugby loving nation such as France with second division French football.
Welshmanofsteel
Zurich
