A free-to-air consortium formed by TVNZ, Maori TV and TV3/C4 owner MediaWorks has won the right to screen 16 key Rugby World Cup games live, including the final, it was announced in Auckland this afternoon.The deal is thanks to a $3.2 million cash injecti
A free-to-air consortium formed by TVNZ, Maori TV and TV3/C4 owner MediaWorks has won the right to screen 16 key Rugby World Cup games live, including the final, it was announced in Auckland this afternoon.
The deal is thanks to a $3.2 million cash injection from the government, which had to referee a messy spat between the three broadcasters - two of whom are state-owned.
"The government is committing $3.2 million to the free-to-air television deal to ensure all New Zealanders can enjoy what will be the biggest sporting event ever held in New Zealand," said associate World Cup minister Gerry Brownlee in a later statement.
Maori TV will have exclusive rights to delayed coverage of 32 further games.
TVNZ will have exclusive live rights to seven pool games, as will TV3.
Maori TV will show all quarter finals live, with both English and Maori commentary.
All three members of the free-to-air consortium will simultaneously broadcast the semi-finals and final.
Host broadcaster Sky TV will broadcast all 48 World Cup games.
Value for taxpayer's money?
Rugby World Cup MD Mike Miller said the deal would only just cover the cost of filming all 48 games in HD.
Broadcasters are believed to have put in extra money beyond the $3.2 million chipped in by the government.
Maori TV chief executive Jim Mather described it as a "sharp commercial deal" for the taxpayer.
Mr Miller said the government had made "a very positive intervention," and that it would have been difficult to engineer the tournament's broadcasting rights without it.
Sky TV chief executive John Fellet was among those lurking in the audience at this afternoon's announcement, at Sky City.
Mr Fellet told NBR the deal was as he expected, and that Sky TV's bid was always predicated on the assumption that one or more free-to-air broadcasters would have free-to-air rights for the final and other key games.
He could have added, but didn't, that any other arrangement would have been untenable for the broadcasting minister.
Mix of HD and non-HD coverage on free-to-air
Mr Fellet was quick to point out, for the benefit of his often-time critics at HD protest site johnfellet.com, that Sky TV will broadcast all games in high definition.
Speaking after the event to NBR, MediaWorks' Roger Beaumount said his network would screen all games in HD.
TVNZ and Maori TV will screen a mix of SD (standard definition) and HD coverage.
LIVE BROADCAST SCHEDULE/FREE-TO-AIR
Final
TV One, TV3, Maori TV
Semi-final 1
TV One, TV3, Maori TV
Semi-final 2
TV One, TV3, Maori TV
Quarter final 1
Maori TV
Quarter final 2
TV One, TV3, Maori TV
Quarter final 3
Maori TV
Quarter final 4
TV One, TV3, Maori TV
South Africa vs Samoa
Maori TV
NZ vs Canada
Maori TV
NZ vs France
TV3, Maori TV
Australia vs Ireland
Maori TV
NZ vs Asia 1
Maori TV
South Africa vs Wales
Maori TV
Argentina vs England
Maori TV
NZ vs Tonga
TV One, Maori TV
