Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

[PhilClinton]

I would be highly surprised if the RUPA CEO was a full time job.

Potentially, well you'd definitely think it wouldn't be as he is travelling and working for Stan a lot.

For all of his misgivings in the media landscape, I have heard he is pretty well liked in the RUPA space and I know he's helped a number of players navigate issues recently with a couple of not so great (and recently banned) player agents.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I would be highly surprised if the RUPA CEO was a full time job.

I always just assumed the Stan gig was a bit of a wink and a nudge from the powers that be to generate enough money for Goog to do the RUPA CEO role

 

[Major Tom]

That's true but has Rugby lost some of that Champagne Rugby, Game they play in heaven type comments. We end up hearing Goog use this weeks phrase from his online MBA course instead of pumping up the play.

Goog definitely needs the less is more approach. When he interjects he needs to summarise into a couple of quick points. He just wafts on and on, and it might be correct but it’s convoluted and half the time the play has restarted before he’s finished!

 

[Major Tom]

"... commentary is something that can hold you..." Firstly, I agree with this comment, but

Rugby League is the game built on hyperbole. Lots of commentators yelling about how good it is, "greatest game of all". Las Vegas was an enormous success etc etc.

It’s just 80mins of a lot of yelling really. I can’t stand it.

 

[Major Tom]

I saw this an couldn't help but laugh. Viewership is now 237 people... It's similar to people doing the mental gymnastics of thinking growth just continues at the same rate doesn't slow after initial uptake.

I'm glad it's gone in the right direction and it has definitely been the on field product pushing it. I'm now getting messages mid game from my Brother who stopped watching a couple of years ago. Rugby needs it's former watchers to come back first and foremost. The community that like Rugby as a sport is large but the local product was trash. Always baffled some that Schools games can crack 10k but the pros barely more... They're out there..

I had a thought the other day while watching the league and then a Super Rugby game and the intensity of the commentary is something that can hold you. Before people start ragging on league being dummies etc they call the games like a horse race and I personally do enjoy it and it can help a poor game stay engaging. The radio style of vocals going up and getting intense.

Dan Ginnane is quite good at it and obviously people like Rabs. I like Sean Maloney but we do have a more conversational style of commentary just above that of a Cricket game. I recall Gordon Bray being able to up the ante a bit and do it in that race call style.

Gordon also used to do a lot of research on players background. You’d always get some real interesting side notes of players that showed he’d done his homework. Plus his voice was so easy to listen to.

 

[Braveheart81]

Gordon also used to do a lot of research on players background. You’d always get some real interesting side notes of players that showed he’d done his homework. Plus his voice was so easy to listen to.

He mostly talked about which exclusive private school the player went to which I'm not sure was ever overly helpful.

 

[Slim 293]

Gordon also used to do a lot of research on players background. You’d always get some real interesting side notes of players that showed he’d done his homework. Plus his voice was so easy to listen to.

But probably wasn’t the actual player on screen…

 

[barbarian]

Gordon also used to do a lot of research on players background. You’d always get some real interesting side notes of players that showed he’d done his homework. Plus his voice was so easy to listen to.

My memory it was generally some piece of irrelevant trivia about a players uncle, who played 400 games for the Mount Isa Mud Dogs in the 1980s or some shit.

But as far as colour goes it was fine enough. He was good in his day.

 

[Sword of Justice]

Towards the end I remember he confused Will Genia with Rob Horne but I still think Bray was the best commentator in my time. You do need to balance the cultivated prestige of Rugby and the excitement like that Horse Racing style Ghost mentioned.

Personally I can’t stand the League commentators. Their callers are so metronomic with their screaming; I see all their little tricks to get the 4 beers deep and children audience going. Then the colour commentators are unintelligible. I remember 5 mins into the last Origin at Suncorp Fittler growling into the mic that the ‘Queenslanders didn’t like that one’ but with half the syllables after some innocuous bump so I just muted it.

The AFL guys carry on like pork chops and can never hide their bias but the level of analysis is ten times higher and so much more professional.

Sean Maloney might be getting a bit stale so I hope they find a way to invigorate him. I really enjoy his style at the Olympics and World Cup. It’s a reminder of what he can do.

 

[barbarian]

We also forget how bad Fox was towards the end of their deal. Skeleton staff who didn't do any homework, just coasting on former glories.

Morgan Turinui gives more wisdom in three minutes than Fox gave you in a whole season.

 

[JRugby2]

We also forget how bad Fox was towards the end of their deal. Skeleton staff who didn't do any homework, just coasting on former glories.

Morgan Turinui gives more wisdom in three minutes than Fox gave you in a whole season.

His own insight and attention to detail is underrated in my view. Also seems to be very open about his own knowledge gaps and how he addresses them - particularly re law application. Don't particularly get the Maloney criticism either but that's probably personal preference.

Feel like the line up of commentators we have right now is mostly really good.

 

[PhilClinton]

Disney officially announced today that ESPN will launch on their platform March 26th. The article also notes it is still available via Kayo, Foxtel etc. and no mention of an end date, but you'd have to think it'll wrap up around July when that contract is over.

I have a number of sports fans in my friendship group who've already gone out and purchased 'ScamSticks' as they don't want to pick up Disney streaming to watch ESPN (and are keeping Fox for league/AFL/cricket). The guys who've already set them up have confirmed the Sky NZ rugby streams are available for free on majority of these sticks, so they've also dumped Stan. Potentially also the Stan streams are there but no one has gone digging that far yet. I wonder how much of an impact this whole sports rearrangement will have to subscribers across all the major steamers.

 

[JRugby2]

Disney officially announced today that ESPN will launch on their platform March 26th. The article also notes it is still available via Kayo, Foxtel etc. and no mention of an end date, but you'd have to think it'll wrap up around July when that contract is over.

I have a number of sports fans in my friendship group who've already gone out and purchased 'ScamSticks' as they don't want to pick up Disney streaming to watch ESPN (and are keeping Fox for league/AFL/cricket). The guys who've already set them up have confirmed the Sky NZ rugby streams are available for free on majority of these sticks, so they've also dumped Stan. Potentially also the Stan streams are there but no one has gone digging that far yet. I wonder how much of an impact this whole sports rearrangement will have to subscribers across all the major steamers.

Not sure how it works in NZ but we seem to just get a dirty feed for NZ hosted games from the skysport broadcast, so I guess it's the same for them (ie we dirty feed Aus hosted games into Skysport) so if they can pick up everything that is shown on sky sport, I'm guessing they'd then get the Stan rugby streams by proxy? At least for super rugby anyway.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

His own insight and attention to detail is underrated in my view. Also seems to be very open about his own knowledge gaps and how he addresses them - particularly re law application. Don't particularly get the Maloney criticism either but that's probably personal preference.

Feel like the line up of commentators we have right now is mostly really good.

Never started this side topic as a criticism of Maloney. I like him and he does go up and down in energy but I think as it's the broadcast thread it is part of the viewer experience and one Rugby probably lacks a touch across the board.

When someone else is or seems excited about something people naturally are drawn to it more.

 

[Slim 293]

Not sure how it works in NZ but we seem to just get a dirty feed for NZ hosted games from the skysport broadcast, so I guess it's the same for them (ie we dirty feed Aus hosted games into Skysport) so if they can pick up everything that is shown on sky sport, I'm guessing they'd then get the Stan rugby streams by proxy? At least for super rugby anyway.

The host broadcaster splits a "world feed" with international partners in the consortium...

So, SkySport and others in the pool receive a split from 9 of the match broadcast with hostings and graphics, but with embedded comms and without the network watermark for inserting their own elements, and vice versa.

 

[Homer]

There is a tiktok from the end of the England game with different countries commentating Jorgo's try. The french commentary was awesome, as was the english lady. Stan was rubbish. Maloney's usual staccato Are. You. Kidding. Me dribble.

 

[JRugby2]

There is a tiktok from the end of the England game with different countries commentating Jorgo's try. The french commentary was awesome, as was the english lady. Stan was rubbish. Maloney's usual staccato Are. You. Kidding. Me dribble.

Eh, personal preference. I thought Maloney called that really well.

 

[Major Tom]

There is a tiktok from the end of the England game with different countries commentating Jorgo's try. The french commentary was awesome, as was the english lady. Stan was rubbish. Maloney's usual staccato Are. You. Kidding. Me dribble.

Yeah, there was one commentary (English I think) that was awesome.
"OOOOOOH THEY'RE GONNA SNATCH IT!"

Sounded great.

 

[Braveheart81]

Eh, personal preference. I thought Maloney called that really well.

I think it also comes down to context. Maloney's was a real time reaction largely of disbelief as an Australian fan that the Wallabies were going to beat England at Twickenham at the death. It very much mirrored my experience as a Wallabies fan watching the game.

The English commentary was from the other direction of them losing the game at the death. Professional but disappointed.

The French commentary was just excitement for a team snatching the win at the siren.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Maloney wasn't at the ground, so was calling off the broadcast, and didn't know there was a match winning break until it was all but done