Watching Super Rugby On-Line

[louie]

Over the new year i moved and don't have TV anymore. Does anyone know if it's possible to watch rugby rugby on-line?
i know foxtel do a live on demand for EPL games but can't seem to find anything for Super games. Anyone got any suggestions?

 

[Ash]

If you have Xbox Live, then the limited Foxtel subsciption over Xbox Live includes rugby games.

 

[barbarian]

Once again I must remind people that discussion of illegal options is not allowed here.

Louie I will send you a PM with my solution.

 

[Slim 293]

I really wish PS3 had the Foxtel subscription offer...

I might have to start a similar thread for bars to watch the games...

 

[Tangawizi]

Are you sure about the x-box thing Ash? Foxsports Play Channel Guide says its showing A-league as per usual on Sat night.

Or will the rugby be on an additional channel like the world cup was?

 

[Ash]

Tangawizi; not sure, is the short answer. Last year they showed most rugby games live (that's from word of mouth - a friend had it). I have no idea how they will go with it this year. Check before you consider it....or read below, as I just spent 10 minutes looking at the first week.

http://www.foxtel.com.au/xbox/epg/default.htm

For the first week, both Friday rugby games are on delay, first being at 10pm, due to the A-League. Most of the games are shown, including replays the next day.

For some reason, the Reds vs Tahs game is not scheduled at all on Saturday or Sunday! In fact, it is first shown at 7:00 am Monday morning. Obviously Chamionship football is more important, as that is shown after the A-League triple header on Saturday. What the fuck? The Reds had some of the biggest audiences last year on Foxtel, and they aren't even bothering to show the Tahs vs Reds at a normal time. What idiots in the scheduling department thought that up? And there appears to be no extra rugby channel.

I guess that rugby will only be live once the A-League finishes this year. How lame.

 

[Tangawizi]

I agree with your "What the Fuck" assessment.

 

[Tangawizi]

Actually the Bulls v Sharks match is Live if you happen to be up at 4am for it. Again, WTF?

 

[RugbyFuture]

they have both nrl and afl dedicated channels on the xbox subscriptions, dunno why they cant have either a specific soccer channel or specific rugby channel therefore covering all four major sports live no matter what, this i why Ive been so hesitant about subscribing to that service even though it seems like my best option.

 

[Tangawizi]

Had a crack at getting Tahs v Reds moved to being shown Live but don't think it was very successful. Perhaps a few others should try the same to provide them with more "feedback for their consideration".

What a crock that there is Live Coverage of every A-League Match but it seems that if you're a live rugby fan, it's South African games only becuase there's no Aleague on then.

Email from me to Foxtel:

"Hi,
Just a quick question – are you guys seriously showing the A-League ahead of the Waratahs v Reds Super Rugby match on Saturday night on Fox Sports Play despite having the rights to show both on the X-Box/T-Box package?

Surely the Rugby will attract a bigger live audience than the Gold Coast v Victory match when the Gold Coast are coming last, can’t even attract 5000 to their matches and are unlikely to exist next season. The Victory are well outside the Top 6 too.

Didn’t the Reds set record viewing numbers for Fox Sports last year? Surely the Rugby match is more worthy of live coverage."

And Reply from Foxtel:

"Thank you for your email to FOXTEL.

I appreciate the time you have taken to contact us regarding Super Rugby coverage on SPORTS PLAY via Xbox and T-box. FOX SPORTS need to find a balance between many sports on the SPORTS PLAY channel, as there is so many popular sporting events happening and only one channel. In addition to this, for some matches, the online broadcast rights differ from regular broadcast and matches cannot be shown live via Xbox and T-box. SPORTS PLAY have confirmed that over the course of the series, there will be live Super Rugby coverage, and replays when matches are not shown live. The replay of the Waratahs v Reds match is scheduled for 7am Monday. I have passed your comments regarding this onto SPORTS PLAY as feedback for their consideration.

Once more thank you for taking the time to contact us, you can leave your programming feedback here or speak to our FOXTEL Representatives on 131 999. They are available to talk to you from 7.30AM to 11PM (EDT), everyday."

 

[barbarian]

Yeah that's outrageous. I will drop them a line too. Will get the same form response but they need to hear the criticism repeatedly.

 

[No4918]

Once again I must remind people that discussion of illegal options is not allowed here.

Louie I will send you a PM with my solution.

Would you mind sending me that solution. Have to work this saturday night and anyway to watch some the Reds v Tahs will be great.

 

[barbarian]

Just left this feedback:

The Reds vs Waratahs game was one of the TOP RATING programs on Foxtel for 2011. It promises to bring in a huge crowd and will be one of the games of the season. And yet on Foxsports Play on X-Box we are treated to the delights of the Gold Coast vs Victory in the A-League. Gold Coast FANS don't even care about that game!
To add insult to injury the only replay of the Tahs/Reds is scheduled for the lovely hour of 7am on Monday!!

What an absolute dogs breakfast. You are not showing of the nation's great sporting rivalries in favour of some poxy A-league game no-one cares about. At the very least give us a replay at a reasonable hour on Sunday or Monday.

 

[qwerty51]

I get the feeling they're contractually not allowed to show the game? It would make sense that they don't want the big draw cards shown on cheaper mediums.

 

[Tangawizi]

Sounds like bollocks to me.

I also find it astonishing that Channel 9 will be screening the Qld Cup Rugby League into Brisbane live at 2pm on Sundays now (http://www.qrl.com.au/default.aspx?...itle=channel-9-to-broadcast-intrust-super-cup) but their weekly highlights package of Super Rugby remains locked in for 12am on Wednesdays.... Good job negotiating that one JO'N!

 

[Ash]

What's particularly outrageous is then even putting Championship soccer from the UK (that is, not even the Premiership!) after the A-League, instead of showing the Tahs v Reds delayed.

I would be shocked if their isn't a soccer fan currently setting the schedule there.

 

[Tangawizi]

I think the fact they're serving up England v Pakistan in repeat One-Day cricket on Friday night instead the live Blues v Crusaders match says a lot about the quality of the channel....

Do they even have a sportsfan programming this stuff?

 

[Novocastrian]

It's a pretty simple business decision for Foxtel really. At the end of the day they'd want people locked into contract paying as much as possible, which is pretty much the opposite of the Xbox service.

So they can show all the Super Rugby live from game 1 and get a heap of people using the Xbox service just for the length of the Super Rugby season. People who would potentially otherwise sign up for a 12 month package paying more with regular Foxtel (plus the opportunity to upsell HD/recording etc to them).

Plus if they show Super Rugby ahead of the A League they potentially lose A League fans from the Xbox service and there'd be bugger all chance they're going to signup to regular foxtel for 12 months when there's only a month or so of the HAL left.

I imagine the Xbox service is a bit of a niche product for Foxtel, to get a couple of extra dollars through the books, so they're not going to cannibalise potential additions to their bigger revenue boosting regular product just for the Xbox one.

 

[Braveheart81]

I would be interested to know the demographics of the XboX Foxtel subscribers.

Given the popularity of FIFA online, I wouldn't be surprised if soccer actually rates well on XboX.

Even though on regular Foxtel, a Super Rugby game is going to smash an A League game in ratings, it could be quite different on XboX.

 

[Bardon]

For those over here in Ireland (UK also) the Tahs v Reds game will be shown live on Sky Sports 4 so will be available to stream on their website as long as you have the sports package. Coverage starts at 8:30 am here but if you fancy getting up early it's preceded by Chiefs v Highlanders from 6:30.

Stormer v Hurricanes and Lions v Cheetahs are on from 3pm and 5pm respectively but as it clashes with the 6Ns I'll have to record those on my sky box and watch later.