True Visions Platinum - Sports

[Wentworth]

I've heard that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction with True Visions. However, I'm wondering if there is much of Rugby Union and Cycling perhaps on the Platinum package?

[gkinbkk]

No idea about Cycling but for your 2000b a month you get exactly zero Rugby Union coverage.....pretty good eh?

Actually Rugby Union coverage is complicated and its not entirely the fault of True Visions.

There was a time when Star Sport carried all the rugby which of course meant that it was available on True. Then the rugby gods negotiated alternative TV rights deals meaning rugby was carved up amongst a bunch of players excluding ESPN Star but including Australia Network which, for some reason known only to themselves, True has never carried despite that fact that it is free to them compliments of the Australian government. Also for some explicable reason the 6 nations went to Setanta, a mob who are well known for going broke leaving thousands of paying subscribers without the coverage they paid for.

Anyway, cut to present day and as of the end of this year Setanta owns the rights to everything from 2011, 6 nations, tri nations, super15, Magners, Currie Cup, Air NZ...everything. Hate to say it but I'm guessing the World Cup belongs to this deal as well.

Setanta claims to be launching a sports channel into Asia with all this rugby that it will sell on to the local cable companies. They will also have an internet subscription service that you will be able to purchase. Chances of True purchasing this channel? What do you think?

Gets even more complicated as I cannot see Astro from Malaysia getting it either and up until now, with the African satellite gone, Astro has been the backdoor method of getting some of this content into Thailand for the pubs.

I hope not but at this point we are looking seriously screwed from next year unless you like the idea of watching big games on your computer at home......

[richardt1808]

excellent and objective reply above. I work in the TV industry and I fully echo the response.

Unfortunately, its a numbers game and clearly there aren't enough rugby-loving expats here to support the outrageous license fees that would be involved were True Visions to bid for the TV rights.

Last year I did find a site that would allow me to stream and download the matches to PC, so lets hope someone can let us know of more details on that.

Cheers