Setanta sells US rights to FOX – US rugby fans despair
Thu, Jan 28, 2010, Posted by Vic Drover 
Click here to sign the petition
supporting more rugby on T.V.
Currently, the only way to view live rugby in the USA and Canada is with a subscription to Setanta Sports, the Dublin-based international sports channel.
Although Setanta is not available in all markets, and in the US has only recently moved from satellite providers to cable/internet TV providers such as U-verse, it has been an oasis in the empty desert of rugby union broadcasting.
Thus, yesterdays announcement that Setanta was transferring the US broadcast right to FOX Soccer Channel was met with skepticism and worry by current subscribers.
Setanta Sports has today announced that it has reached an agreement with Fox Soccer Channel to transfer select programming rights, including many premium soccer and rugby events. Fox Soccer Channel will acquire these rights effective March 1, 2010.
FOX Soccer has a patchy history with rugby, having once carried a weekly (or semi-regular) rugby program called The Rugby Club. This was actually innovative show, with a pub-style setting that often brought in local teams to interview. Of course, tape-delayed International matches or highlight shows were the main event.
However, The Rugby Club faded into history as did all the rugby coverage on FOX.
What will happen after 1-March-2010 when the Setanta-FOX transfer is finalized is unknown.
Given the uncertainty of the USA Super League and the recent financial shortcomings of the USA 7s, it would appear that the domestic market for rugby is low. This may explain why Setanta canceled all coverage of rugby league in 2009.
The only place where we are seeing MORE rugby broadcasting is from BBC America who are showing 5 LIVE matches from the 2010 Six Nations championship. To my knowledge, live internationals from the Six Nations have never been shown on cable TV in the US.
If you are worried about what’s going to happen to rugby on TV, please be sure to sign our petition to BBC America and BBC Canada. Together, we just might be able to make a difference and get more live coverage of rugby internationals.
Click here to sign the petition
supporting more rugby on T.V.
Tags: Six Nations, USA
We want more rugby on TV . Union is the best !
Make sure you sign the petition!
Rugby fans in the USA need an outlet to see the USA Eagles and
other International matches. Please continue the rugby
programing of Sentanta or increase the coverage of rugby.
Please keep rugby on TV. It’s needed more so now that it is an
official Olympic Sport. Thanks.
We more and more on tv!!!
WE NEED MORE AND MORE RUGBY ON TV!
Keep Union Rugby alive on the TV.
WE NEED MORE AND MORE RUGBY ON TV!
As Rugby sevens begins its Olympic journey, me thinks it wise
that TV coverage gets on board and educates the largest
advertising spending market in the world about the game. If
they think it a game only for funny talkers, then they need to
get out more, do a story on the growth of high school rugby,
college rugby, mens league and super league. All aboard !
I cannot believe that s a sport that has a signifcant world
following, with the USA participating in both the World Cup and
in 7’s in the Olympics—that we are going to lose the ability to
watch this game in this, the most media savvy and worldly nation
on the planet—–short sited if this happens—a very sad day
for all rugby enthusiasts.
Keep Rugby on TV!!
We need MORE rugby on TV, not less! It’s in the Olympics! KEEP
RUGBY ON!
keep it on tv…………..
There are a lot of men, women, boys and girls who love rugby
Union, league and would like to keep watching. The problem
with Setana was that it was very expensive to order and thus many
of us found it to be challenging to sign up for. Remember,
there’s an old saying in sales “Fast nickel slow dime.
Meaning you’ll sell more nickels than dimes and overall make more
money. Not to mention more viewers meaning more advertising
dollars. Think about it. I want to watch rugby!
as much as I can!
We need reliable and frequent coverage of international rugby
union matches…..There’s a sizable base of fans out there who
will watch if given the opportunity…….
Rugby NEEDS to be on TV. I talked to Matt Brown, who did the
Rugby Club for FOX and he said that FOX is going to play games on
the new soccer channel and he and Brian Vizard is going to do
another weekly show like the one they used to do. LIFE RUGBY
RULES!!