Friday 6 September

Rabo PRO12: Scarlets v Leinster (RTÉ Digital Platforms. Kick-off 7.05pm)

Saturday 14 September

Rabo Pro12: Leinster v Ospreys (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms from 5pm to 8.25pm. Kick-off 6.15pm. Includes Zebre v Munster extended highlights)

Saturday 21 September

Rabo Pro12: Connacht v Ulster (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms from 6.30pm-8.55pm. Kick-off 6.45pm)

Saturday 28 September

Rabo PRO12: Munster v Dragons – (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms from 6.30pm-8.55pm Kick-off 6.45pm)

Saturday 5 October

Rabo PRO12: Munster v Leinster (RTÉ Two, RTÉ Two HD and Digital Platforms from 6pm to 8.55pm. Kick-off 6.45pm)

Saturday 26 October

Rabo PRO12: Leinster v Connacht (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms from 6.30pm to 8.55pm. Kick-off 6.45pm)

Friday 1 November

Rabo PRO12: Dragons v Leinster (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms from 6pm-8.55pm. Kick-off 7.05pm)

Saturday 23 November

Rabo PRO12: Cardiff v Munster (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms from 6.15pm to 8.25pm. Kick-off 6.30pm)

Friday 20 December

Rabo PRO12: Edinburgh v Leinster (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms from 7.30pm to 9.25pm. Kick-off 7.35pm)

Saturday 28 December

Rabo PRO12: Leinster v Ulster (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms from 6.30pm to 8.55pm. Kick-off 6.45pm)

Friday 3 January

Rabo PRO12: Ulster v Munster (RTÉ Two and Digital Platforms. Time TBC. Kick-off TBC)


Baffled by the lack of Home Connacht games being shown .I can't imagine it's anything to do with the Connacht branch, not wanting low profile home games being shown live .TG4 provide live coverage of other sports games that wouldn't attract a huge viewing ,so it's strange why they wouldn't show every home game available to them.

What's the story with the away games ? Is it just easier to provide your own commentary/studio analysis from home, and use another broadcaster's medium? I'd imagine they're hardly sending their own gear to these away games.

If the Italians were to leave the Pro12 it would be a massive test for the French/English argument that HEC qualification should be league based. It's time they were reminded the HEC is a competition featuring teams from various unions, not league.

I'll post this here as its prop more relevant here than anywhere else.

There is some conflicting news coming from Italy in last few days. Good news is that pro12 have signed a terrestrial TV deal for league with Italian TV company mediasat for coming seasons rights. Apparently first of its type over there for league.

On a potentially negative note the Italian participation in pro12 is entering year 4 of its 4 yr trial period. The Italian union president is playing hardball with both pro12 and erc about any future participation. He was elected last year on a mandate of staying in league on condition that yearly 3m partipation levy they currently pay other 4 unions is scrapped and they become equal partners in terms of finance and voting. Resistance to this from the pro12 and the English view of erc qualification in the future for he is prompting the Italians to review their position. Apparently 2/3 of their budget goes to running their 2 regions and domestic game is suffering. There is a lot of support for pulling out and salvaging hec qualification from their own league as per current agreement. The 3m is a big thing for them. If this were to happen speculation is that their vote could be bought for 1 guaranteed he spot for winner of their league and 2 amlin spots. That would leave the pro10 fighting for 6 spots currently on offer with possibly 5 now only on table.

Interesting times ahead.

From what I can make out, RTE are not covering a SINGLE non-inter pro Connacht game at least up until Christmas/NY.

TG4 are, at least, doing a decent job of the away game coverage.

Every single game being covered by either RTE or TG4 at the Sportsground is an Interpro.

Doesn't effect those of us who live 20 mins from the SG, but a bit of a kick in the teeth for everyone else.

On the plus side, every Connacht away game bar Edinburgh is live on TV.
Which is good news for STHs.
Didn't even notice the lack of home game coverage when I saw the list originally, which now you mention it is a bit of a kick in the teeth for those not living near the Sportsground.

Maybe TG4 can answer the following:

If they are announcing 'extensive coverage' why will Connacht fans have to wait until 2014 before they see TG4 at the Sportsground?

Can TG4 explain why there are 5 home matches before 2014 that have not been taken up by other broadcasters, but they have not decided to bid for?

What part of 'extensive coverage' means piggybacking on the back of other carriers who are actually sending broadcast teams to the matches? This is zero effort on their behalf.

12 Connacht matches have been announced up to the first week of 2014, why are TG4 only planning to show 4 of them? What exactly does the word 'extensive' mean to TG4 executives?

And finally, why should Connacht fans give TG4 their custom when they are planning to show more Leinster and Munster matches?

Just recieved this as a press release from TG4. 4 matches being televised in roughly the first half of the season.

EXCITING SEASON OF RUGBY BEGINS ON TG4

RaboDirect PRO12 & Heineken Cup to feature on Rugbaí Beo

TG4’s extensive rugby coverage begins this weekend with live coverage of the 1st round of the RaboDirect PRO12 on Saturday 7 September, 6.45pm with the Munster v Edinburgh game from Musgrave Park. TG4 will provide extensive live coverage of the 2013/’14 RaboDirect PRO 12 Rugby season each weekend with a mouth-watering selection of top fixtures involving the Irish provinces.

Heineken Cup action will also feature on TG4 with exclusive highlights coverage kicking off in October when the 2013/14 Heineken Cup season gets under way. (See full list of TG4 matches below).

The 22 round RaboDirect PRO12 league season kicks-off next weekend and runs through until the weekend of 31st May 2014, when the RaboDirect PRO12 Final will be played. The top four teams in the league will progress to the play-off semi-finals, which will be held on the weekend of 16th/17th May.

During TG4’s Heineken Cup coverage, viewers will get the opportunity to see all four Irish provinces take on the best club rugby teams from around Europe. The Heineken Cup Final will be played at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday 24th May 2014.

Rugbaí Beo is presented by Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill with top class commentary and studio analysis provided by Gearóid Mac Donncha, Jerry Flannery, Éamonn Molloy, John Broderick and other top analysts. More information and regular schedule updates available on the TG4 website at www.tg4.ie .


RABODIRECT PRO12 ON TG4
Round DATE Teams Kick off TG4 On air
1 Saturday 7th September Live: Munster v Edinburgh 19.15 18.45
2 Friday 13th September Live: Cardiff Blues v Connacht 19.05 18.30
Highlights: Zebre v Munster
3 Friday 20th September Live: Glasgow Warriors v Leinster 19.35 19.00
Highlights: Benetton Treviso v Munster
4 Friday 27th September Live: Leinster v Cardiff Blues 19.35 19:00
5 Friday 4th October Live: Benetton Treviso v Connacht live 19:30 19:00
6 Friday 25th October Live: Glasgow Warriors v Munster 19.35 19.00
7 Saturday 2nd November Live: Munster v Ospreys 19.15 18.45
8 Sunday 24th November Deferred: Benetton Treviso v Leinster *TBC
9 Saturday 30th November Live: Leinster v Scarlets 19.15 18.45
10 Saturday 21st December Live: Munster v Scarlets 19.15 18.45
11 Friday 27th December Live: Munster v Connacht 19.15 18.45
12 Saturday 4th January Live: Connacht v Leinster 19.15 18.45


Heineken Cup Key dates for season 2013/14
Round 1 11-13 October 2013
Round 2 18-20 October 2013
Round 3 6-8 December 2013
Round 4 13-15 December 2013
Round 5 10-12 January 2014
Round 6 17-19 January 2014
Quarter-Finals 4-6 April, 2014
Semi-Finals 26-27 April, 2014
Heineken Cup Final 24th May 2014, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Amlin Challenge Cup Final 23rd May 2014, Cardiff Arms Park


Round 1 Highlights – Friday 11th October at 11:30pm on TG4
11/10/2013 Pool 3, Connacht v Saracens,
11/10/2013 Pool 5, Ulster v Leicester Tigers

Round 1 Highlights – Saturday 12th October at 9:30pm on TG4
12/10/2013 Pool 6, Edinburgh Rugby v Munster
12/10/2013 Pool 1, Ospreys v Leinster

Round 2 Highlights – Saturday 19th October at 10:00pm on TG4
19/10/2013 Pool 3, Zebre v Connacht
19/10/2013 Pool 1, Leinster v Castres Olympique
19/10/2013 Pool 5, Montpellier v Ulster
19/10/2013 Pool 6, Munster v Gloucester

Round 3 Highlights – Saturday 7th December at 9:15pm on TG4
07/12/2013 Pool 1, Northampton v Leinster
07/12/2013 Pool 5, Ulster v Benetton Treviso

Round 3 Highlights – Sunday 8th December at 5:30pm on TG4
08/12/2013 Pool 6, Munster v Perpignan
08/12/2013 Pool 3, Toulouse v Connacht

Round 4 Highlights – Saturday 14th December at 9:15pm on TG4
14/12/2013 Pool 5, Benetton Treviso v Ulster
14/12/2013 Pool 6, Perpignan v Munster
14/12/2013 Pool 1, Leinster v Northampton Saints
14/12/2013 Pool 3, Connacht v Toulouse

Round 5 Highlights on TG4
10/11/12 January Pool 1, Castres Olympique v Leinster
10/11/12 January Pool 3, Connacht v Zebre
10/11/12 January Pool 5, Ulster v Montpellier
10/11/12 January Pool 6, Gloucester v Munster

Round 6 Highlights on TG4
17/18/19 January Pool 1, Leinster v Ospreys
17/18/19 January Pool 3, Saracens v Connacht
17/18/19 January Pool 5, Leicester Tigers v Ulster
17/18/19 January Pool 6, Munster v Edinburgh Rugby

good news for us wanting to watch some of the early season away games that they've added 2 more to be televised on TG4.

From the IT today:

From next season Sky will exclusively broadcast live PRO12 matches on Saturday afternoon having been outbid for the English rugby premiership by BT Sport.

It has yet to be agreed whether TG4, RTÉ or both terrestrial channels will continue to televise live PRO12 games.

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/celtic-ru...in-sponsor-1.1503891

I think its 30 games on top of the televised games already.

From running rugby site (registration required):

It is thought that the 12 RaboDirect PRO12 clubs will benefit from a 50 per cent rise in the amount of money they receive as a result of the deal and 125 of the 135 games in the competition could be broadcast the season after next.

That is because contracts with BBC ALBA, BBC Northern Ireland, RTE, TG4, BBC Wales and S4C are also already in place and RaboDirect PRO12 chief executive John Feehan is pleased that even more people will now be able to follow the league.

So, not an exclusive deal.

Here's how I hope it works out

Sky get first choice of the games each week. They go for one Saturday match each week, and five additional matches throughout the season. The five additional matches will probably be selected when the last set of dates are announced, so Sky can focus on battles for home semi finals
Sky are also forced to show at least one live match from each ground throughout the season.

Any other channels with rights, cannot show the game Sky are showing live, but can show highlights later in the day.

Sky will provide highlights to all the other channels, and vice versa, allowing Sky to have a recap show once a week.

No doubt Sky will come to Galway only for Interpros

Hmmnnn ... Sea_Point makes an interesting point,with regard to rebroadcasting/highlights.Don't fancy watching a game at 10 or 11:00 at night.

If Sky and the rest have some sort of dual rights,than this can work ,but i just can't see it happening (short term maybe /long term no)

30 live games can't constitute an exclusive deal.
That's one per weekend plus a handful more.

That said, I presume the "negotiations" could result in more games being given to Sky if the other broadcasters don't stump up.

The one thing I hope might come of this is a decent highlights package for all the games to watch on a Sunday or Monday night. That's sorely lacking at the moment as each broadcaster only cares about the teams from its own country.

But I can't see much increase in the number of Connacht away games broadcast, which is the main concern for us at present.

All the press reports - mostly lifted straight from the Pro12 press release - are saying that this is NOT an exclusive deal.

Some additions (rumours) from various press reports:

(1) They are supposedly specifically looking at Saturday games.

The numbers for rugby on Sky are tiny (less than 1 million for the HEC Final), so we'll probably see Leinster/Munster and Ospreys/Blues set for 3pm Saturday in direct opposition to BT.

(2) The seasonal amount involved is supposedly 50% higher than the total for all the current broadcasters put together.

I'd imagine that the Pro12 aren't publicising it as 150% of f*ck all is still f*ck all, while Sky are probably keeping schtum so BT don't point and laugh.

ummm, wrote: Sky won't have exclusive rights. They will be covering the Pro12 along with the other broadcasters, not in place of them.

To my understanding they will have exclusive live rights. I doubt they will agree to a carve up like in the past, they will want to cherry pick all the Interpro's/Welsh derby's/Scottish Derby's for coverage and then one off key games.

Any negotiations outstanding I would believe would be for rebroadcasting/highlights rights in the various countries...

Also no mention of money, which is unusual for SKY they always like to say how much cash they've splashed usually...