Spark sets Rugby World Cup pricing
People will be able to watch the entire Rugby World Cup on Spark Sport for $59.99 if they take advantage of a ‘‘super early bird special’’ that will go on sale next month, Spark says.
More games than previously signalled will also be available free-to-air on TVNZ.
The price to watch all 48 matches live and ‘‘on-demand’’ on Spark Sport increases to $79.99 if rugby fans leave buying a pass until June, and Spark will bump the price up to $89.99 during the nine days before the tournament starts on September 20.
The pricing was designed to encourage fans to sign up to watch the RWC on Spark Sport early, its head Jeff Latch said.
But all the prices are below the $100 that managing director Simon Moutter suggested the event could cost when Spark first confirmed it had won the rights to the tournament a year ago.
As an alternative to buying a pass, people will be able to pay $24.99 to watch individual matches online once the tournament starts.
Twelve matches including all All Blacks’ pool games and their quarter-final – assuming the team qualifies – as well as the semi-finals and final will also be broadcast free-to-air on TVNZ 1. The semi-finals and final and four other games will be shown live by TVNZ, with the other five ‘‘free’’ matches, including the All Blacks pool games and potential quarter-final screening with a one-hour delay.
Those 12 matches will also be available free online through Spark Sport to people who trialled the service but who had not yet signed up to pay.
Latch said Spark’s pricing for its internet streaming service would make the event ‘‘truly affordable for all New Zealanders’’.
But Spark was also offering more free matches than it had first planned, through its partnership with TVNZ, ‘‘to ensure that everyone in New Zealand can watch the All Blacks from the comfort of their own home’’, he said.
There had been concerns tens of thousands of homes without high-speed broadband might not otherwise be able to watch the tournament in Japan.
As well as being able to watch matches live and on-demand, RWC pass-holders will also be able to watch replays and highlights for 30 days following each match.
Internet users do not need to have their broadband with Spark to use Spark Sport.
Spark said most commercial premises, which include bars, would be able to buy access to the RWC at the same price as consumers as ‘‘a special one-off offer’’.
Spark said it could also switch any other matches live to TVNZ’S Duke channel ‘‘at a few minutes’ notice’’ if there was a ‘‘widespread and significant issue’’ streaming them through Spark Sport.