SA Super 15 derbies tops on TV

SOUTH African derbies top the list of the most watched Super 15 rugby games on TV.

TV audience figures released this week show that the top six Super 15 matches are South African derbies, with the match between the Stormers and the Bulls on June 2 topping the list with just over a million viewers.

Local rugby bosses recently used the popularity of South African games to support their abortive bid for a sixth team in Super rugby.

Currently there are five SA teams in the competition – the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks, Lions and Cheetahs – with one of these having to drop out next year to accommodate the Southern Kings.

The Lions, who finished last among the local sides, are most likely to be relegated.

The Stormers feature in eight of the top 10 most viewed games, despite their rugby being described as “boring”, while New Zealand’s Crusaders only feature on the top 10 most-watched matches twice – both games against South African opponents.

There is only one match in the top 20 that doesn’t include a South African side – the Crusaders versus the Blues on May 19, which had a total viewership of 740 985. Of that number, 373 299 watched the game on SuperSport with 274 400 watching on Sky Sports in New Zealand.

Despite the numbers, the TV revenue is split almost evenly between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

SuperSport pays the most in broadcast rights and holds minority stakes in the Cheetahs and Sharks and could flex its muscle to try to force governing body Sanzar into a format change as early as next year.

“One of the major factors is what the broadcasters want,” said Sanzar chief executive Greg Peters. “They pay a lot of money across the three territories and that funds the game.”