Pro14 set to kick off bold venture in sports broadcasting

Guinness Pro14 rugby takes its big step into the fastchanging landscape of sports broadcasting on Friday as its three-year deal to broadcast every match in the competition live on its subscription TV and online platforms gets under way.

Where once Sky Sports prowled the territory like a lion, before being challenged by BT Sport, major sporting events are now being cherry picked by an array of companies, from ambitious channels like Premier Sports and Eleven, who recently showed the USPGA golf, and internet giants Amazon Prime and Facebookwhohavebeenhoovering up rights for the likes of US Open tennis and European football leagues.

At yesterday’s launch in Glasgow to confirm the onair talent who will head up the Scottish element of the Pro14 coverage, details emerged of how Premier Sports will put it at the centre of its output. Sunset and Vine, the company behind the likes of BT Sport’s rugby coverage and Channel 5’s international cricket highlights, will produce the content.

There remains a fierce debate about whether sports are endangering their longterm futures in exchange for a quick buck, and many rugby fans in Scotland lament the loss of Pro14 coverage on BBC Scotland and BBC Alba.

Luxembourg-registered Premier Sports was launched in 2009 by Irish businessman Michael O’rourke, a joint CEO and part owner of Setanta Sports, whose deal with SPL football went so badly wrong a decade ago.

Both the Pro14 and channel are confident the quality and comprehensive nature of the coverage will bring rugby fans in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and beyond to the subscription model. As well as the surprise inclusion of Doddie Weir as an occasional contributor, the Premier Sports team, who will focus on the campaigns of Glasgow and Edinburgh this season, is made up of former Scotland internationals Jim Hamilton, Rory Lawson, Chris Paterson and Al Kellock, supporting the broadcast trio of host Dougie Vipond, commentator Rory Hamilton and presenter Emma Dodds. In addition to 152 live games and highlights shows on Premier Sports, one Pro14 game a week will be on Freesport. l For more information on packages and channels go to premiersports.com