TV bosses eye sharing Cup commentators

Veteran rugby commentator Keith Quinn said sharing commentators meant it might be difficult to ensure a fit with a particular channel's image. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Free-to-air television bosses are discussing sharing commentators after agreeing to share coverage of the top 16 games during the Rugby World Cup next year.

Of the 16 games - including the quarter-finals, semifinals and final - eight will be shown simultaneously on TV One, TV3, Maori Television and the Maori-language channel Te Reo.

Sky TV sports channels will also screen those matches as well as all the others in the cup.

After initially bidding against one another - then joining a Government-backed consortium - free-to-air broadcasters are back in talks over logistics.

One issue they will have to sort out is the possibility of sharing commentators.

With the large numbers of New Zealand broadcasters, there would obviously have to be some rationalisation of media coverage.

MediaWorks TV3 marketing director Roger Beaumont did not see a problem ensuring identical pictures, possibly while sharing commentators.

He expected viewers would migrate to the channel they were used to.

Maori TV chief executive Jim Mather was confident the TV networks would be able to reach a commercial settlement on commentaries.

"It's clear that we are not all going to be in the commentary box," he said.

Veteran rugby commentator Keith Quinn said sharing commentators meant it might be difficult to ensure a fit with a particular channel's image.

He said another option was to broadcast from off the site, as he had done in the past.

Mr Mather said the Maori language commentary on Te Reo channel would not have to be given from the game.

Commercial competitors TVNZ and TV3 also have to provide a combined package for advertisers and sponsors.

During the latter part of the Rugby World Cup in September next year, New Zealand television will be dominated by the rugby.

Yesterday, the Acting Rugby World Cup Minister, Gerry Brownlee, confirmed that the successful bid from a consortium led by Maori TV had been given $3.2 million in Government funding.

"The excitement is building for what will be an amazing event."

Rugby World Cup Ltd managing director Mike Miller said yesterday that the widespread coverage would ensure that the World Cup in New Zealand would reach all New Zealanders and provide "a stadium of four million".

But with the coverage, TVNZ and TV3 will be hoping the All Blacks make it beyond the qualifying stage to ensure the channels draw a big audience.

Negotiations for the free-to-air television rights turned nasty last October when it was revealed that state-linked broadcasters TVNZ and Maori TV were using taxpayer funds to bid against each other.

The Government stepped in.

Rugby World Cup New Zealand chief executive Martin Snedden said comprehensive television coverage and other events and festivities would ensure New Zealanders would be able to share in the occasion.

But he confirmed that the arrangements meant New Zealand organisers for the Rugby World Cup would have to become involved.