It hasn't been perfect but Spark Sport is becoming the only alternative worth paying for if you want to watch New Zealand's top sportspeople compete on the world stage. Photo / Supplied
It hasn't been perfect but Spark Sport is becoming the only alternative worth paying for if you want to watch New Zealand's top sportspeople compete on the world stage. Photo / Supplied
COMMENT:
It seems there are now three things which are certain in life.
Death. Taxes. And paying for a Spark Sport subscription.
Most of you probably came to this realisation in the months, weeks or days out from the Rugby World Cup, finally understanding that it was the only wayto ensure the best coverage of the biggest rugby tournament on the planet.
Not me. In the weeks leading up to that first game, I was steadfast in my belief that I would be one of the people who were too cheap to fork out $80 and determined to find a free alternative.
It hasn't gone well, as nearly every alternative requires some sort of payment and for someone who has been raised with the expectation of free sport access via my parent's Sky Sport account, I have been stubborn in my delusion.
However, I think the truth has finally hit home with the announcement on Thursday that Spark Sport had acquired the rights to all international and selected domestic cricket matches played in New Zealand under the umbrella of NZC for six years starting from April next year.
Now this isn't just because cricket is winning the very tight race of being my favourite sport, it's because of how the sport is broadcasted.
Before the Rugby World Cup, Spark Sport was little use to someone who was not a huge motorsport, hockey or English football fan. Don't get me wrong, supporting Spurs in the premier league is one of my favourite pastimes but there are enough streaming services out there to make it easy for a semi-tech savvy person to keep up with the play.
Even when we got to RWC 2019, it was only ever going to be a one-off tournament and if there was a way to watch the games without having to take Spark Sport's subscription on the chin, I would take it with both hands.
But now they've got the Black Caps. New Zealand's favourite group of over-achievers who don't really achieve all that much. Still, I'll be right there with them when they take on England for the start of their summer on November 1 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
While he probably won't worry about paying for a subscription, Black Caps captain Kane Williamson is at the centre of Spark Sport's plan to take over the nation's sport streaming market. Photo / File
The problem with Spark Sport acquiring rights to New Zealand's top cricketers is that you don't often have their games broadcasted through many other networks other than Sky. It makes it unlikely you will ever see a televised Black Caps or White Ferns game without having to pay the people at Spark Sport.
I hate inevitability as much as the next person. But as much as I hate knowing what I can't avoid, I couldn't stand the thought of missing out on another game like the Cricket World Cup final which will and rightly so, go down as one of the greatest pieces of sporting drama.
I imagine there will be those more stubborn than myself who will continue to protest against what looks like a shoddy service in terms of picture and audio quality.
To those people I say, what other choice do we have? Yes, Spark Sport is pretty average now and it was probably rushed along so it could secure rights for the RWC. But when we look at how many sports this service has stolen out from underneath what seems to be a heavily sleeping giant in Sky, Spark will only further secure its hold on the nation's sporting products.
While this might have be the reaction to Spark Sport's coverage of the RWC, the same reaction applies to the realisation that the streaming service is most likely here to stay. Photo / File
I hope for everyone's sakes the service's quality becomes better with time. People will not stand for sub-par service given a few years but by then, there may well be a number of other streaming services all competing with the likes of Spark to deliver the sport New Zealanders crave.
Our evolution in how we view our sport is eerily similar to one of the most famous quotes from Star Trek, and you only have to add two words.
"We are [Spark Sport]. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
It probably is futile, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
