Sky gives promise on rugby viewing

Rugby fans without pay television will still get to watch the All Blacks and the Super 14 after Sanzar's broadcasting deal was confirmed last week.

News Ltd and South Africa's M-Net/Supersport have hammered out a $460 million five-year deal with Sanzar - an alliance between the New Zealand Rugby Union and South African and Australian unions - from 2006.

The agreement replaced the existing 10-year, $US555 million ($788 million) deal which expires in December 2005.

Pay television network Sky has held the New Zealand broadcast rights to Southern Hemisphere rugby for the past five years, and director of communications Tony O'Brien said yesterday that its policy of selling delayed free-to-air rights would continue under the new deal.

"We're staunch in our view that there definitely will be a free-to-air broadcast partner as there has been right the way through Sky's history and we'll continue with that."

O'Brien said Sky - which is majority owned by News Ltd through listed company INL - would negotiate broadcasting rights with News Ltd early in the new year.

"That's the direction we would go in because it works very well for us to have a free-to-air broadcast partner," he said.

At present, TV3 hold the rights, screening delayed coverage of selected Super 12 matches, All Blacks tests and the NPC.

Its contract expires in December 2005 and O'Brien confirmed that TVNZ and Prime were also interested in negotiating rights for the rugby from 2006, along with TV3.

Yesterday's confirmation follows earlier reports from the Australian newspaper that free-to-air broadcasting rights across the Tasman were in doubt.

Australian Rugby Union chief Gary Flowers dodged questions on whether the Super 14, which will include new Perth and South Africa-based teams from 2006, will be guaranteed free-to-air coverage, indicating it was a matter for News Ltd, the Australian reported.

- NZPA