The most controversial sports tv rights deals

Armagideon TimeArmagideon Time Posts: 2,412
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To coincide with the start of the new Formula 1 television rights deal (and on the eve of the expected announcement that the BBC will cease to televise another sport), I've started up a thread about all the TV sports rights deals which have caused controversy in one way or another.

Here in reverse order are my top 5:

5. The Rugby Football Union and BSkyB (1997-2002)
4. The Premier League and BSkyB (1992-to date)
3. The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Channel 4/BSkyB (1999-2005)
2. The ECB and BSkyB (2006-to date)
1. Formula One Management and BSkyB/BBC (2012-to expire 2018)
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  • sporter92sporter92 Posts: 1,194
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    What about;

    1. The WDC and Sky Sports back in 1993 which created two seperate darts codes
    2. BBC losing half the masters golf to Sky
    3. BBC NI losing the Northern Ireland matches to Sky Sports back in 2008 caused a lot of uproar here
  • wolvesdavidwolvesdavid Posts: 10,856
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    (and on the eve of the expected announcement that the BBC will cease to televise another sport),

    Oh, you tease. ;););)

    Anyway the Football League going with ITV Digital, and the FA going with Setanta were bad.
  • mlt11mlt11 Posts: 21,065
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    In terms of political controversy ECB and BSkyB (2006-2009) has to be number 1 - leading to DCMS Select Committee investigation just on that subject.

    In contrast, the DCMS Select Committee hardly even bothered to ask Thompson about the F1 deal.

    ECB has all of the controversy about removal from A List.

    In contrast F1 has never ever been listed (not even B list) and has never been even seriously considered for listing. And of course 50% live remains on BBC.

    Cricket is also considered (at least by many) as the country's "second sport" / "summer sport" - something nobody would think of F1 as.
  • mlt11mlt11 Posts: 21,065
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    Don't forget "Snatch of the Day"!

    Would be in top 5 for sure.

    Seems a bit Mickey Mouse now but at the time it was a big shock.
  • wolvesdavidwolvesdavid Posts: 10,856
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    Ukraine v England was also buffered on the internet.

    Croatia v England did not have a highlights deal until the night after.
  • SiriusSirius Posts: 4,881
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    I'd say the ITV Digital/Football League deal, although it's the outcome and not the initial signing of the deal that's controversial.

    In Scotland the SPL to Setanta deal - barely brought in more money than the BBC deal and meant we had to stump up £12.99 a month for very little at the outset - not even a 7 day a week schedule.
  • realwalesrealwales Posts: 3,110
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    sporter92 wrote: »
    What about;

    1. The WDC and Sky Sports back in 1993 which created two seperate darts codes
    2. BBC losing half the masters golf to Sky
    3. BBC NI losing the Northern Ireland matches to Sky Sports back in 2008 caused a lot of uproar here

    The reasons for the WDC split had little specifically to do with Sky Sports to begin with. In fact, the first three WDC events were shown regionally on ITV (Tyne Tees, Yorkshire and Anglia all produced a tournament each).

    When the WDC set up their World Championship, they needed a broadcaster, and Sky seemed like the natural choice - the BBC was in bed with the BDO and ITV wouldn't have made that kind of commitment to darts at that time.

    The reasons for the top players leaving the BDO had a lot more to do with Olly Croft's mismanagement of the sport than Sky Sports.
  • sporter92sporter92 Posts: 1,194
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    realwales wrote: »
    The reasons for the WDC split had little specifically to do with Sky Sports to begin with. In fact, the first three WDC events were shown regionally on ITV (Tyne Tees, Yorkshire and Anglia all produced a tournament each).

    When the WDC set up their World Championship, they needed a broadcaster, and Sky seemed like the natural choice - the BBC was in bed with the BDO and ITV wouldn't have made that kind of commitment to darts at that time.

    The reasons for the top players leaving the BDO had a lot more to do with Olly Croft's mismanagement of the sport than Sky Sports.

    It wasn't controversial in a sense it went from the BBC to Sky or anything like that but it was in but I meant that WDC and Sky getting in bed together cemented the split in darts as the WDC players still played in the 1993 BDO World Darts Championships.
  • wolvesdavidwolvesdavid Posts: 10,856
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    Still wondering what this expected accouncement is tomorrow?
  • dsweetenhamdsweetenham Posts: 2,115
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    delete
  • Martin1Martin1 Posts: 8,238
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    Still wondering what this expected accouncement is tomorrow?
    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?p=57153972#post57153972
  • shedsevenshedseven Posts: 2,618
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    Not sure if this actually counts, as it was a one-off England World Cup Qualifier away match, but didn't U-Direct PPV channel pick up the rights to the Finland away qualifier for WC2002 and show it PPV at £4.99? I don't think that met universal acclaim either. This was around the time when away internationals tv rights were seemingly sold on a match by match basis and Channel 5 picked up a few in their early days. Recall trying to watch a match against Poland on 5 through a snowy pic on a portable in the days before we had Sky TV!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,727
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    To coincide with the start of the new Formula 1 television rights deal (and on the eve of the expected announcement that the BBC will cease to televise another sport), I've started up a thread about all the TV sports rights deals which have caused controversy in one way or another.

    Here in reverse order are my top 5:

    5. The Rugby Football Union and BSkyB (1997-2002)
    4. The Premier League and BSkyB (1992-to date)
    3. The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Channel 4/BSkyB (1999-2005)
    2. The ECB and BSkyB (2006-to date)
    1. Formula One Management and BSkyB/BBC (2012-to expire 2018)

    are 1 and 4 really that controversial? (not know much about the others listed)
    Sirius wrote: »
    I'd say the ITV Digital/Football League deal, although it's the outcome and not the initial signing of the deal that's controversial.

    In Scotland the SPL to Setanta deal - barely brought in more money than the BBC deal and meant we had to stump up £12.99 a month for very little at the outset - not even a 7 day a week schedule.

    yeah that had a massive ripple effect.
  • The WandererThe Wanderer Posts: 5,238
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    are 1 and 4 really that controversial? (not know much about the others listed)

    Maybe not from a political viewpoint, but a lot of people were annoyed about the new F1 deal, even among people I know in real life who normally don't care about sports broadcast rights
  • packerbullypackerbully Posts: 2,812
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    The EPL to sky was hardly controversial as the EPL never had decent coverage on FTA tv befor BslyB deal. It was a move for the better.

    Actually how many of those deals have resulted in less hours of coverage.... None really
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 519
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    Aren't BSkyB and Premier League closely linked in the sense that one wouldn't exist without the other? Or is this too simplistic?
  • C.M.W.C.M.W. Posts: 222
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    I'd sugggest the England Rugby Deal was the most controversial, in that the RFU seemed to forget that it wasn't in a position to negogiate a Five/Six? Nations deal and it nearly resulted in them being expelled from it !
  • BMRBMR Posts: 4,351
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    I would suggest the 1992 cricket world cup- the first major sporting event not to be on terrestrial television..
  • Armagideon TimeArmagideon Time Posts: 2,412
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    C.M.W. wrote: »
    I'd sugggest the England Rugby Deal was the most controversial, in that the RFU seemed to forget that it wasn't in a position to negogiate a Five/Six? Nations deal and it nearly resulted in them being expelled from it !

    They were expelled, twice, in 1998 and 1999 (the final 2 years of the Five Nations), but were reinstated on appeal.
  • StuntyStunty Posts: 45,685
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    Just announced that the BBC now hold no rights to any major horse racing fixtures. :(

    They have just lost the rights to televise the Grand National, Derby, Royal Ascot and Qipco Champions Day. They will now all move to channel 4.

    Bit of a sad day for racing as the BBC was always produced excellent coverage, where on Channel 4 we have Fat Al and Co bleating on about everything apart from having a good look at the horses ..... let's go for an ad break while the horses are in the paddock and going to post! Heaven knows what they will do at Ascot, it will probably turn into fashion week and adverts. :rolleyes:


    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/9151846/Channel-4-seals-stunning-turnaround-with-15m-TV-deal-to-cover-racing-next-year.html
  • LOSGLOSG Posts: 2,724
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    Stunty wrote: »
    Just announced that the BBC now hold no rights to any major horse racing fixtures. :(

    They have just lost the rights to televise the Grand National, Derby, Royal Ascot and Qipco Champions Day. They will now all move to channel 4.

    Bit of a sad day for racing as the BBC was always produced excellent coverage, where on Channel 4 we have Fat Al and Co bleating on about everything apart from having a good look at the horses ..... let's go for an ad break while the horses are in the paddock and going to post! Heaven knows what they will do at Ascot, it will probably turn into fashion week and adverts. :rolleyes:


    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/9151846/Channel-4-seals-stunning-turnaround-with-15m-TV-deal-to-cover-racing-next-year.html

    Its posts like this that really grate with me. Just be thankful that although the BBC have lost the rights (for reasons outside their control) the events remain on fta tv. Fans of other sports have not been as lucky.
  • StuntyStunty Posts: 45,685
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    LOSG wrote: »
    Its posts like this that really grate with me. Just be thankful that although the BBC have lost the rights (for reasons outside their control) the events remain on fta tv. Fans of other sports have not been as lucky.

    The BBC produce great sport coverage, second to none, why should I be thankful that a second rate, advert led channel are taking over?:confused:

    BBC will shortly have very few sport events. Wimbledon stay with them under loyalty, as they could command a much higher fee to to other broadcasters, and it is only the finals that have to be on fta.
  • LOSGLOSG Posts: 2,724
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    Stunty wrote: »
    The BBC produce great sport coverage, second to none, why should I be thankful that a second rate, advert led channel are taking over?:confused:

    Because it is still not behind a paywall.
  • BrekkieBrekkie Posts: 23,981
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    When it comes to racing C4 has a much stronger reputation than the BBC of late stunty - it's 25 years of hard work paying off for them, and frankly the writing was on the wall for the BBC when they cut down to just 13 days of racing a few years ago. It's good to see that the station that it there covering the sport week in week out is getting the glory of the big events.


    BTW, does C4 have Cheltenhem and Glorious Goodwood exclusively, or are they also shown on either At the Races or Racing UK. Similarly with the events C4 is taking from the BBC - are they currently exclusive to the BBC or is coveraged shared?
  • JamSirJamSir Posts: 1,053
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    The most controversial by a long way was the England and Wales Cricket Board selling the whole sport to Sky in 2006.

    Let's not forget that there is now NO FTA live coverage of the sport at all. All other major sports have at least some free, live coverage, cricket has none (apart from IPL cricket on ITV4, which falls outside the ECB's remit).

    There's also been not a single ball of county cricket shown on free-to-air television, either in live or highlights form, since 2005.

    The Sky/F1 deal is quite a way behind that, IMO.

    The 1992 BSkyB Premier League football deal was probably the sports rights deal that had the biggest impact on one sport.

    Biggest hit to BBC Sport: losing cricket to Channel 4 and the horse racing deal just announced.

    I'd also say the last ITV FA Cup and England deal was also somewhat of a disaster for the Beeb, as it has brought about the end of live football on BBC Sport.

    ITV's biggest loss was probably the Formula One going to the BBC in 2009.
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