Free-to-air TV option being considered by URC bosses

BKT United Rugby Championship CEO Martin Anayi says that they are exploring making some games free-to-air, but that they won’t necessarily be using traditional terrestrial broadcasters to do it.

Anayi is keen to explore using social media platforms such as YouTube to show games and help them attract younger fans to the tournament, which he feels offers better opportunities.

He points out that extra-time highlights from the dramatic and controversial Sharks vs Munster shootout last week currently have 391,000 views, with 350,000 of them coming within a day of posting.

“We are working with Premier Sports to see if there’s a free-to-air angle around YouTube, for example, that allows us to grow a younger audience without affecting the subscriber audience,” he said.

“And that will allow us to drive digitally and to grow a fan base and viewership that is growing day by day towards Premier Sports over time.

“That is important for us because we want them to grow and keep investing in rugby, the rugby channel and extra content around it that they also produce wonderfully.

“That is not just with us, but also around the Champions and Challenge Cups. I think that is the angle that we would like to explore in partnership with Premier Sports.

“Free-to-air broadcasters are going through some challenges from a financial budget point of view. What we are seeing is that audiences on digital and social are growing exponentially and traditional linear is declining, quite honestly.

“If we are going to look into that mantra of bringing new fans into rugby, not just us but other stakeholders, we need to be looking at the likes of YouTube as the free-to-air of the future.

“My kids are below the age of ten, and they will watch YouTube and YouTube Kids on TV. The Sharks vs Munster clip was watched by 350,000 in a day.

“That is a real audience who wouldn’t normally see that game but have seen it and engaged with it, and over time, when they are ready, you migrate that person to start paying for it.”