Sport on TV: He who pays the piper...

Yesterday’s announcement that TV3 has secured the rights for all 48 games in next year’s Rugby World Cup is another blow for public service broadcaster RTÉ. It rubs salt into the wound left by the divisive GAA decision to sell a number of significant inter-county matches to pay-to-view broadcaster Sky.

It does, though, point to the reality of our world — sport, or entertainment if you prefer, is now a commodity largely dependent on professional performers and, like all commodities, the person or organisation prepared to pay most controls them.

There is, of course, the dilemma this creates for sports fans. Myriad sports in myriad competitions may, in time, mean myriad broadcasters and inevitably myriad bills from the broadcasters.