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.

This situation prevails even within individual sports, when different competitions are offered by different broadcasters. Variety may be the spice of life, and no-one will have to pay to watch the Rugby World Cup on TV3, but it does again raise the question — how long more can we expect to have free access to major sports events? And how long more will free-to-air broadcasters be able to stay in this market?