[Brekkie]

It doesn't matter. Why did TNT bid for the Club World Cup if no one cares about it. I would have loved to watch it and it would have got decent ratings on FTA but TNT did was they seem to be doing at the moment and took it away from FTA. I would imagine most rugby fans can't afford nearly £30 a month.

There is also the Premiership rugby, look what TNT have just done, signed a deal for all matches to be shown. FTA not getting anything, They are a disgusting company

It's almost cheaper to get TNT for the year than go to a couple of Six Nations matches.

I don't think you seem to understand how pay-TV works - they bid for rights and then they show those rights rather than give them away. It's how it always work and actually relatively speaking more is probably made available for free now than at any time over the last couple of decades. The Premiership Rugby Final and European Champions Cup Final were behind a paywall for all their time at Sky and the first few years of their stint at BT.

Nobody is disagreeing that losing first picks in the FA Cup is a mistake, but calling "TNT" a "disgusting company" for just engaging in their business is somewhat over the top. If the BBC and ITV had shared rights to the FA Cup throughout the last 30 years it might be valid, but the fact is around 25 of those years has seen around half the games on pay-TV, and yes that includes some bigger matches too. Indeed so often it's the BBC who end up propping up such a deal - the argument is they're fulfilling their PSB duty by bringing games to FTA but arguably such deals enable more games to remain behind a paywall.

Direct your anger at the FA and Parliament though rather than TNT - there is no protection for FA Cup games other than the final, which means things taken for granted, like a first pick game in each round, are not protected. Just like with the poor Olympic deal it's those who sell the rights and regulate the rights where the blame should lie.

[Jon]

Just looking what ITV got in 1998-1999 season when Sky had the first picks. In Round 4 Sky had the far superior Manchester United V Liverpool while ITV only got Wolverhampton V Arsenal, In Round 5 Sky had the very close Newcastle V Blackburn while ITV had a very easy Manchester United win. in the Quarter final Sky had Manchester United V Chelsea while ITV had a boring 4-1 for Everton, in the Semi final Sky had Manchester United V Arsenal while ITV had another 2-0 boring win for Newcastle

You would have thought the FA would have learnt. Best matches are the first picks, but TNT are a disgusting company. Its not the fact Channel 4 didn't have the money, If TNT had not have bid for India V England Channel 4 might have picked it up on the cheap which would have meant good ratings and more money coming in for Channel 4 because of it. Bet TNT are playing hardball over the champions cup rights in the rugby because they want their dirty grubby hands on it.

Yes, of course the first picks are the best matches, that’s why they’re the first pick.

The Test cricket against India ended up on Channel 4 last time almost by accident, because the pay broadcasters played Indian authorities bluff, who apparently wanted too much for the rights. If TNT hadn’t have been interested it might have ended up on Premier Sports or they may have set up a pay per view streaming service for the event. By your logic Sky and TNT (BT) hadn’t bid for the Premier League it may have ended up on ITV. Which may be the case, but you can’t be surprised that a pay TV operator is buying rights and then only making them available to subscribers. That’s literally the model of pay TV broadcasters.

The problem, if you see it as such. Is down to the regulation and the sporting bodies themselves. Or the whole concept of pay TV sport.

[shropshireguy28]

The UEFA finals will be shown for free on Discovery+ this year rather than YouTube.

How the hell is it going to be free when you have to sign up, disgusting again from the company that is TNT, this company needs investigating it really does

[shropshireguy28]

Breach of contract I see at well because BT said it would be on You Tube, how can anyone trust what TNT says

[shropshireguy28]

Just read how its going to work

"However, this time round viewers who don’t have subscriptions to TNT Sports or discovery+ will need to download the app to their mobile, web browser, or TV, and register their details to watch the games for free"

What about people who don't want to register their details to watch!!! At least with you tube people could just put it on. Absolutely disgraceful

[JT95]

Just read how its going to work

"However, this time round viewers who don’t have subscriptions to TNT Sports or discovery+ will need to download the app to their mobile, web browser, or TV, and register their details to watch the games for free"

What about people who don't want to register their details to watch!!! At least with you tube people could just put it on. Absolutely disgraceful

I think you're getting very carried away and emotional about this. If you're seriously pressed about giving details to Discovery+ then you can choose to just not watch. The final does not need to be broadcast FTA, there are no laws being broken, I think you maybe need to calm down about what is a relatively minor issue.

[shropshireguy28]

I think you're getting very carried away and emotional about this. If you're seriously pressed about giving details to Discovery+ then you can choose to just not watch. The final does not need to be broadcast FTA, there are no laws being broken, I think you maybe need to calm down about what is a relatively minor issue.

There are no laws but I doubt UEFA will be very happy as "As part of the broadcaster’s rights deal with UEFA, it makes the fixtures available to all viewers"

This is making it harder for all viewers to watch the fixtures. Yes I am very emotional about this, and I will not be signing up for discovery plus, I will be listening to the match on BBC radio and then watching the highlights for free. These sort of matches should be free for everyone to watch, I bet they will be sneaky and make you pay for something as its the sort of company TNT are. Plus I actually think this is a major issue, fans have gone from watching the champions league for free on ITV, to watching the final free on you tube on BT to now having to register their details to watch.

Also another reason why this is wrong what about young kids, teenagers, before they could have just stuck on you tube and watched the finals for free, now the only way is having to register their details, so wrong, they are a evil company IMO.

[Brekkie]

I hate signing up for free things but I doubt you'd be complaining if it was streamed on the iPlayer or ITVX, both of which require you to sign up.

UEFA have banked the cheque - they won't care whether it's on YouTube or Discovery+. I'm no fan of how WBD have done business in the last couple of years but being on a major streaming platform, even if one of the less popular, is not an issue for most and frankly nowadays would likely be found easier by those who truly want to watch it, rather than just moan about not being able to watch it, are probably more likely to find it on a streamer than on Quest or DMAX.

Not sure if they also unencrypt on satellite abd cable for the match.

[shropshireguy28]

I hate signing up for free things but I doubt you'd be complaining if it was streamed on the iPlayer or ITVX, both of which require you to sign up.

UEFA have banked the cheque - they won't care whether it's on YouTube or Discovery+. I'm no fan of how WBD have done business in the last couple of years but being on a major streaming platform, even if one of the less popular, is not an issue for most and frankly nowadays would likely be found easier by those who truly want to watch it, rather than just moan about not being able to watch it, are probably more likely to find it on a streamer than on Quest or DMAX.

Not sure if they also unencrypt on satellite abd cable for the match.

If it was on iplayer or ITVX it would be on either BBC 1, ITV 1, ITV 2, ITV 3, ITV 4 or BBC 2, BBC 3 and BBC 4 so no I would have no problem with that.

[JT95]

If it was on iplayer or ITVX it would be on either BBC 1, ITV 1, ITV 2, ITV 3, ITV 4 or BBC 2, BBC 3 and BBC 4 so no I would have no problem with that.

You’re currently running with imaginary hypotheticals and need to breathe about this.

Your belief that “this should be free” is purely an opinion, not a fact or legal requirement. They could alternatively keep it behind a paywall, and they’d be well within their rights to do so.