BBC win battle to avert Sky monopoly

The BBC has won its fight to keep Wales on network television, averting the threat of Sky seizing almost the entire autumn Test schedule.
After months of negotiation, the Six Nations‘ champions are understood to have agreed a deal with the Beeb for three more years rather than follow Ireland‘s decision to join England on satellite.
The news that all Wales matches will continue to be shown live by the national broadcaster will be welcomed by tens of thousands of fans without access to Sky.   They have made a concerted attempt to monopolise the annual November internationals.
The RFU having sold out to uncle Rupert years ago, Ireland followed suit earlier this year opting for their home autumn internationals to be shown live to the smaller audience on satellite from next year.     France and Italy have also made similar arrangements.
Had Wales been picked off, terrestrial television would have had no live international rugby to show from next year apart from the Six Nations.    Beating off Sky’s powerful bid is therefore a real coup for the BBC.
It comes at a time when Wales have restored their reputation as Europe’s No. 1 box-office attraction.      A live television audience of almost ten million watched their exhilarating destruction of England in the Six Nations’ decider at the Millennium Stadium last month.
The number of viewers peaked at 9.5 million.   In Wales, the match drew the third biggest audience for any  programme anywhere with the exception of the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics.
In announcing their three-match schedule for this November, the WRU made a point of stating that all three – against South Africa, Argentina and Tonga – will be shown live on BBC network television.
The renewal of the contract is due to be announced shortly.   How much non-Test rugby will remain on terrestrial television next season is still under negotiation.    Sky have been in talks with the organisers of the RaboDirect Pro 12 aimed at securing live rights for a limited number of fixtures.
The majority have been shown live by the BBC in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland or on RTE in the Republic of Ireland.   They are up for grabs at a time when the domestic Welsh game continues to be plagued by political strife.
The on-going row between the WRU and the four regions provoked former Wales and Lions captain Phil Bennett to speak out on the subject.
‘When we are united, we are a great country as we showed when we beat England.,’ he told The Back Page on BBC Radio Wales.   ‘When we quarrel, we are pathetic.   Beating England the way we did was one of the greatest days the country has seen.    If we can’t build on that, we must be mad.
‘People are saying to me: ‘Why should I buy a season ticket for the Scarlets?   Why should I buy a ticket to support Wales when all this is going on?
‘There are egos involved.  I’m not going to mention names but for the sake of Welsh rugby, let’s knock some heads together.   All this bickering and quarrelling is driving spectators away from the game..’