To think home nation international sport should be on terrestrial tv

[Utterlylostandneedtogo]

I'm talking 6 nations and world cup rugby, the ashes, international football and the like.

Everything seems to be on sky sports and cost as much as a ticket to the game!!

No, because it's dull and takes over the entire TV schedule.

No duller than the soaps or towie or I'm a celebrity soap star superstar give me cash for sitting on my awe type show. IMO obviously

Quite agree - no wonder our kids aren't interested in sport when they can't see top level players! Personnally I would love to see cricket (not just 1hr highlights) - can leave football
Now most of the channels have an extra HD and/or BBC3&4 it should be possible. I know they always complain about the cost but surely if more people were able to watch they could generate income from that in extra advertising etc.

YABU without the money from TV companies like Sky county cricket ,for example , would be in an even worse state than it is financially. If Sky get told they can have all the other cricket but not the Ashes they won't pay as much for the other less popular stuff so there will be less money going back in IYSWIM. I actually think my sky subscription is very reasonable for what I get and am more than happy to pay it . I accept that a lot of people can't afford it but I think you make your choices , I don't smoke / drink / go out for evenings etc .the only thing I disagree with is when sky do Pay per View events , however that is happening less since Boxnation started up .

I agree. Most of the popular football matches are no longer on television.

For those in supported living, care homes and on low incomes (disabled pensioners), watching the match is something that they can no longer do.

The same people that are missing out are the ones who have been fans since before everyone had a television.

I would like the facility for sky television to be put in care homes etc, i feel that if prisons can have them, then any supported living establishment should to.

The 6 Nations will be shown on BBC until at least 2017

link here

Another idea is to take your dc to watch your local football or cricket team. They often have a match day deal, gets the kids interested and a good day out.

I agree it would be nice, but understand the realities of commerce

Mind, I harp back to the days of my youth when 'Star Soccer' on a Sunday afternoon would always show the games the local teams had been involved in, so local youngsters got the chance to see their own teams on the tele, and people generally supported a local team, rather than the complete bias towards showing Man Utd, Chelsea, and Arsenal only on the TV, so people rarely get the chance to see their own local teams, which then generates more interest and more fans.

In reality, some sports would struggle to survive without the money from sky. Think about rugby league, they have had several top flight clubs entering administration over the past few years, and it is a brilliant sport IMO. Smaller sports wouldn't survive without the money that comes in for TV rights, it simply has to go to the highest bidder.

From a company like sky's point of view, why would they pay the money for the worse matches when the better ones would be on terrestrial? No company in the right mind would. Terrestrial channels wouldn't make up the shortfall so the level of investment will go down. Sports like football are probably big enough to handle that but smaller sports and smaller competitions would face extinction.

Rugby World Cup 2015 will be on ITV. Six Nations 2017 will be on BBC. Football - Euro 2016 and World Cup 2014/2018 will all be on terrestrial. Cricket, yes, Sky has that sewn up, (though C5 has highlights) Plenty of other national sports are on terrestrial though!