The Sport Thread

[Michael]

BBC graphics also still using two different designs of Welsh dragon for the during-frame graphic bar and the end-of-frame graphic.

[thebigdog2022]

Shocked to read the news on Nigel Pearson, never got to post on Friday when the news broke but I have been a talksport listener for probably about 20 years when I was starting secondary school and Nigel Pearson was an excellent presenter, commentator and reporter for the station and brought everything to life. Also in later years when I got into darts he was excellent for Sky Sports and in my opinion should have been their number 1. Very seldomly does a celebrity death mean much but this one shocked me same with Q Radio/BBC Radio Ulster Stephen Clements and Gary Speed.

He will be missed.

[Steve Williams]

Is there no live coverage of the Invictus Games then?  Yes, it isn't the Paralympic Games but coverage seems to be somewhat comparable to how the BBC treated the Paralympics 20 years ago.  Thought they'd be live content on the red button at least.

In previous years, the Invictus Games haven't been a BBC Sport production, and the coverage has been based around the stories rather than the actual sport. So I wouldn't expect extended coverage of it as a sporting event.

I don't think the press cover it as a sporting event either, I think the equivalent would be a made-for-TV event like Paddles Up or World's Strongest Man.

[Robertclark125]

[RhysJR]

[thegeek]

[Inspector Sands]

[RhysJR]

[Markymark]

Going by reports on Digital Spy it affected (at least) the Meridian SE and Central West ITV HD macro regions. Must have been a problem at the CCM, either at SDI level (in the routing matrix) or a PID mix up at coding level

I know it's a national pastime to blame ITV for technical glitches in football matches,  but this had nothing to do with them

[Robertclark125]

ITV's next live Premiership Rugby Union match is this Sunday, Saracens v Exeter. Simulcast on BT Sport, but, unlike the Channel 5 deal previously, ITV has went for Sunday matches, C5 went for Saturday matches.

[Brekkie]

Super League also back on Sunday with Helen Skelton presenting.

[Newshound47]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/61161709
Six Nations schedule for next year reveals no Friday night fixture and also on the final Saturday matches are 12.30-14.45-17.00 with no primetime match. I wonder if Broadcasters had a part in moving the tournament out of primetime.

[Brekkie]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/61161709

Six Nations schedule for next year reveals no Friday night fixture and also on the final Saturday matches are 12.30-14.45-17.00 with no primetime match. I wonder if Broadcasters had a part in moving the tournament out of primetime.

No doubt that ITV would rather not have Ant and Dec take a week off - they'll just push it back to 7.30pm that week now. WRU no doubt blaming the Friday night slot rather than the £100+ ticket prices for failing to sell out that fixture.  Wales v England and Wales v Ireland in Saturday slots is better all round though.

Also worth noting the BBC have one Sunday fixture next year so it'll be interesting to see whether ITV get highlights that weekend, as per the old arrangement, or whether the BBC having highlights every week is part of the agreement for them cutting down to one match per week.   Personally think that makes sense rather than having one highlights show on ITV.


It will be interesting to see what happens with the womens tournament next year.   It does seem to be getting better crowds in it's own window.

[RhysJR]

[Rdd]

Looking at all the EPCR quarter finals together, I wonder was the priority to make sure all games involving English teams *and* all games involving French teams both got individual time slots, at the expensive of a clash between two Heineken Cup quarter finals. The clashing fixtures are an English v Irish and an all-French affair.