Quote: Sherbert Dip "Rumours around that Virgin Media will after all have Premier Sports for free on some of their packages for duration of World Cup
PLEASE BE TRUE!!!!'"
This letter is posted on Premier Sports Web Site, don't see why it would be there unless they are going to show the games on Virgin Media.....
MP's call for Virgin Media to add Premier Sports
04/10/2013
Rugby League World Cup 2013 on Premier Sports
I write on behalf of the Parliamentary Rugby League Group, a body comprising over 70 Members of Parliament from both Houses and all parties celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2013.
For some time, the Group has been aware of the lack of ability to view Championship rugby league on the Virgin Media platform via the broadcaster Premier Sport. Whilst we feel this is a significant oversight on behalf of Virgin Media, the matter needs to be addressed as we approach the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
Rugby league is one of the UK’s biggest sports, and to not have its world championships available to as wide an audience as possible in the host nation is lamentable. Not only that, the Rugby League World Cup will be the UK’s first multi-national tournament since the 2012 Olympics and is one of the five major world sporting events taking place in the UK this decade.
We note that the channel has been running since August 2010 and, over three years later, no agreement has taken place despite it showing content of relevance to UK audiences, particularly in the north of England where Virgin Media’s market share is, we understand, at its highest. We note also that BT Sport was made available to Virgin XL customers over a matter of days.
Looking at Virgin Media’s own online forums, there have been calls to provide Premier Sport across your platform for some time. We therefore find it difficult to imagine a solution cannot be found, particularly as we understand that Virgin Media is strongest in the north of England, the heartlands of rugby league.
Like our constituents, Members of the Parliamentary Rugby League Group are fans of the sport, and we share their unhappiness that games are not available to watch. We recognise there are commercial aspects that need to be addressed but feel this is an error. We therefore encourage both sides to come to an agreement as soon as possible, in good time to show RLWC13.
Kind regards,
Greg Mulholland MP
Chairman
All-Party Parliamentary Rugby League Group