David Higgins: Duco Events Founder on the competition for rugby broadcasting rights

There's competition over the rugby broadcast rights. 

British streaming disruptor DAZN is reportedly being courted by New Zealand Rugby. 

Talks with Sky have been dragging on – it's understood the broadcaster's offered $85 million dollars a year to renew, a smaller bid than its current deal of $111 million a year. 

Duco Events founder David Higgins told Mike Hosking he believes people would pay for DAZN just for the rugby – initially. 

He says they'd have to get everything right, including having the players become interesting stars, not robots. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Things hotting up in sports. Seemingly Sky TB and their
exclusive rugby rights are potentially facing a raid from the
English based streaming up fit The Zone and you Zeeland
Rugby is still sorting the deal at the moment. We
think Sky's got eighty five million on the table for that.
Do you go events founded? David Higgins as with us, David, morning,
good mo you're m'am. Well, thank you. Your experience with
Designe and the Saudi experience in boxing is what you

(00:21):
speak well of them?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yes? Well, hey, the the quick they paid their bills
and the quality of productions good.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Would they be interested in rugby given it's not truly
global and boxing is well?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
They're interested in spread so they bought Fox I think
in Australia, and if they did take an interest in
New Zealand rugby, they'd pick up past the country or
a third quickly, so you would think they'd be interested.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
So do you think that's a good move in this?
I was going to ask you about that? Do I
buy the Zone as a single operator? I don't know
what else they offer, Maybe they offer nothing I want
to watch, But do I give them money just to
watch rugby? As opposed to Sky, which offers me a
whole bunch of stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
It's a very good question, Mike, would.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
You well, yes, but I can afford to a lot
of people, can't.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
I think the production? Yeah, I think a lot of
people would initially, but they'd have to get it right.
And it's the whole package around it, like the players
have to be interesting stars not robots, you know. And
there's a lot more to it. But I think it's
a genuine thing.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Would it sink Sky?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
M Sky is listed on the New z Sox exchange,
so it's good for New Zealand in terms of employment
and tax. The Sky get it, So there's nothing gave Sky,
But hell yes, I think it will. It would massively
damaged Sky if that happened.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Exactly right, good catch it wasn't. Isn't Joe lovely? God,
he's lovely. I was watching him at the airport yesterday
and it's just he's such a nice guy, isn't he.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
I agree, so's a difference between big humble and pretending
to be humble and he genuinely treated and equally and
as lovely.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yeah, exactly all right, Good to talk to you, m
I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
Day.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
But taking to Duco Events founder, I don't know how
nervous Sky is going to be. Would you pay? I
mean that is the question. As a punter, you now
have to buy yet another streaming service to watch the
All Blacks? Would you do it? And surely the ends
are you take that into account when they're like.

Speaker 3 (02:38):
I mean, I know lots of people who cancel their
Sky Sports subscriptions every summer and then only get it
back on it. That's the same thing, isn't it. And
I'm going to do that, then they'll just go and
do this.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
I guess it is.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
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