No Wide Web in rugby World Cup

Dan Grech Sep 8, 2007

TEXT OF STORY

Scott Jagow: So did you see the game last night? Boy, the Colts looked good. They beat the Saints 41-10 in the NFL season opener. The game was on NBC but you could also follow it at dozens of websites. The same cannot be said of the rugby World Cup in Paris. A dispute over media rights has prompted a boycott. Dan Grech explains.


Dan Grech: Tonight’s kickoff match: Argentina versus France. But unless you’re watching on TV, it’ll be hard to follow the game.

The International Rugby Board has placed tight restrictions on publishing Web photos. In response, 40 media organizations, including the Associated Press and Reuters, say they’ll boycott coverage altogether.

Ken Shropshire is a sports marketing professor at Wharton.

Ken Shropshire: Nobody seems to know, is more exposure better for the sport overall in the long run, or should you be focused on these exclusive relationships?

Some analysts say it’s a moot point: The Internet genie’s already out of the bottle. Washington Post sports reporter Amy Shipley:

Amy Shipley: It’s just very clear that no one yet has their arms around the problem because there have been so many different things people have done to try to control the uncontrollable.

There’s still a chance at an 11th hour resolution. It’s got all the tension of a tight game.

I’m Dan Grech for Marketplace.

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