Sky Sports +

[josie andrews]

From Thursday 8th August the way you view Rugby League via Sky Sports will change. In the last off season Sky signed a deal with Super League to increase match coverage from 2 games a week to show all 6 every weekend.​
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Despite every match being on TV since the start of the season, it was always the long term intention that the deal would still see Sky showing it's 2 main matches on TV every weekend, like they've done for years, but the extra four games would be on shown on a new streaming service from Sky. The matches were only on TV because that new service wasn't ready to launch, until now. The new service launches on Thursday and thus the extra four matches will be made available via a stream rather than being on a Broadcast Channel.
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On that day Sky Sports Arena will rebrand to Sky Sports + on Sky Channel 412 (410 on Sky Glass) and Virgin Media Channel 508. This will be the place to find the channels content. Sky Sports + will have a main broadcast channel in place of Sky Sports Arena (which will feature some Super League matches) but the majority of its content will be via the red button. There you will find lots of streaming content like extra EFL Football matches, Tennis action and the four "extra" matches of Super League.
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So in an nutshell - every weekend you will generally get Sky's two main pick broadcasts on TV and the other four will be brought to you via streams using the Red Button on the Sky Sports + Channel.
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Sky's two main broadcasts being shown on TV will either on the Sky Sports + (main broadcast channel), Sky Sports Action or Sky Sports Mix. Magic Weekend for example will be shown on Sky Sports Action.
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In the first weekend of coverage you will find matches in the following way.
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Thursday 8th August

8pm Salford v St Helens (on Sky Sports + Main Channel - which was Sky Sports Arena)
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Friday 9th August

8pm Huddersfield v Catalan (Sky Sports + via Red Button)
8pm Hull KR v Castleford (Sky Sports + via Red Button)
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Saturday 10th August

3pm Leeds v Wigan (Sky Sports Action)
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Sunday 11th August

3pm Leigh v Hull (Sky Sports + via Red Button)
3pm London v Warrington (Sky Sports + via Red Button)
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All six matches from Magic Weekend are on Sky Sports Action.
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NRL and NRLW Coverage will not be shown on Sky Sports +. You will still find these matches remaining across Sky Sports Action & Sky Sports Mix.
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Things to Note.

Sky Sports + is not costing extra. It is being made available via your current Sky Sports Subscription.
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You will not be able to record Sky Sports + Red Button/Streaming content. You will probably be able to watch these on demand but I'm not 100% sure on that.
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If you watch via Now TV you will receive all Sky Sports + Content.
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Sky Sports + content will not be available on Sky Go. Instead you will need to use your Sky Go log in on the Sky Sports App to watch matches on your phone or tablet. The app is expected to have a significant update before launch date.
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Older Sky (HD boxes) and Virgin Boxes will not be able to receive this service. Sky customers will need Sky Go or Sky Glass. Virgin Media customers will need a 360 box or Virgin Media Stream.
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https://www.rugbyleagueontv.com/skysportsplusexplainer

[josie andrews]

Hope this helps people to know & possibly understand how Sky Sports + will work from Thursday 8th August.

[Mike]

Sounds like the Super League plus app is unaffected. Works great for overseas subscribers because everything is live and available immediately to watch again (in theory). There been a couple of times the matches haven't been put up for a day, but usually I can watch when I want.

I there wasn't a delay in the UK id recommend that over the sky subscription, but waiting a couple of days for a match to be available is a real problem.

[josie andrews]

Sounds like the Super League plus app is unaffected. Works great for overseas subscribers because everything is live and available immediately to watch again (in theory). There been a couple of times the matches haven't been put up for a day, but usually I can watch when I want.

I there wasn't a delay in the UK id recommend that over the sky subscription, but waiting a couple of days for a match to be available is a real problem.

I have paid for the SL + app & rarely use it it seems to be the same things unless I’m not sure how to use it

[Mike]

Sounds like the Super League plus app is unaffected. Works great for overseas subscribers because everything is live and available immediately to watch again (in theory). There been a couple of times the matches haven't been put up for a day, but usually I can watch when I want.

I there wasn't a delay in the UK id recommend that over the sky subscription, but waiting a couple of days for a match to be available is a real problem.

I have paid for the SL + app & rarely use it it seems to be the same things unless I’m not sure how to use it

It's the same matches you get on sky.

[widdenoldboy]

Anyone have issues with this tonight? I'm on Virgin Media and couldn't get it to work

[endoman]

Very laggy, froze often, nowhere near HD quality and hard to switch games. This running off the app on sky box. Thanks football….

[fozzie58]

Massive downgrade on what we’ve enjoyed this season so far I’m on sky glass it froze often production seemed poor at best to me it’s a football app that just happens to have other sports on it but the real killer is you can’t record matches which is ludicrous will give it till the seasons end and cancel sky sports I think

[Southern Softy]

What a shambles and designed solely to get 'customers' (poor sods) to spend money on upgrades.

My perfectly adequate Sky HD box no longer can get rugby league on Sky+ (despite paying full whack for a sports subscription) - (thank god Wigan v Leeds is on a real Sky channel) - so have had to complain to Sky, who are employing traditional delaying tactics.

Sky Go, which was perfect for watching games is now useless and the Sky Sports app freezes every 35/40 seconds, resuming at the point in the match that it froze. This meant that when Huddersfield/Cats reached half-time in real life - the Sky app had was just over 30 minutes into the game.
Might seem minor but for those in the future who watch Sky with no sound and Joe Mills & Bilko to provide decent commentary - it will be impossible to join the two up.

Thanks Sky for cocking up a perfectly sound (albeit expensive) method of watching rugby league.

[EDINBURGH-WARRIOR]

Anyone have issues with this tonight? I'm on Virgin Media and couldn't get it to work

Virgin Media in Edinburgh just had a page advising no events available on the Sky+ channel when trying to access the Rugby. Later on the page kept trying to connect to something without success. Obviously not set up properly. I am hearing now that new set top boxes might be needed for some Virgin Media customers to access these channels. I'm not up to speed with this technology so I'm not sure


EW