Pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand has introduced new daily and weekly services to access its sports channels, adding it is hopeful of striking a late deal to cover the national cricket team’s tour of South Africa.
Non-Sky subscribers can now buy a 24-hour ‘Fan Pass’ for online access to its sports channels for NZ$14.99 (€9/$10) or a weekly pass for $19.99.
The latest move comes after Sky in February introduced online ‘season tickets’ to individual sports properties such as the Super Rugby club competition and motor racing championship Formula One.
The Stuff.co.nz website said these offers have struggled due to high pricing. Sky spokeswoman Kirsty Way said it had listened to feedback about the earlier offers and believed its daily and weekly passes, which provide access to Sky Sports channels 1 to 4, would have “wider appeal”.
Meanwhile, Way said Sky is in last-minute negotiations with the agency working on behalf of Cricket South Africa over New Zealand’s tour to the country and hopes to secure a rights deal before the first of two Twenty20 internationals, on Friday in Durban. “It is a similar to last time – we are hopeful if not confident,” Way told Stuff.co.nz.
Sky was only able to confirm coverage of this month’s Zimbabwe tour a day before the first match. New Zealand’s tour of South Africa is composed of two T20 games, followed by three one-day internationals.