TNT rebrand: How rugby on TV will look next season as new faces revealed
Premiership and European rugby will be shown on a brand new channel after BT Sport's rebrand to TNT Sports
By Charles Richardson, Rugby Reporter 18 July 2023 ? 8:12am
Televised rugby in England will receive a makeover ahead of the new season as part of BT?s rebrand to TNT Sports, with sources telling Telegraph Sport that fans will be closer to the action than ever before, with the use of mobile cameras and a revamp to pre-match build-up being explored by television executives.
The punditry team will welcome two new faces: Stuart Hogg and Emily Scarratt. Hogg, who retired from all rugby with immediate effect last week with 100 Scotland caps to his name, will join TNT Sports? stable of pundits alongside Scarratt, the World Cup winner who has established herself as a popular broadcaster, comprising a third of The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby podcast.
In a further shake-up, Orla Chennaoui, the current lead presenter of Eurosport?s cycling coverage, will join Craig Doyle on the presenting team, which will also be supplemented by incumbent pundit Ugo Monye in a hybrid role. It is understood that the current plan is to have Chennaoui ? a passionate rugby fan ? presenting the Friday night match, Monye on Saturday and Doyle on Sunday.
Rugby Tonight, BT Sport?s Sunday night review of the weekend?s action, will not be continuing in its current guise, instead replaced by a rugby analysis programme that will commence directly after the Sunday match, broadcast live from the stadium in which it is taking place and could include fan involvement. ?Where we can be on-site and connect with the sport and the fans, we will,? a senior TNT Sports executive told Telegraph Sport.
In a further boost to the Premiership?s desire to increase its appeal to casual and non-rugby fans, Telegraph Sport understands that the Saturday 12.30pm Premier League kick-off, for which TNT Sports own the rights, will always lead into the afternoon Premiership rugby fixture without the viewer having to change channel.
Telegraph Sport understands that TNT Sport have identified the casual or non-traditional rugby fan as a key area of growth, with the hope that the allure of live sport will convince a proportion of their football audience to remain on the channel after the final whistle.
?What?s the next evolution of the content of rugby?? a TNT Sports executive said. ?How do we connect rugby and football together? We don?t see a negative; only upsides. But we have to do it carefully, treating both communities still as either ?rugby fans? or ?football fans?, but there is an opportunity in that Saturday time slot.?
Last season saw three Premiership teams go to the wall owing to financial difficulties which are being felt across the league. While TNT Sports were saddened by the demise of three well known brands, the broadcaster is seeing the positive sides. It is understood that a 10-team league is seen as the ideal size at boardroom level, owing to the increased availability of international players
?We put that to the Premiership a long time ago,? the executive added. ?That?s where the casual audience flows through from. If you?re a casual fan, and you follow international rugby, you?re more likely to follow those internationals back to their clubs.?
What does the rebrand mean?
Although none of BT Sport?s punditry and commentary team have been relieved of their duties in the merger with TNT, the addition of Hogg, Scarratt and Chennaoui means that viewers should expect to see some fresh faces on their screens when domestic rugby restarts again in September - and, perhaps, to see some of the returning presenters and pundits a little less often.
Austin Healey, Ben Kay, Lawrence Dallaglio and Brian O?Driscoll will all still feature for TNT Sports, but the signing of Hogg and Scarratt means that the aforementioned quartet might be appearing a little less frequently on our screens.
The same is true of Doyle, the face of BT Sport?s rugby coverage for the past decade. While the Irishman will remain an integral part of the TNT Sports coverage - presenting the feature match on Sunday and the subsequent weekend analysis show - Doyle will cede lead presenting duties on Friday and Saturday to Chennaoui and Monye respectively - both of whom are highly regarded within the corridors of TNT Sports.
Having said that, the broadcaster remains flexible and would not rule out featuring both Doyle and Chennaoui together on a Friday night, for instance, if the pre-game narrative was compelling enough.
Continuing the ?new name, same game? tagline of the rebrand, Oval Insights - the ?Moneyball? analytics firm making waves in rugby and beyond - will continue providing the official stats and intel to TNT Sports? coverage.
The use of mobile cameras could be one tangible area of innovation to spawn from the rebrand, with TNT Sports currently assessing their camera numbers and uses. A more intimate pre-match build-up is one of the broadcaster?s desires, too, with closer partnership with governing bodies seen as integral to such developments.
?Let us get closer,? the executive said. Let us get to places where you?re not normally comfortable with a broadcaster being. That?s trust - not learnt and taught overnight. To have cameras closer to where the players are, to understand the build-up, to go into places where the audience can see the tension. That relies on a relationship with clubs and teams. We want to be part of the positive narrative - not uncover. We?re there to bring the sport to life.?
Always a Wasp
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