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Rugby World Cup 2011 - Source: Photosport -
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The Prime Minister says if necessary he will step in to stop thousands of New Zealanders missing out on watching the opening ceremony of the 2011 Rugby World Cup for free.
In a draft bid, Maori Television have the exclusive rights to the free-to-air broadcast, but 10% of the country can't get Maori Television.
"If I had to lend my shoulder to the wheel, I guess I would," Prime Minister John Key told ONE News on Thursday.
As the bid now stands, Maori Television will exclusively screen the opening ceremony and the first game between the All Blacks and Tonga.
When the opening ceremony for the 2007 Rugby World Cup began in France, despite a start at 6am, an average of 139,000 New Zealanders tuned it to watch.
If the bid becomes successful, around three times as many people won't be able to watch the 2011 opening ceremony in New Zealand, something Labour Minister Trevor Mallard isn't happy with.
"I don't think it's fair, after paying all that money already, that people have got to pay up to watch their own opening ceremony," Mallard says.
The decision as to who screens the rest of the games is still under debate by Maori TV, TVNZ, and TV3.
However, a rough draft bid has been proposed so that the 16 All Blacks games will be screened free-to-air all networks; the eight major All Blacks games will be screened live on Maori TV, TVNZ, and TV3, while the other eight will screen live on Maori TV, with delayed coverage on TVNZ and TV3.
That way, Key says, "New Zealanders will be able to choose the platform they want to watch those critical games, while ensuring that Maori Television is going to have potentially up to 16 games."
