48 matches on Spark Sport

Fri, 20 Sep - Sat, 2 Nov

The online streaming of the Rugby World Cup 2019 is set to be the tipping point for New Zealand broadband usage and one that we can all collectively capitalise on. Successfully streaming New Zealand’s biggest live sporting event is significant for our industry, and comes with opportunities and risk.

We perceive the two key areas of focus as Network Readiness and Fibre Connection Capacity.

In terms of network readiness, Spark Sport have already kicked things off and we have also been working with our teams on preparing for an anticipated 44% increase in Network traffic. If you are unsure whether the right people from your business are talking to us, please contact your account manager, and we will make sure we close the gap.

We envisage the potential for a late surge in fibre orders and we need to target them as soon as possible to get orders in the system. Standard lead times are between 10-15 days from the time you place your order, but as demand increases your installation may be scheduled for a month or more after your order has been placed.

Chorus have been working hard to get the message out to consumers with the launch of the Fibre Installation Tracker https://www.chorus.co.nz/streambig which is seeing some media cut-through. Nevertheless, Chorus research suggests that overall awareness of the tournament coverage being delivered over the Internet remains low.

At Devoli, we firmly believe that consumers who want the best Rugby World Cup experience will need fibre, and we want to ensure they don't miss out.

Key Considerations for the RWC

1. Contingency plans in the event of a late demand surge - we are working through our options, but as you will appreciate, there is a limit to how much LFC’s can scale their field capacity.

2. What plans (if any) do you have to stimulate fibre demand in the coming months? Particularly consider those consumers who are most interested in RWC 2019 but may not be aware of the latest developments in streaming sports.