Rugby: Auckland viewers rage as rain freezes Sky's Bledisloe Cup coverage

The disappointment of an All Blacks loss to Australia was compounded by interrupted TV coverage for many in the Auckland region. Photo / Photosport

Auckland rugby fans were left fuming last night as those tuning in to the game on Sky's satellite TV service had their coverage interrupted by rain fade.

A dramatic first half between the All Blacks and Australia that saw two red cards and a tight 8-8 scoreline happened to coincide with rain and thunderstorms across the Tamaki Makaurau region, leading to outages for the popular television service.

Angry viewers then took to social media to voice their frustrations, only to be rebutted by other users who offered a simple solution to the situation.

#BOOM! Isolated Thunderstorms in #Auckland

Track live on NZ's only network: https://t.co/b7309qhVTk

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) November 7, 2020

Watching the Bledisloe, yeah right. Thanks Sky TV!! pic.twitter.com/J7R8BU8ArR

— Logan Darby (@Darbz73) November 7, 2020

Cheers @SkySports @skytv @SkyUK feed lost for the #AUSvNZL match!! Not what to expect from my monthly subscription you happily take off me

— ryan smith (@RyanSOriginal) November 7, 2020

So used to seeing cable in Samoa going on and off with bad weather. Come on Sky TV, it's only light showers. 🤪

— Faasao (Sa'o) Mulivai (@Sayo_101) November 7, 2020

Sky Sports New Zealand acknowledged on Twitter that it was unable to do anything to combat the rain fade that was affecting the satellite coverage, but suggested their SkyGo offering to multiple subscribers who complained.

"We absolutely understand the inconvenience, and we wish we could do more. You can also watch on SkyGo," Sky Sports NZ tweeted during the game.

Indeed, Sky's recommendation was endorsed by plenty of other rugby fans who enjoyed uninterrupted viewing through streaming services.

"Ok my fellow JAFAs suffering rain fade on your tv picture - take a look at the way we do tv now. You'll never look back!" Ruth Thielke posted along with a link to Vodafone's TV app, which takes coverage from Sky.

No rain fade on Vodafone TV.
Also, in case you're unaware, there's a bit of weather happening in Tāmaki Makaurau right now. #JustSaying

— Kiwi Kali 😷💉 (@kiwi_kali) November 7, 2020

Kept getting rain fade with the rugby. At least sky go offers the option to cast to my TV...

— Javeed Ali, PhD (@JNAli09) November 7, 2020

Ah good ol rain fade with Sky's legacy satallite tech, only seems to come to light if an AB game gets interrupted. A good time to remind everyone as to why we push for streaming #rainfade

— FiVG (@F24Laker) November 7, 2020

Despite the frustrations felt by many, this situation seems to have led to a valuable realisation for subscribers to Sky's satellite service: if it's grey outside as your favourite live event gets underway, get your streaming device ready to roll in case the dreaded rain fade strikes again.