So it all ended, just like that. After the growing unrest and boycotts, the coalition of more than 40 news organizations abruptly ended the two-day boycott of the Rugby World Cup on Friday, hours before the opening game, with a last-minute compromise offered by sports organizers who relented on restrictions of using the picture taken at the venue and used online.
The Rugby Union earlier had restricted that the number of photographs used online to 20 during each half of matches, and after the settlement, it is now permitting news organizations to post online up to 200 still photographs during live matches, reports AP.
But the last-minute deal will apply only to this tournament of 48 games and will have to be renegotiated for the next competition. In return, members of the news coalition pledged that they would not use these photos to create video material, meaning stills will not be shown at a greater speed than one every 30 seconds. Guardian: While RWC Ltd did not agree to relent on the three-minute video restriction, a meeting has been set for Monday to “discuss ways of identifying improved opportunities” to use video material from the tournament “beyond the existing three-minute limit per day”.
Statement from AP here.
In the end, the pressure to end the stalemate came form sponsors, desperate for as much coverage as possible: The tournament’s prime sponsor, Visa International, met with the board on Friday morning to urge the sports group to negotiate a compromise.
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