Popular rugby commentator Scotty 'Sumo' Stevenson has jumped ship from Sky to join Spark and TVNZ for their Rugby World Cup coverage.
This year, the telecommunications company won broadcast rights to the four-yearly tournament, where the All Blacks will attempt to win a third-straight title in Japan next year.
Selected games will also be shown free-to-air on TVNZ, where Stevenson will fill a sports reporting role for 1 NEWS.
Stevenson becomes the first signing for the commentary team, with further recruitments expected early in the new year.
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"It's great to have an experienced presenter and commentator of Scotty's calibre on the team," says Spark Sport head Jeff Latch. "You can be sure that we'll make good use of Scotty's varied talents.
Stevenson's presence will also further alleviate fears that Spark is ill-prepared to meet the demands of World Cup coverage.
During the Football World Cup this year, Optus proved incapable of handling viewership and was obliged to pass its rights on to free-to-air SBS.
But Spark has eased concerns on this side of the Tasman, enlisting other sports to its stable - including English Premier League football and Formula One motor racing - and partnering with a reputed platform provider.
iStreamPlanet also provided support for the Olympics, NBA League Pass and the NFL Super Bowl.
Newshub.
