Are Netflix series about sporting events worth all the hassle for teams?

IRELAND got off to a flying start in the Six Nations tournament with a comfortable 34-10 win over Wales and a superb home win against the French, and with the Italians coming to Dublin on Saturday they’ve prepared well for a shot at the Grand Slam and overall Six Nations winner.

However, what sets this year’s competition apart from previous events is the presence of Netflix cameras in the team bubbles.

The IRFU and the other participating six-nation teams will each receive €113,500 as part of the deal, which will bring behind-the-scenes cameras for the duration of the tournament. That number will rise to nearly €140,000 next season when the rugby version of ‘ Drive to survive“ is renewed.

That’s a huge amount of money for the participating teams, but some were less willing to open their doors to the cameras.

This has created some tension on the ground at the team level, as each team hosts a crew of cameramen. They are understood to be interviewing a group of eight Irish players including Keith Earls and Peter O’Mahony but not captain Johnny Sexton.

They have access to the coaching staff for regular interviews and can film parts of training, but behind-the-scenes access has not lived up to expectations.

Players from several sides, including Ireland, are understood to be unhappy with the lack of initial advice, while staff are concerned they will have to scale back their presentation when cameras are on.

Ireland and other teams are reluctant to give up all of their ‘intellectual property’ on tactics as many of these materials will still be important to them in the next year or so.

This begs the question, will a Netflix series shed light on the sport and in turn gain more fans, or will it just hamper the team’s involvement in the competition?

If this series on the concept of ‘ Drive to survive‘, one would assume that giving rugby as much access as possible would benefit rugby. It transformed Formula 1 with over 53% of its followers becoming fans of the sport after watching the series.

Airing next year, this Six Nations show could see a similar fan base only from Netflix. In times of sports series and documentaries, there is a lack of rugby footage.

Some people argue that it’s time for rugby to upsell the game and go head-to-head with its counterparts in soccer and other sports. The modern supporter is desperate for behind-the-scenes glimpses. Fans want to get a feel for camp life. They love to see more player personalities.

There seems to be a delicate balance between accessing footage and invading the staff and their players.

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The beauty of ‘ Drive to survive‘ are the off-the-cut moments rather than the staged interviews and driving footage.

This footage could be hampered in the Six Nations series due to the demands placed on coaches to win at all costs, rather than helping a Netflix crew film.

It will be interesting to see if this unwillingness on the part of players and coaches to open their doors to filming weighs on the series’ bottom line. The Six Nations is one of the most competitive rugby tournaments in the world and the winner is held in very high esteem. Perhaps the competitive nature of the team’s participation will affect the outcome of the series, but rugby as a whole seems to need this.

Of course there are die-hard rugby fans who still watch every game, but for others the Six Nations is something they just don’t care about.

If the right balance is struck between the film’s producers and the team’s competition, they shouldn’t be a reason this series isn’t successful.

Competitiveness and the goal of winning those games should be paramount, but Netflix’s access to these rugby teams is definitely a step in the right direction.