Why SU Agen is Pro D2’s favorite prime time team on Canal +, according to Eric Bayle

This Pro D2 has more live teams than any other. Who are these teams? There are teams with a history of the French Rugby Championship. So Agen ticks that box. There are teams that were even in the Top 14 recently. Agen also ticks that box. We can sort of put Biarritz, Oyonnax and Grenoble in the same basket as Mont-de-Marsan. Logically, programming takes these elements into account.

The six most-streamed teams in prime time indicate the top six spots, whether your picks include sports logic…

This Pro D2 has more live teams than any other. Who are these teams? There are teams with a history of the French Rugby Championship. So Agen ticks that box. There are teams that were even in the Top 14 recently. Agen also ticks that box. We can sort of put Biarritz, Oyonnax and Grenoble in the same basket as Mont-de-Marsan. Logically, programming takes these elements into account.

The six most-watched teams in prime time point to the top six, does your selection also have sports logic?

The rugby community is interested in posters for qualification. So whether it’s Top 14 or Pro D2, we favor the teams at the top of the table. But it would still be interesting if a team that I describe as a “carrier” like Agen finds itself in the second part of the classification and has to move up, because the rugby community is interested in the progress of the leading teams. So the Agenais have no choice, there is a kind of guarantee that they will be broadcast on our antennas very often. I hope nobody complains about it in the agenda! Will I get my weight in plums?

Are these prime-time posters successful?

Even if they don’t quite reach the level of the top 14, the audience of the Pro D2 is very satisfying indeed and is growing every year. There is a built-in soap opera and as for the Top 14, it is very interesting because it is tight, it is never the same with the teams in front and there are also many tense quality matches. All this may explain this very good audience.

Could the league’s decision to postpone Pro D2 for the week also explain these hearings?

Maximizing Pro D2’s visibility by separating it from the weekend and competition from the Top 14 is a success and has become a habit. It is very useful for the competition to have its own space. Everyone has their place and it’s a win-win. On Thursday nights, when you like sport and there’s not much on TV, there’s a rugby match. This is a good development and there are still many people in the stadiums. And then Pro D2 players should be happy to spend their weekends!

“We believe in Pro D2 and we are doing everything to satisfy our subscribers by expanding the coverage”

Is there a difference when you choose a Thursday bonus and a Friday bonus?

We have two boxes, which should be the two primetime main posters. On Friday at 7pm, the poster might give us a little spin. Now we have an exclusive [NDLR : Eurosport et France 3 ont aussi diffusé la Pro D2 par le passé], which allows the 1st poster to definitely post on Thursday as before. Especially for derbies, we know that it is easier for supporters to move on a Thursday night than on a Thursday night. This explains why, for example, we have scheduled the Agen v Mont-de-Marsan match on Friday February 10 at 21:00, because it seems better for us to fill the stadiums.

The new Armandie stadium offers excellent reception conditions for your teams. Is this also active for distribution of SU Agen?

The progression of the Pro D2 over the last ten years is remarkable. The appearance of the stadiums has changed a lot, the general lighting is better. Today we have beautiful stadiums. Clearly, this new camera-facing platform from Agen takes on a more interesting dimension. This is also the case at the Vannes stadium, where SUA played its last match. The modernity and fullness of the stadium are also important. Enthusiasm and audience are on the agenda. It’s always nicer to have a broadcast with full stands instead of half empty. This is an in-game item.

In general, how do you see the evolution of this championship?

For ten years, Pro D2 has grown exponentially in terms of sporting interest, audience and credibility of the championship. It’s a really interesting championship that brings together dozens of historic French rugby clubs, either slightly elevated by the Top 14 or the flagship teams of Pro D2. We intend to better showcase the final stages of this year and future seasons. We are thinking about the semi-final and final exhibition on Canal+ Premium. We believe in Pro D2 and are doing everything to satisfy our subscribers by expanding our coverage.