Are the All Blacks poised to play free-to-air Test rugby next year?

The way Kiwis watch the world champion All Blacks at rugby's global showpiece event could be about to change.

In a surprise move, Sky TV announced it's not the preferred bidder to broadcast next year's Rugby World Cup.

It's understood Spark and TVNZ have made a joint bid for the rights.

That would mean games being livestreamed by the telecommunications company and played free-to-air by the broadcaster, if they're successful in their bid.

Rugby's premier tournament is being held in Japan between September and November next year..

Rugby World Cup 2015 was the most-viewed rugby event in history with a total audience of one billion and huge growth in the Asian market.

“

I think they've just been too slow. They should have seen this coming

—  Paul Brislen | media commentator

It was also the most digitally connected, driven by online and social media consumption.

Sky said today it's disappointed not to be the preferred bidder and noted that the Rugby World Cup is an incredibly expensive event.

"I think they've just been too slow," media commentator Paul Brislen told 1 NEWS.

"They should have seen this coming.

"We've been talking about it for long enough. We've seen it in the UK several years ago with premier league football.

"British Telecom bought the rights there for 10 years for a billion pounds." 

While it will continue to show All Black Tests and Super Rugby, this is the latest chapter in a turbulent couple of years for Sky.

Earlier this week, chief executive John Fellet announced he's stepping down.

Today, the share price continued its downward trend over the last year, plunging a further 7.85 per cent today, ending the day down at $2.23.

So, who are the contenders to broadcast the tournament?

"We hear TVNZ and Spark are in the mix. Amazon should never be counted out. They've got very deep pockets, they've expressed an interest in this area," Mr Brislen said.

Neither TVNZ nor Spark would comment on any potential bids. If they were to succeed, it's presumed Spark would stream matches online, with TVNZ providing the free-to-air coverage.

Sky says its bid will remain in play should other negotiations fail.

But as things stand, it could be saying sayonara to the cup in the land of the rising sun.