The Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Sky Sports have extended their partnership with a new five-year broadcast deal which will also see Sky Sports become a top level RFU partner, with a range of partnership rights for the first time.
The agreement strengthens one of the longest running broadcast partnerships in sport, taking it until the end of the 2019/20 season, and the relationship between the RFU and Sky Sports into its third decade. The deal will help to further raise the profile and interest of rugby union and take the sport to new audiences. It will also continue to enhance the RFU’s ability to invest in all levels of the game.
Rugby Union in England at all levels
The new deal, which begins in July 2015, provides a continued commitment to cover rugby union in England at all levels and comprises:
- Exclusively live coverage of England’s autumn QBE Internationals from Twickenham, QBE Internationals before the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and 2019, plus the annual England spring fixture
- At least two live England Women’s matches a season, as well as additional England Under 20, Under 18 and England Saxons fixtures
- A minimum of 11 live Greene King IPA Championship matches
Working with the governing body
Sky Sports is now consolidated as a major RFU partner and will work closely with the governing body to develop opportunities to support and cover grassroots rugby throughout the country.
This is the 25th major rights agreement secured by Sky Sports in 2014 and comes at the start of the biggest ever season of rugby union on Sky, with over 360 matches live from the international, European and domestic game. Next month, Sky Sports will show more Autumn Internationals than ever before including all of England’s QBE fixtures from Twickenham.
Unrivalled rugby coverage
Alison Dolan, Sky Business deputy Managing Director, commented, “This agreement is great news for pubs, offering licensees and their customers even more unrivalled rugby coverage from Sky Sports for the next five years. Rugby is the second most watched sport out of home and pub-goers can enjoy over 360 live rugby union matches a year on Sky Sports.”
The Sky Sports rugby union schedule features over 360 live matches this season including Autumn Internationals from England, Ireland, France and Italy, European Rugby Champions Cup and hallenge Cup, Top 14, Guinness PRO12, IRB Sevens World Series, and women’s rugby.
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