Sky Sports will offer customers even more top class rugby union from next season, after securing a five-year agreement to show France’s TOP-14 exclusively live.
From August 2014, Sky Business customers can enjoy over 55 live matches a season from French rugby’s leading competition, featuring stars from 28 different nations including Jonny Sexton, Jamie Roberts, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Matt Giteau and Bryan Habana.
More Rugby Union and Sevens than ever
It will be the first time Sky Sports has shown TOP-14 rugby, and the agreement means next season viewers can enjoy over 360 live rugby union matches plus 20 days of Sevens matches from around the world – more than ever before.
Sky Sports will show at least two live TOP-14 matches and a highlights programme a week through to the Play-Offs and Final in June. The top six teams at the end of the regular season will qualify to join the following season’s European Rugby Champions Cup which is also live on Sky Sports.
Sky Sports Managing Director Barney Francis said: “This agreement brings even more top class rugby union to Sky Sports. TOP-14 rugby features some of the best international players and best teams and this deal strengthens our unrivalled rugby schedule even further.”
Unrivalled schedule of live rugby
Sky Sports offers its customers an unrivalled schedule of live rugby union including British & Irish Lions, Autumn Internationals from England, Ireland, France and Italy, European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, Pro 12 and Super Rugby.
The commentary and studio line up on Sky Sports boasts some of the biggest names in rugby union with eight members having played for or against the Lions and over 550 international caps between them.
Expert analysis is provided by Will Greenwood, Sean Fitzpatrick, Ieuan Evans, Scott Quinnell, Michael Lynagh, Scott Hastings, Dewi Morris and Paul Wallace. Coverage is presented by Alex Payne, James Gemmell and Rupert Cox with commentary from Stuart Barnes and Miles Harrison.
The deal is the latest in a series of long-term rights announcements by Sky Sports this year, including British & Irish Lions Tour 2017, PGA Tour Golf, IPL cricket, Scottish Football and Super League rugby
In addition to live TV coverage of at least two matches and a highlights programme a week, Sky Sports will bring news, interviews and results on Sky Sports News and skysports.com.
About Sky Business
Sky Business is the business-to-business division of Sky, the UK and Ireland’s leading entertainment and communications company. Sky Business provides commercial customers in the UK and Ireland with comprehensive multichannel television services across a wide variety of businesses. These include pubs, sports clubs, bookmakers, hotels, offices, gyms, shops, care homes, golf clubs and oil rigs.
Sky Business has led the way in delivering innovation to commercial customers. This has included the introduction of high-definition (HD) television and the launch of Europe’s first 3DTV channel, Sky 3D, in January 2010 before it was available to residential customers. Sky’s free WiFi service, powered by The Cloud, followed in July 2011 and now allows 11,000 licensed outlets to offer free WiFi – helping to attract valuable customer footfall and create an enhanced customer experience. The Cloud also has exclusive commercial partnerships with retail, leisure, hotels, sports, transport and entertainment customers.
Sky continues to offer an unrivalled line-up of live sport. Sky Sports remains the home of football with more than 500 matches spanning the Barclays Premier League, Sky Bet Football League, UEFA Champions League, SPL, Scottish Football League and La Liga. In addition to football, Sky Sports is offering back-to-back Ashes series, every race weekend from the Formula One season, grand slam tennis, golf majors, PGA tour golf, the Heineken Cup and international rugby.
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