ESPN Strikes £25m Guinness Premiership Deal

ESPN has agreed a three-year TV rights deal, worth a reported £25m, with Premier Rugby to show live Guinness Premiership matches from next season.

The deal will see ESPN televise 43 games exclusively live, including one semi-final and the Guinness Premiership final.

ESPN has effectively taken over the arrangement Premier Rugby had with Setanta before the Irish pay-TV channel folded early this year.

Sky Sports will show the other semi-final as part of its package of 26 live games.

The new deal means the total number of televised Premiership matches next season is more than double this season’s 33.

The original joint agreement with Setanta and Sky Sports, announced last December, boosted the Premiership’s domestic and international rights income to £54m with the new deal believed to see that figure maintained.

When Setanta folded, Premier Rugby was understood to be faced with the prospect of losing around £7m a season.

ESPN already broadcasts the French Top 14 and recently announced an agreement to show archive matches and footage from each of the six Rugby World Cup tournaments to date on ESPN Classic.

The new agreement also provides highlight rights for use on ESPN digital media such as ESPNScrum.com.