ITV Retains Rugby World Cup Rights

07 Feb 2017 | tshego

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ITV has signed a seven-year broadcast partnership with World Rugby for exclusive UK broadcast rights to the Rugby World Cup.

The rights deal with rugby union’s international governing body covers the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups until 2023, with the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup, hosted in Ireland, marking the first event of the new agreement.

ITV was the host broadcaster of the Rugby World Cup in England in 2015, producing the world and domestic feeds for all 48 matches.

Bill Beaumont, chairman of World Rugby, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with ITV in an exciting long-term deal that will showcase our biggest 15s events, including Rugby World Cup, women’s Rugby World Cup and our annual World Rugby Under-20 Championship, to a free-to-air audience in the UK.

“As host broadcaster and a free-to-air giant, ITV was at the heart of the success story, bringing fans closer to what was the best-attended, most-viewed, most-competitive and most socially engaged Rugby World Cup ever and while this was a highly competitive process for one of rugby’s most prized broadcast rights, we were impressed by ITV’s passion for the sport and continued broadcast innovation.”