Premiership Rugby Converts US TV Deal

Fox Sports has acquired US broadcasting rights to select Premiership Rugby matches through a sublicensing agreement with Major League Rugby (MLR).

The deal will see US media giant Fox broadcast six league fixtures on network TV, as well as the play-offs and final showpiece game from the 2023/24 season.

MLR’s over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform, The Rugby Network, holds US rights to all 93 fixtures from the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, through an agreement signed last September.

Fox will now sublicense select Premiership games, as an extension of the network’s exclusive broadcast rights partnership with MLR.

The Premiership is eyeing the US as a key market for expansion, with the latest agreement set to provide greater exposure for England’s top-flight union division.

Mark Brittain, Chief Commercial Officer of Premiership Rugby, said, “The US is a key growth market for Premiership Rugby and we have a close partnership with Major League Rugby who have showcased the big hits, spectacular tries and unmissable drama for the past five months on The Rugby Network platform.

“We know how much the 30 million rugby fans in North America love the unpredictable drama of Gallagher Premiership Rugby.

“And we are proud to further strengthen our ties with MLR and Fox Sports to bring our league into millions more homes across the United States.”