Premiership Rugby Lands ITV Rights Deal
Premiership Rugby has sealed a new multi-year, free-to-air domestic rights deal with commercial broadcaster ITV.
The agreement will cover the remainder of the 2021-22 season and the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns, bringing coverage of the league back to free-to-air television after Channel 5’s highlights programme came to an end last year.
The deal includes four live Gallagher Premiership contests this season on ITV, starting with Sale v Leicester on 30th January, as well as the competition’s final on 18th June on ITV4, plus weekly highlights that will be shown on ITV4 and repeated on ITV’s main channel.
It will be the first time in the tournament’s history that the Premiership final will be shown on free-to-air television in the UK.
In each of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, ITV will broadcast seven live games per campaign, including the Premiership final.
All of the live games on ITV will be simulcast on pay-television broadcaster BT Sport, which has comprehensive live rights in the UK.
New Premiership Rugby Chief Executive Simon Massie-Taylor said, “The return of Gallagher Premiership Rugby to terrestrial TV is the perfect way for us to kick off 2022. It’s great news for the league, our clubs, the supporters and the profile of rugby in England.
“Our ambition is to grow the game and make Gallagher Premiership Rugby available to as many people as possible.
“BT Sport have done an amazing job in building the core Premiership Rugby TV audience and the ITV partnership allows us to expand our reach into the households of millions of other rugby fans. This season our average match audience on BT Sport has risen 30% year on year, which shows the potential.
“We are delighted to have five games, rising to seven next season, live on ITV, but it is also crucial for us to have a weekly highlights programme that is accessible to millions of people… The highlights show gives a significant, regular presence with a broadcaster that will also show the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup 2023.”
The deal further enhances ITV’s portfolio of sports rights, which also includes exclusive live coverage of the England men’s and women’s football team, the FA Cup, horse racing and Tour de France cycling, in addition to the rugby union coverage.
Niall Sloane, ITV’s Director of Sport, added, “It has been a pleasure working with BT Sport and our partners at Premiership Rugby in agreeing this deal and we look forward to showcasing the action and the stories from this elite league over the coming years.”
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