World Rugby Launches Broadcast Tender

17 Feb 2016 | tshego

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World Rugby has launched the broadcast rights tender process in the UK and Ireland for the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup competitions.

According to the Telegraph, virtually all major UK television networks have expressed an interest in the rights for 2019, the value of which has soared.

ITV held the rights to the 2015 tournament hosted in England, with the process being managed by sports and entertainment company, IMG. Interested parties can submit offers for 2019 as a stand-alone or couple with the 2023 edition.

Unlike the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby World Cup does not require free-to-air transmission, with only the final that must be shown terrestrially under UK law.

The free-to-air broadcaster, ITV, held the rights to both the 2011 and 2015 in a two-tournament deal reportedly worth up to £70m, around £25m to £30m more than the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups.

In the UK, ITV achieved peak audiences in 2015 that reached 11.5 million for England’s match against Fiji, Wales and Australia and the final. The broadcaster also claimed the total UK three-minute reach was 40.2 million and 15 minute reach just under 34 million.

In Ireland, TV3 televised the tournament in the country, attracting its biggest ever audiences for Rugby World Cup matches involving an Irish team.

Brett Gosper, chief executive, World Rugby, said: “Rugby World Cup 2015 was a very special and record breaking tournament. Central to its success was the reach and appeal of the tournament through our broadcast partners in the UK and Ireland, where record rugby audiences were achieved.

“We are inviting all interested parties to enter the process and look forward to appointing our rights holding broadcasters for these important markets later in the year as the exciting momentum continues towards what promises to be a ground-breaking Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.”