Premiership Rugby has reported a six-per-cent increase in the audience for its live matches on UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport.
English rugby union’s top flight attracted almost 8.9 million viewers during the 2014-15 season.
BT took on the rights to the Premiership for the first time in 2013-14, when there was a 40-per-cent audience increase. Premiership Rugby and BT Sport begin a renewed six-year broadcasting deal from next season.
A peak audience figure of 297,000 was recorded as Saracens beat Bath 28-16 in the Premiership Rugby Final at the end of last month, the highest number since 2010.
The highlights show for the final, shown by free-to-air commercial broadcaster ITV, drew 338,000 – the highest figure since December.