Rugby Union
Competition heats up in France with three big tenders out
Strong competition is expected between France’s main pay-television broadcasters for Uefa Champions League, Formula One and European rugby rights, with all three properties currently on the market.
BT Sport targets Scottish rugby rights
UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport has submitted a multi-million-pound bid to acquire rights for the Scottish national rugby union team’s Autumn Test series, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.
Eurosport, France Télévisions secure rights to Women’s Rugby World Cup
International sports broadcaster Eurosport and public-service broadcaster France Télévisions have been confirmed as rights-holders of this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup national team tournament in France.
Twitter adds to sports-rights portfolio with Six Nations deal
Social media platform Twitter has expanded its presence in the sports-rights market by agreeing a sublicensing deal for live-streaming rights to France’s games in the Six Nations.
Women’s Rugby World Cup rights assigned in host nation
Irish public-service broadcaster RTÉ and pay-television broadcaster Eir Sport have acquired rights for the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
ITV seals Rugby World Cup rights extension
UK commercial broadcaster ITV has extended a rights deal with World Rugby, the global governing body of rugby union, for the Rugby World Cup national team tournament.
Eleven Sports converts Six Nations rights deal
International sports broadcaster Eleven Sports has acquired rights in Singapore to the 2017 Six Nations rugby union tournament.
Sky picks up rights for Women’s Six Nations
UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has acquired rights for the 2017 Women’s Six Nations rugby union tournament.
France Télévisions to broadcast Women’s Rugby World Cup
French public-service broadcaster France Télévisions has struck a deal to show the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
FFR and LNR agree to shift televised Top 14 Sunday game
The Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) and Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) have agreed to shift the weekly Sunday afternoon Top 14 game that is shown on pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus to 5pm local time following complaints from the amateur game.
FFR awards Top 8 women’s rugby rights
The Fédération Française de Rugby has sealed rights deals for the Top 8 women’s rugby union tournament in France with public-service broadcaster France Télévisions and international sports broadcaster Eurosport.
Pro12 appoints RTÉ executive as commercial director
The Pro12 pan-European rugby union club competition has appointed Dermot Rigley as its new commercial director.
Premiership Rugby converts GEE distribution partnership
Premiership Rugby, the governing body of the top division of English rugby union, has entered into a distribution partnership with in-flight and maritime entertainment specialist Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE).
World Rugby details new rights partners for Sevens Series
World Rugby has said the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Channel and international digital terrestrial television and pay-television broadcaster CNN have signed up as new rights partners for the upcoming 2016-17 Sevens Series.
ITV signs up for two World Cups as new deals start to roll in
UK commercial broadcaster ITV has bought rights to the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, while deals have also been struck in Japan and sub-Saharan Africa, TV Sports Markets understands.
Eurosport ends wait for Pro12 coverage in Italy
International sports broadcaster Eurosport has secured exclusive rights in Italy for the Pro12 European club rugby union championship.
SBS picks up FTA rights to Australia’s Autumn International games
Australian public-service broadcaster SBS has secured exclusive free-to-air rights to two of Australia’s matches in the 2016 Autumn Internationals rugby union series.
BT Sport converts rights to Italy’s autumn internationals
UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport has acquired rights to the Italian rugby union team’s upcoming autumn international Test matches.