Rugby Union

Irish public-service broadcaster RTÉ and pay-television broadcaster Eir Sport have acquired rights for the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

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.

International sports broadcaster Eleven Sports has acquired rights in Singapore to the 2017 Six Nations rugby union tournament.

UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has acquired rights for the 2017 Women’s Six Nations rugby union tournament.

French public-service broadcaster France Télévisions has struck a deal to show the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

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.

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.

The Pro12 pan-European rugby union club competition has appointed Dermot Rigley as its new commercial director.

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 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.

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.

International sports broadcaster Eurosport has secured exclusive rights in Italy for the Pro12 European club rugby union championship.

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.

UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport has acquired rights to the Italian rugby union team’s upcoming autumn international Test matches.

Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has acquired rights for Australia’s upcoming rugby union games against France and England.

Scottish Rugby earned an increase of more than 70 per cent by selling international rights to its autumn Test matches directly to the Pitch International agency, without offering them to the market.