Rugby Union

World Rugby, the global governing body of rugby union, has launched the tender process for the appointment of host broadcast services for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Fijian commercial broadcaster FBC has acquired rights to the 2015-16 season of the World Rugby Sevens Series.

Irish pay-television broadcaster Setanta Sports has agreed a two-season deal for highlights of the Premiership, the top tier of English club rugby union.

UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has agreed a five-year extension to its rights contract with Sanzar, the umbrella body for the Australian, New Zealand and South African rugby unions.

English club rugby union’s top-tier Premiership will receive free-to-air exposure during the opening weeks of its 2015-16 season, with pay-television broadcaster BT Sport set to provide three games via its BT Sport Showcase channel.

Sri Lankan pay-television operator Dialog Television has struck a carriage deal that will allow it to show coverage of the ongoing Rugby World Cup national rugby union team tournament in England.

Sanzar, which operates the Super Rugby franchise-based rugby union competition in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, has finalised a new rights deal, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has agreed a partnership with Transport for London under which the city’s commuters will be provided with live news and updates from the forthcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup national team tournament.

Media rights clips from August 27 to September 9

New Zealand prime minister John Key has announced a deal that will allow the Pacific Islands to receive free-to-air coverage of rugby union matches.

Indian pay-television channel Sony Six has acquired rights for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

French media group Vivendi has acquired an additional 10-per-cent shareholding in video-sharing website Dailymotion to increase its stake to 90 per cent.

French telco Altice signalled its intent to bid aggressively for sports rights late last month, teaming up with RDA TV to buy international Premiership Rugby rights.

Federal television channel Peretz has acquired rights in Russia to the 2015 Rugby World Cup national team tournament.

Delia Bushell, managing director of television and sport for UK telecommunications company BT, has said talks are being held to strengthen the bond between its pay-television broadcaster BT Sport and public-service broadcaster the BBC.

Australian pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports will show live coverage of all 39 games of the 2015 National Rugby Championship, the third-tier club rugby union tournament in the country.