Premier Sports planning 24/7 rugby channel with Champions Cup at heart

Broadcaster Premier Sports are planning to create a 24/7 rugby union channel after announcing a deal to show every match of the Investec Champions Cup over the next three years.

Club rugby’s top competition is moving from TNT Sports, mainly due to the Warner Bros. Discovery company making an investment into international rugby with the Autumn Nations Series and singing a new agreement with Premiership Rugby.

The three-year-deal will see every game broadcast in addition to the broadcaster’s existing agreements with the United Rugby Championship and the French Top 14.

Jacques Raynaud, CEO of EPCR, said: “In addition to the match day coverage, the creation of a 24/7 rugby channel represents a step-change in Premier Sports rugby coverage.

“The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup will be at the heart of this new offering.

“Furthermore, we have been able to work with Premier Sports to ensure new fixture times for English clubs, avoiding clashes with Premier League football to maximise viewing.”

Sources close to the agreement told City A.M. that Premier Sports was not the first choice broadcaster for the EPCR board. But other options, said to once include a TNT deal and latterly a DAZN option, were not picked over Premier Sports.

Mickey O’Rourke, founding Managing Director of Premier Sports said: “We are delighted and proud to bring the world’s greatest international club rugby competition to our customers in the UK and Ireland.

“We will now provide the most comprehensive rugby club coverage available across the UK and Ireland with 80 top European rugby fixtures, 151 URC games across five rugby nations and 110 TOP14 games live – making Premier Sports the destination for any rugby fan – and we will be driving significant investment into raising the profile of EPCR’s competitions to new and existing audiences.”