Premiership rugby stays on free-to-air TV in new two-year deal

Premiership rugby will remain available to terrestrial TV viewers after the league extended its deal with ITV to show seven live matches per season.

The two-year agreement ensures the Premiership Final will be shown live on ITV, which will also continue to broadcast a weekly highlights programme.

“Premiership Rugby is thrilled to extend our relationship with ITV and to continue to provide free-to-air access to Gallagher Premiership Rugby with seven blockbuster fixtures on top of the revamped weekly highlights show,” said league chief Simon Massie-Taylor.

“The 2023-24 season saw ITV viewership records smashed for The Showdown 5 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium between London rivals Saracens and Harlequins – and again for the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final 2024 – adding to an impressive year-on-year increase in overall audience share.”

Saturday’s West Country derby between Bath and Bristol Bears will be the first match of the new campaign shown live on ITV.

Leicester’s clash with Gloucester on 19 October will also be on free-to-air television, as well as the Tigers’ Big Game against Harlequins at Twickenham on 28 December.

The remaining three regular-season matches will be confirmed later. All will also be broadcast on TNT Sports, which has live rights to all matches either on its channels or streaming service Discovery+.

“Viewers are eagerly anticipating the new Gallagher Premiership Rugby season on ITV1 and ITVX this autumn,” said Niall Sloane, director of ITV Sport.

“As well as last season outperforming the previous on linear, on ITVX streams for the matches and highlights were up by 14 per cent also with 1.8m.”