DALLAS (August 20, 2023) – Major League Rugby (MLR) today announced a 2-year exclusive rights deal for Gallagher Premiership Rugby to be televised on MLR’s over-the-top (OTT) platform The Rugby Network (TRN) in the United States. The Gallagher Premiership will kick-off Friday, October 13th on TRN for U.S. viewers, with full-match coverage of all 93 games from the historic 10-team league.
“Bringing Gallagher Premiership Rugby to U.S. fans on The Rugby Network showcases our commitment to delivering more world-class rugby content to our fans,” said Nic Benson, MLR CEO. “The Gallagher Premiership showcases some of the best and most exciting rugby on the planet. We can’t wait for the season to kick-off October 13th.”
Simon Massie-Taylor, Premiership Rugby CEO, added: “The U.S. has a huge rugby following with more than 30 million fans of the sport so we are delighted to have agreed this landmark partnership with Major League Rugby.
“We also know that tens of thousands of them already engage with Premiership Rugby, so this is a great opportunity for both new and existing fans.
“The Rugby Network’s growing audience will be able to enjoy the unmissable entertainment of Gallagher Premiership Rugby as the game in North America enters a really exciting period of innovation and growth.”
The Rugby Network is the exclusive streaming home of Major League Rugby, international matches, collegiate rugby, highlight shows, and commentary.
United States fans can get early access to prior Premiership season content, news, and subscription information at The Rugby Network.
About Major League Rugby:
Major League Rugby is a professional sports league representing the highest level of rugby competition in North America. Matches are televised on Fox Sports, among other national and local market platforms. Select matches are available to stream live in North America on The Rugby Network, and all matches are available on The Rugby Network for international fans. MLR prides itself in fostering intense, high-stakes competition while bringing together a passionate community built on the values of Respect, Inclusivity, and Tradition. For more information about MLR, visit www.MajorLeague.Rugby
About Premiership Rugby:
Premiership Rugby is the organisation that manages the top league in English club rugby – Gallagher Premiership Rugby. It acts for its shareholder clubs in all major commercial and strategic negotiations with media and sponsorship partners of the league, as well as with other rugby governing bodies. Premiership Rugby is also responsible for key areas of governance of the top-flight competitions, including the Salary Cap Framework, Minimum Standards Criteria and Code of Conduct, as well as managing the Gallagher Premiership Rugby competition and the Premiership Rugby Cup, both of which are televised live by TNT Sports.
Partners for the 2023-24 season are: Gallagher, Defender, London Pride, eToro, Funding Circle, Ocean Outdoor, Ticketmaster, Christopher Ward, Gilbert, and TNT Sports. Premiership Rugby runs more than 90 local and national community rugby programmes. Each season Premiership Rugby and its clubs, working together with our players, coaches and impressive list of private, public and third sector partners, invest over £3.3million in a variety of community programmes that aim to grow grassroots participation and tackle core issues.
About The Rugby Network:
The Rugby Network is the exclusive streaming service of Major League Rugby. Launched in 2021, TRN has been established as the home of rugby in America. TRN provides rugby fans with a single destination OTT platform to stream MLR, PRL, international matches, highlights, shows, and other exclusive content.
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