Fans of English rugby will be delighted this morning with the news that the Premiership is now to be screened in more homes than ever before following the announcement of an ITV deal to show five Premiership games a season until the end of 2023/24.
Premiership Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor said : "The return of Gallagher Premiership Rugby to terrestrial TV is the perfect way for us to kick off 2022. It's great news for the league, our clubs, the supporters and the profile of rugby in England.
"Our ambition is to grow the game and make Gallagher Premiership Rugby available to as many people as possible. BT Sport have done an amazing job in building the core Premiership Rugby TV audience and the ITV partnership allows us to expand our reach into the households of millions of other rugby fans.
"This season our average match audience on BT Sport has risen 30% year on year, which shows the potential.”
What channels will the matches be shown on and what is the first game?
News broke of a potential deal on Sunday, with details being confirmed by the league this morning and Sale Sharks fans won't have to wait long to see their team live on ITV with their game against Leicester Tigers on 30 January the first game to be shown as part of the deal.
Following on that Sunday evening will be the first of a weekly highlights show to include David Flatman and former London Irish winger Topsy Ojo which will be on ITV4.
The Premiership Rugby Final, at Twickenham on June 18, will be simulcast on BT Sport and ITV4.
What else has been said?
The Women's Allianz Premier 15s has benefitted from free-to-air coverage on the BBC website this season and many had touted this as the next logical step in marketing the Premiership to the masses.
Massie-Taylor added: "We also want to make the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final 2022 the most-watched in our history and we believe we can achieve that with the match screened on both ITV4 and BT Sport. A phenomenal proposition for English club rugby's showpiece occasion."
"We are delighted to have five games, rising to seven next season, live on ITV but it is also crucial for us to have a weekly highlights programme that is accessible to millions of people.
"This will allow us to showcase the best of Gallagher Premiership Rugby to the widest possible audience. The highlights show gives a significant, regular presence with a broadcaster that will also show the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup 2023.
"With another highly competitive and exciting season, we have seen significant growth in our audiences on BT Sport this season and we see a big opportunity to bring this amazing rugby product to new fans, drive attendances and continue to grow the game."
ITV have been broadcasting England's Six Nations matches since 2016 when a joint deal with the BBC was announced and also hold the rights to the Rugby World Cup every four years.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said: “We are delighted to announce this deal to bring regular free-to-air coverage of top-level club rugby to viewers across ITV’s platforms. It has been a pleasure working with BT Sport and our partners at Premiership Rugby in agreeing this deal and we look forward to showcasing the action and the stories from this elite league over the coming years.”
