The television broadcast rights for the English (Aviva) Premiership over the next 6 years have been snapped up by current broadcaster BT Sport.
The new deal means that Aviva Premiership Rugby will be broadcast live on BT Sport until at least the end of the 2020 / 2021 campaign.
Mark McCafferty, the chief executive of Premiership Rugby, said,”BT Sport has been a fantastic partner for English club rugby so we are delighted that we have been able to extend our relationship with them for a further 4 years. This is the longest TV agreement in the history of Premiership Rugby.
“In the 18 months we have been on-air with them our live TV audiences have grown by 50% so it is clear that the partnership is going from strength to strength.
“In almost 2 seasons of coverage broadcasting the Aviva Premiership BT Sport has set new standards for the live broadcast of rugby. Their innovative style has received great acclaim and we look forward to developing the partnership over the next 6 seasons.
“Aviva Premiership Rugby is in great health with a number of new commercial partners on board and it is testimony to the strength of the competition and our clubs that we have renewed more than 2 years before the current deal with BT Sport ends.
“We are enjoying a golden era for rugby in this country with the Rugby World Cup just around the corner and the game’s re-entry in the Olympics in the summer of 2016. This announcement is another indication of the current strength of English rugby.”
John Petter, chief executive, BT Consumer, said,”We are absolutely delighted to be extending our partnership with Premiership Rugby. 2015 will be an amazing year for rugby in the UK and the popularity of rugby will continue to grow. We’re delighted to be a part of this and that our customers can look forward to another 6 seasons of the Aviva Premiership on BT Sport.
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