The English Premiership has signed its exclusive broadcast rights from next season to telecommunications giant BT in a deal worth up to STG152 million ($A235 million), officials have announced in a move that could have ramifications for European rugby as well.
The four-year contract will see pay-TV channels Sky and ESPN, which currently split coverage of matches, replaced by BT Vision as the only platform on which to watch top-flight English club rugby from the 2013/14 season onwards – when the telecoms company will also start broadcasting live English Premier League soccer matches for the first time.
“This is a game-changing agreement and will deliver a service that I know our club supporters will enjoy,” said Mark McCafferty, chief executive of Premiership Rugby, the umbrella body for England’s 12 top flight clubs.
“We are delighted to have concluded our discussions with such an ambitious partner that will help bring the Premiership to new audiences.”
Meanwhile BT will also have exclusive live broadcast rights to games played by Premiership teams in European competitions from 2014 for three years.
This could lead to the fragmentation of European coverage if Sky continues to hold overall rights to any competition, such as the European Cup.
The qualification process for the European Cup is set to be discussed at a meeting in Dublin on Tuesday.
English and French teams are currently in dispute with organisers European Rugby Cup (ERC) over the structure of the continent’s premier club rugby union tournament and are threatening a break-away competition when the existing agreement runs out in 2014.