Rugby

Sky New Zealand’s acquisition of RugbyPass will help the OTT service continue to focus on revenue and user growth in its target markets outside rugby union’s ‘Big Six’ territories, its founder and chief executive Tim Martin has told SportBusiness Media.

Sony Pictures Networks India has acquired the exclusive media rights in the Indian subcontinent for the 2019 Rugby World Cup

Italian public broadcaster Rai acquired the exclusive rights to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan at a two-thirds reduction in value from the previous edition after a long stand-off between the company’s internal departments.

New Zealand pay-television operator Sky has acquired a 100-per-cent stake in RugbyPass, the OTT streaming service, in a $40m (€35.9m) deal that expands Sky’s sports business internationally.

Spanish telco Telefónica has renewed its deal with agency Mediapro for the rights to broadcast a range of live sports in public places during the 2019-20 season.

Qatar-based pay-TV broadcaster beIN has signed a deal to broadcast this year’s Rugby World Cup across nine Asian nations exclusively.

New Zealand pay-television broadcaster Sky will incorporate the standalone Rugby Channel into its regular offering from August 1

BBC Radio 5 Live has secured exclusive UK radio commentary rights to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The competition runs from September 20 to November 2 and will be held in Japan

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has acquired rights to the upcoming international rugby union match between the Barbarians and Argentina.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup will be shown in host nation Japan by broadcasters J Sports, NHK and Nippon TV. The deals – announced today – were struck by the Dentsu agency. In N

UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 has further grown its rugby union portfolio with the acquisition of rights to Ireland’s autumn internationals.

The Pro14 and its international media rights distributor, the RDA agency, have secured deals with multiple broadcasters covering 30 territories.

Pan-African pay-television broadcaster Kwesé Sports has agreed a strategic partnership with media relations consultancy APO Group that is designed to raise the profile of rugby union throughout the continent.

DAZN, the OTT service operated by digital sports media company Perform, has secured rights in Italy to the Pro14 cross-border rugby union league as it unveiled its full line-up for its launch in the country

Pay-television broadcaster Premier Sports has appointed UK production company Sunset+Vine as its partner in delivering its new contract for the Pro14 cross-border rugby union league

Sports-streaming service FloSports has reached an agreement with international sports broadcaster Eleven Sports to distribute a programming feed of a range of events to its subscribers in the United States