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Premiership Rugby today announced a landmark multi-year media agreement with NBC Sports Group
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The coverage begins in earnest with the start of the 2016-17 season in September
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London Irish will take on Saracens in the USA on Saturday
Aviva Premiership rugby will be screened live in the United States after NBC signed a three-year deal to broadcast games from English rugby’s top flight.
London Irish will take on Saracens at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on Saturday, in the first Premiership match to be staged on US soil.
The NBC Sports Network will show live coverage of the match, ahead of the three-year deal kicking off next season.
The details of the new partnership are:
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Initial three-year partnership between NBC Sports Group and Premiership Rugby beginning with the 2016-17 season;
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Up to 24 regularly-scheduled Game of the Week programmes for each round of Aviva Premiership Rugby on NBCSN, which is in around 85 million US households;
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Up to 50 other Aviva Premiership Rugby matches to be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs;
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Joint marketing and promotional campaign across NBC Sports Group’s portfolio of channels and platforms;
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Agreement kicks off with first-ever Aviva Premiership Rugby match on US soil this Saturday, March 12, at 3pm (New York time) on NBCSN featuring London Irish v Saracens.
This latest initiative underlines governing body Premiership Rugby’s determination to boost English rugby’s popularity in America, capitalising on the game’s growth in the States.
“This new agreement with NBC Sports Group is an historic milestone for us,” said Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty.
“It takes the Aviva Premiership rugby brand to a bigger audience than we have ever had in the US.
“We are striving to grow rugby union across the world and this is the latest development in this journey, following the announcement of our strategic partnership with USA Rugby.
“As USA Rugby announced recently, rugby union is the fastest-growing sport in America and we are confident that Aviva Premiership rugby will soon find a big audience in the United States.
“We have already seen Harlequins play a match in America and this week London Irish and Saracens will make history by playing the first Aviva Premiership rugby match in the US.
“This exposure on NBCSN is great news for all 12 Premiership Rugby clubs and the profile of English rugby.”