RFU and Sky Sports agree new partnership

The new deal, beginning next summer and finishing at the end of the 2019/2020 season, will see Sky Sports provide live coverage of England’s autumn internationals and pre-World Cup 2015 internationals, two live England Women’s matches and at least 11 fixtures from the second tier of professional rugby, the Greene King IPA Championship.

The news comes as Sky has begun its largest showing of rugby union matches in a single season with more than 360 fixtures across the international, European and domestic schedule.

Alison Dolan, Sky Business deputy Managing Director, said the agreement was ‘great news for pubs’.

“It offers licensees and their customers even more unrivalled rugby coverage from Sky Sports for the next five years. Rugby is the second most watched sport out of home.” She said.

Sky Sports Managing Director, Barney Francis, added: “It offers our viewers even more live England rugby from the men’s, women’s and age grade game, and includes additional rights to enable us to support the game from the grassroots up to the elite level.”