Premiership Rugby has announced a landmark multi-year media agreement with NBC Sports Group for the coverage of Aviva Premiership Rugby.
The partnership with NBC Sports Group kicks off this Saturday, March 12 on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) with live coverage of the first-ever Aviva Premiership Rugby match on US soil, featuring London Irish and Saracens at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.
NBC Sports Group - who also cover the Olympic Games and Premier League football among dozens of high profile sporting events - will broadcast 24 Aviva Premiership Game of the Week programmes in 2016/17, one for each regular season round as well as the knockout stages of the competition.
An additional 50 games will also be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs;
“This new agreement with NBC Sports Group is an historic milestone for us," said Mark McCafferty, Chief Executive at Premiership Rugby. "It takes the Aviva Premiership Rugby brand to a bigger audience than we have ever had in the US.
“We have a wonderful partnership with BT Sport in UK and Ireland that has delivered a huge rise in viewership for the league based on the principles of regular scheduling, great production and passionate marketing. With those elements in place and compelling action on the field Aviva Premiership Rugby has thrived.
"NBC Sports Group’s reputation precedes itself, as the established US television home of the Olympics, the home of Sunday Night Football, the number one show in primetime in the US, and the US home of the Premier League.
"In signing this deal, NBC Sports Group has bought into the on-field drama of rugby union and plans to work with us to deliver the compelling stories and personalities of English club rugby to the widest possible audience.
"This exposure on NBCSN is great news for all 12 Premiership Rugby clubs and the profile of English rugby.”
