Broadcast Sport: TNT Sports picks up Premiership Women’s Rugby

Story from Broadcast Sport:

TNT Sports will broadcast over 20 Premiership Women’s Rugby matches this season.

The broadcaster, which already shows the men’s version, will air one game from each matchweek, as well as the semi-final and final. Buzz 16 will produce the coverage, as it does for the men’s Premiership after a production overhaul this summer.

The “multi-year” rights deal will begin on Saturday 18 November when Sale Sharks visit Bristol Bears (12:30 KO), and live coverage through the season will be complemented by video highlights, match reports, and in-depth interviews on discovery+ and the TNT Sports App. Matches selected to be televised after the first weekend will be announced in “due course”.

-Premiership Women’s Rugby has been relaunched this season, formerly being known as Premier 15s and broadcast by BT Sport with the semi-finals and final on the BBC following late rights deals. It will feature nine teams - Bristol Bears, Exeter Chiefs, last year’s champions Gloucester Hartpury, Harlequins, Leicester Tigers, Loughborough Lightning, Sale Sharks, Saracens and Trailfinders Women, and players such as England’s Marlie Packer, Abby Dow and Zoe Aldcroft and world stars like Beatrice Rigoni, who has signed for Sale Sharks and both USA and Canada captains Kate Zackary and Sophie de Goede.

Belinda Moore, chief executive of Premiership Women’s Rugby, said: “This is a pivotal moment in the history of women’s club rugby in England, as we will see at least 21 Premiership Women’s Rugby matches broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+ this season.

-“For the first time, this ground-breaking partnership with TNT Sports will allow us to create an appointment to view each weekend for our fans and clubs, fundamentally changing the profile of the league. Research from the Women’s Sports Trust shows there are 1.5 million committed women’s rugby fans in the UK, which shows the potential of this partnership. 7-“We know the standard of rugby played in Premiership Women’s Rugby is exceptional and over the coming season, a huge number of people will enjoy their first taste of the League, to share our passion for the competition.

“We are ambitious to deliver significant growth in women’s rugby in England as we head towards Women’s World Cup 2025 and this partnership with TNT Sports will help us deliver that goal 9-Scott Young, SVP of content & production at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, added: “We are delighted to able to bring live coverage of arguably the best women’s domestic rugby competition in the world to TNT Sports viewers.

“There are many stories to be told across women’s rugby and we are delighted to partner with Premiership Women’s Rugby to tell these stories with a fresh approach that reflects the family-friendly, competitive nature of the competition.”