BROADCASTERS PREMIER SPORTS have won the lead broadcast rights of the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup, for the next three seasons.
This new arrangement, arrived at after a competitive process and running until the end of the 2026/27 season, will see Premier Sports cover all 63 Investec Champions Cup matches, as well as two EPCR Challenge Cup pool matches per round, two EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16, and all matches in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and Final.
Former Ireland international Stephen Ferris will be one of their chief match analysts.
Premier Sports have built up considerable experience of covering rugby after broadcasting 20 EPCR Challenge Cup matches across the 2023/24 season and also being the UK broadcaster for TOP14 and BKT United Rugby Championship (URC).
In its six-year partnership with URC to date, Premier Sports has hosted more than 900 live rugby fixtures showing every game live including the Grand Final.
In addition, Premier Sports is planning to create and launch a 24/7 rugby channel, at the very heart of which will sit the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.
Jacques Raynaud, CEO of EPCR, said, “Premier Sports has huge ambition to become the home of club rugby in the UK and Ireland, along with their rights to TOP14 and URC competitions. We are delighted to join them on this journey and tremendously excited to help them reach new heights by bringing the very best of elite club rugby to UK and Ireland audiences.
“In addition to the match day coverage, the creation of a 24/7 rugby channel represents a step-change in Premier Sports rugby coverage. The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup will be at the heart of this new offering, led by key rugby personalities including Stephen Ferris, John Barclay, Tom Shanklin and Ryan Wilson.”
Raynaud also claimed he worked with Premier Sports to make sure that clashes with Premier League soccer matches were avoided whenever possible.
The 2024/25 season will get underway on the weekend of 6, 7, 8 December.
