Following on from the news that ESPN will broadcast the Guinness PRO14 in the United States, PRO14 Rugby can reveal that DAZN, Rugby Pass and Sky New Zealand have joined the Championship’s broadcast family to bring the fast-flowing action to a further 30 countries.

As the Guinness PRO14 embarks on a new era with its host broadcasters in the UK, Ireland, Italy and South Africa, new record-setting agreements have been reached for worldwide coverage thanks to media rights specialists RDA.

DAZN, who have already agreed to the first multi-year deal for the Championship’s Italian rights, will also screen the Guinness PRO14 in Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Austria until 2021.

Sky New Zealand will be able to show some of the most exciting rugby from the Guinness PRO14 for the next three years where rugby fans will be able to see nearly 300 international stars in action while keeping up with the wide array of Kiwi players in the Championship.

Rugby Pass have won the rights for South East Asia (24 countries & territories) and Australia and continue their association with the Championship until 2021. Rugby Pass, who produced a behind the scenes feature on the 2018 Guinness PRO14 Final, provide on demand content and the latest rugby news and opinion across their digital platforms and will use the Championship as a key part of their coverage.

Martin Anayi, CEO of PRO14 Rugby, said: “In the past three years we have worked hard to evolve our offering to broadcasters both at home and across the world and the three-year commitments from DAZN, Sky New Zealand and Rugby Pass proves that we are delivering on those ambitions.

“We know that fans of our teams are spread right across the world and are keen to keep up with their local teams, but we have also seen the desire of supporters everywhere to watch the fast-flowing, entertaining rugby that the Guinness PRO14 provides year after year. To know that the Championship is widely available across some of the most important rugby markets in the world is terrific news for the continued growth of the Guinness PRO14 and I would like to thank Richard Dennis and his team at RDA for securing these long-term deals.”

Dermot Rigley, Commercial & Marketing Director of PRO14 Rugby, said: “Right across the board we have raised broadcast revenues significantly in the past 12 months and that means we can return more resources to our teams. We work hard to invest in our clubs to enhance the product on the pitch and across all aspects of our business this has driven commercial interest in the tournament to unprecedented levels.

“This is evident in the record-breaking broadcast deals we have secured with Premier Sports in the UK and eir sport in the Republic of Ireland. Our earlier announcement regarding ESPN is a massive endorsement of what we are doing and the interest in the Guinness PRO14. We look forward to revealing further rights holders in due course and announcing new innovations to offer our games to fans in every corner of the world.”

Richard Dennis, CEO, RDA, commented: “To secure these terrific agreements in a matter of weeks is a testimony to a great collaborative effort between rights holder and agency. We’re delighted to welcome new Guinness PRO14 broadcasters in USA (ESPN), DAZN (Italy) and Rugby Pass (Australia), as well as established partnerships in Canada and Germany, Austria, Switzerland (DAZN), in New Zealand (Sky) and South East Asia (Rugby Pass). We anticipate adding further broadcast partners for the Guinness PRO14 in the coming weeks.”

INFORMATION ON NEW BROADCASTERS

Rugby Pass is a worldwide rugby streaming and content outlet available in Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

For more information visit https://www.rugbypass.com/signup

DAZN is the first global pure-sport live and on-demand streaming service. It is leading the charge to give sports fans around the world affordable access to sport anytime, anywhere. Using cutting-edge technology from Perform Group, the digital leader in global sports media, DAZN guarantees no long-term contract and no bundles, just one affordable price for access on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, desktop computers and games consoles. DAZN has been created by fans, for fans to give them a better and fairer way to watch sport. From the creator of BBC iPlayer and backed by American-British industrialist Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries, DAZN is available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada and soon to launch in the U.S. and Italy.

For more information visit: https://www.dazn.com

SKY Sport New Zealand is New Zealand’s premium provider of TV for two decades. They create memorable and rewarding experiences and deliver new content ideas, technologies and services to New Zealand shores. Sky New Zealand has a long record of being the No 1 choice for rugby fans to watch the best rugby from across the world.

For more information visit: https://www.sky.co.nz/sport