13 Sep 2012

English rugby signs new broadcaster

11:47 am on 13 September 2012

The English Rugby Premiership has signed an exclusive broadcast rights deal from next season to the telecommunications giant BT in a deal worth up to $300 million.

The four-year contract means the pay-TV channels Sky and ESPN, which currently split coverage of matches, will be replaced by BT Vision as the only platform on which to watch top-flight English club rugby from the 2013/14 season onwards - when the telecoms company will also start broadcasting live English Premier League football matches for the first time.

BT will also have exclusive live broadcast rights to games played by Premiership teams in European competitions from 2014 for three years.