RugbyPass experienced a ‘massive uplift’ in its viewership figures during 2021, with the total audience number exceeding four million at its peak.
The British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa represented the most successful event for the global digital content publisher, which offered news, insights, analysis and entertainment to rugby fans throughout the six-week tour.
Additional content included interviews with former Lions player Ben Kay, as well as debates from some of rugby’s biggest names, including former Lions Stephen Ferris, Adam Jones, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams, Simon Zebo and Jack Nowell, and exclusive exclusive interviews with Lion’s tourists Maro Itoje and Finn Russell.
“We are tremendously excited that rugby fans across the globe are choosing RugbyPass as their go-to destination for all things rugby,” said Neil Martin, CEO at RugbyPass.
“We constantly strive to deliver the insights and analysis that digs deeper into the game and feel rewarded by the huge audience that has consumed our Lions coverage during this period.
Central to the firm’s success was the introduction of a new live show format, which saw broadcasts take place from the London Walsh, Harpenden and Farnham rugby clubs, reaching a total viewership of 300,000 viewers, with a 24-hour peak audience s 659,550 unique users, in the aftermath of the Lions’ Second Test.
Lastly, RugbyPass was also able to secure partnerships with several blue-chip brands for its coverage of the Lions’ South Africa series, including bet365, The Famous Grouse, talkSPORT and Vitality.
Martin continued: “We will continue to bring fans the inside track on all major competitions, reinforcing our position as the trusted destination for the sport and providing a super engaged audience for our commercial partners.”
Additional successes for RugbyPass – which was launched in March as a joint venture between The Rugby Network and Major League Rugby (MLR) – in its first year of operations include its acquisition of sports data and analytics company Sports Analytics.
