Sanzaar, the body which oversees the Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship competitions, has partnered with Sky Sports which will broadcast a ‘wealth’ of southern hemisphere rugby union.
The collaboration, which includes England’s three-Test tour of Australia this summer, sees the channel continue to show rugby from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina as part of the new four-year deal.
Providing around 150 fixtures a year, the announcement also includes rights to Home Nations Summer Tours, The Rugby Championship, Super Rugby and domestic SA and NZ competitions: The Currie Cup and The National Provincial Championship.
Jonathan Licht, Sky Sports Managing Director, commented: “Sanzaar rugby has been in Sky Sports’ DNA for almost 30 years and we’re pleased to continue our important and valued partnership with Sanzaar to give our customers the very best rugby the southern hemisphere has to offer.”
As well as showing England in Australia this summer, Sky Sports will show Ireland’s three-Test tour of New Zealand, Wales’ three-Test tour of South Africa and Scotland’s three-Test tour of Argentina.
Sanzaar CEO, Brendan Morris, added: “We welcome Sky aboard once again as our broadcast partner in the UK and Ireland. Sky has been a broadcast partner of Sanzaar for a very long time and we have a very strong and professional relationship that has seen our tournaments delivered into this major rugby market.
“Super Rugby Pacific continues to be a world class tournament featuring some of the best players in the world. It is followed by The Rugby Championship when current world champions South Africa will battle the All Blacks, Wallabies and Pumas for southern hemisphere supremacy.”
In January this year, Sky Sports formed further extension deals with the Northern Ireland Football League and the DP World Tour. These deals continue to provide a wide range of sports offerings on the company’s linear and on-demand services.
