The British & Irish Lions and Rugby Australia have appointed Pitch International (Pitch) as their exclusive international media rights distribution partner.
Under this agreement, more fans from across the world will be able to watch The British & Irish Lions and Australia in action, with the partnership for the 2025 Tour covering the three Test matches against the Wallabies and the pre-Test matches.
Additionally, It will also cover international broadcast rights for all the Lions’ behind-the-scenes documentaries since 1997.
Pitch’s partnership secures global rights for all live matches, except those in the UK, Ireland, and Australia, further developing the Lions’ strategic goal of expanding global coverage for the Tour.
The British & Irish Lions boast a worldwide fan base exceeding 14 million, with nearly 25 million viewers tuning in globally to watch their matches, with the tour broadcasted in 135 countries worldwide.
Ben Calveley, CEO of The British & Irish Lions, commented: “The British & Irish Lions has a global fan base of over 14 million and as we continue the countdown to 2025, it is important to ensure all our fans across the world have the opportunity to watch Andy Farrell and the team in action.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Pitch for our international media rights distribution and look forward to working with them to bring the eagerly anticipated 2025 Tour to even more fans around the world.”
Pitch will handle the sale and distribution of highlights from the 2025 Tour to free-to-air broadcasters in the UK and Ireland. Additionally, they will manage the live broadcast rights for the Lions 1888 Cup clash against Argentina at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which will also be simulcast on Sky Sports, the exclusive broadcaster for the Tour in the UK and Ireland.
“We are excited to be working alongside the legendary Lions and Rugby Australia on what promises to be an incredibly exciting and hard-fought series,” Henri Kamerling, Managing Director of Rugby at Pitch International, remarked.
“We believe that we can use our unique understanding of the rugby media rights landscape to further grow the popularity of this much-loved brand and take it to a truly global audience.”
The series will kick off with the first Test at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on 19 July. The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the second Test on 26 July and the series will conclude in Sydney on 2 August at the Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park.
Australia will welcome the Lions for the first time in 12 years, marking a significant occasion. Recently, Australia named Joe Schmidt as their Head Coach, setting the stage for an intriguing matchup against his former Irish assistant coach Andy Farrell, who leads the Lions for the 2025 Tour.
Phil Waugh, CEO of Rugby Australia said: “The British & Irish Lions Tour is one of the great sporting spectacles in the world of sport and Rugby Australia is excited to be welcoming back the Lions for the first time in 12 years.
“As part of that spectacle, we’re committed to delivering world class coverage across the globe and this partnership goes a long way to achieving that. We look forward to working with The Lions and Pitch over the coming months as preparations for the 2025 Tour continue to intensify.”
Pitch, the sports marketing agency, has also been involved in a monumental deal with the English Football League (EFL), which announced two agreements that will see the competition broadcast worldwide for the next four years.
