The Rugby Broadcast Report Issue 22: Rugby TV Guide & Media Rights News – Leinster v Munster Delivered Strong Viewership on TG4 and Premier Sports in Ireland
Never miss a game
Welcome to the Rugby Broadcast Report, a weekly newsletter covering the weekend’s televised rugby action and the latest developments in rugby media rights.
After several weeks of autumn internationals (with Wales taking on South Africa on Saturday), attention turns to domestic action this weekend as the URC and PREM return to our screens.
It has been a busy week for rugby media rights, with PREM rugby viewership continuing to impress and figures from TAM Ireland revealing that Leinster v Munster was second only to a Premier League fixture in October.
Four fixtures from Round 11 of the Top 14 are being shown on Premier Sports, with all eyes on the Toulouse bench as Antoine Dupont returns from injury after eight months out as the French champions host Racing 92 ( KO: 8:00pm, Saturday).
Across the weekend fans can also watch coverage of Wales v South Africa, PWR, the AIL, the Scottish Premiership and the Champ.
Irish and UK kick-off and broadcast details for all televised games are listed below.*
Fixture of the weekend (admittedly biased)
In this top-of-the-table clash, 2023 URC champions Munster take on John Dobson’s unbeaten Stormers side. Munster have named a strong side featuring Irish stars Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey and Jack Crowley, while the Stormers have also named a strong team, albeit without some of their Springbok stars.
URC: Munster v Stormers
Kick-off: Saturday, 5:30pm Irish & UK time / 7:30pm SA time
TV: Premier Sports Rugby & App / Premier Sports 1 (Ireland Only) / NOW
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick
Verdict: Munster by 7
Quote of the week
Rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes. Depower the scrum anymore and you may as well watch a rugby league match. It will destroy the community game if there is no place for your good old fashioned type of prop. Keep meddling with the game and you will destroy it.
This week’s quote, courtesy of former referee Nigel Owens, is a timely reminder that the scrum is an essential feature of our sport – something to be embraced and celebrated, not treated as an inconvenience. Too often we half-joke that we don’t really understand what’s going on at scrum time. Instead of rolling our eyes at the break in play, why not use it as a chance to explain – or at least attempt to explain – what’s happening?
As I’ve noted in previous issues of this newsletter, rugby broadcasters should lean into the scrum, analyse it and tell its stories, rather than bemoaning it. It’s one of the key things that makes rugby different, and there’s a real opportunity here. TNT Sports have been making strides in this space, with strong set-piece analysis from David Flatman. There will always be stoppages – but that’s valuable time that can be used to educate and engage viewers, not just to complain.
A focus on scrums
This week a number of podcasts focussed on scrums, with the RTÉ Rugby Podcast featuring Bernard Jackman and former Irish international Mike Ross already attracting 45,000 views on YouTube.
Even Aki’s boots are mentioned in James Tracy’s scrum analysis below
The broadcast number
£76.96 – as noted in The Times this week the cost per month to watch all domestic and European soccer matches in the UK from 2027 via Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Amazon Prime and Paramount+. This is a reminder that fragmentation in media rights is not unique to rugby.
Rugby media rights news
According to City AM PREM Rugby’s viewership continues to impress this season. Viewership on TNT Sports so far this season is up by an average of 35% on 12 months ago. The article also reports that Leicester v Bath last month attracted “TNT’s biggest ever audience for Premiership Rugby at around 250,000” (while not specified in the article, this figure likely means the average number of viewers for a regular season match). In addition, viewing figures for the Saturday 3pm kick-offs are up 51% on last season. These figures build on the PREM’s strong viewership so far this season, including the 42% increase in the Derby Weekend audience versus the October 2024/25 Derby Weekend.
Viewership information from TAM Ireland has revealed that Leinster’s defeat to Munster on October 18 was the top performing programme on TG4 in October, while on Premier Sports 1 (Ireland only) the Irish derby was second only to the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Sunderland in the same month.
The Scottish Rugby Union has released its 2024–2025 annual report, which revealed that the Scotland team attracted 40.26 million cumulative average viewers over five matches in the 2025 Men’s Six Nations. The report also disclosed that France v Scotland recorded the highest average viewers with 3.95 million tuning in. The women’s national team attracted a 3.48 million cumulative average audience over 5 matches, with France v Scotland attracting the highest average viewers of 1.83 million.
Leinster Rugby has announced that all of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup will be streamed on Leinster Rugby Plus this year. The streaming service launched earlier this year and is the result of a partnership between Leinster and Wiistreams, a streaming company that provides streaming solutions for sports and entertainment organisations. One notable omission from the announcement was Premier Sports, which has previously shown Leinster schools rugby – it remains to be seen whether this week’s announcement indicates the end of Premier Sports’ coverage.
Sky Italy has secured exclusive broadcast rights for the Six Nations in 2026 as part of a one year deal, which also includes U20s, Women’s Six Nations and the new Nations Championship. Sky has been broadcasting the Six Nations in Italy since 2021.
The cancelled URC Round 2 fixtures have been finalised:
Edinburgh v Ulster: Friday, March 13. KO: 7:45pm GMT. Live on: TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Connacht v Scarlets: Friday, March 13. KO: 7:45pm GMT. Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Here’s your full TV guide for this weekend’s action:
Friday 28 November
7:35pm – Watsonians v Selkirk (Scottish Premiership) – BBC ALBA / BBC iPlayer / YouTube
7:45pm – Newcastle v Leicester Tigers (PREM) – TNT Sports 1 / discovery+ / NOW
7:45pm – Sale v Exeter Chiefs (PREM) – TNT Sports Extra / discovery+ / Unavailable live on NOW
7:45pm – Dragons v Leinster (URC) – TG4 / Premier Sports 1 & Online / NOW / URC TV
7:45pm – Ulster v Benetton (URC) – Premier Sports 2 & Online / NOW / URC TV
7:45pm – Nottingham v Bedford Blues (Champ) – Clubber TV
Saturday 29 November
12:00pm – Bulls v Lions (URC) – TG4 / Premier Sports 1 & Online / NOW / URC TV
1:00pm – Zebre v Cardiff Rugby (URC) – Premier Sports 2 & Online / NOW / URC TV
1:30pm – Montpellier v Bordeaux (Top 14) – Premier Sports Rugby & Online / Unavailable live in Ireland
1:30pm – Ampthill v Hartpury RFC (Champ) – Clubber TV
2:00pm – Caldy v Chinnor (Champ) – Clubber TV
2:00pm – Cambridge v Worcester Warriors (Champ) – Clubber TV
2:30pm – Sale Sharks Women v Exeter Chiefs Women (PWR) – YouTube
2:30pm – Cornish Pirates v Richmond (Champ) – Clubber TV
2:30pm – Doncaster v Coventry (Champ) – Clubber TV
2:30pm – Young Munster v Cork Constitution (AIL) – IrishRugby+
2:30pm – Lansdowne v Ballynahinch (AIL) – YouTube
2:30pm – Old Belvedere v UCD (AIL) – YouTube
3:00pm – London Scottish v Ealing Trailfinders (Champ) – Clubber TV
3:00pm – Ealing Women v Saracens Women (PWR) – YouTube
3:00pm – Loughborough Lightning v Leicester Tigers Women (PWR) – BBC iPlayer
3:00pm – Gloucester v Harlequins (PREM) – TNT Sports Extra / discovery+ / Unavailable live on NOW
3:10pm – Wales v South Africa (International) – S4C / BBC iPlayer / TNT Sports 1 / discovery+ / NOW
3:35pm – Clermont v Stade Francais (Top 14) – Premier Sports Online Only / Unavailable live in Ireland
5:30pm – Edinburgh v Ospreys (URC) – Premier Sports 1 & Online (UK Only) / URC TV Only in Ireland
5:30pm – Munster v Stormers (URC) – Premier Sports Rugby & Online (UK) / Premier Sports Ireland 1 (Ireland Only) / NOW
5:45pm – Bristol v Northampton (PREM) – TNT Sports 1 / discovery+ / NOW
7:45pm – Connacht v Sharks (URC) – TG4 / Premier Sports Rugby (UK) / Premier Sports Ireland 1 (Ireland Only) / NOW
7:45pm – Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors (URC) – S4C / BBC iPlayer / Premier Sports 1 & Online (UK Only) / URC TV Only in Ireland
8:00pm – Toulouse v Racing 92 (Top 14) – Premier Sports 2 & Online / NOW
Sunday 30 November
12:30pm – Bristol Bears Women v Gloucester-Hartpury Women (PWR) – TNT Sports 2 / discovery+ / NOW
3:00pm – Saracens v Bath (PREM) – ITV4 & ITVX / TNT Sports 1 / discovery+ / NOW
8:05pm – Pau v La Rochelle (Top 14) – Premier Sports 2 & Online / NOW
Useful links
YouTube (Pro D2)
YouTube (URC – UK only)
Clubber TV (Champ)
YouTube (PWR)
YouTube (Super Rugby Cymru)
Rugby Europe TV (Various matches)
Final thoughts
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*TV guide subject to change. The website version of this newsletter will be updated if required.