TNT Sports, a joint venture between the media groups, Warner Bros. Discovery, BT Sports Europe, and BT Group, has developed a multi-year broadcast deal with Premiership Women’s Rugby, an annual semi-professional women’s rugby union club competition.
In this deal, TNT Sports will broadcast 20 live games every season on its channels and online platforms, comprising one match each weekend, semi-final matchups, and the final on June 22, 2024.
In addition, highlights, match reports, and interviews from Premiership Women’s Rugby games will also be available on the TNT Sports app.
This television contract bodes well for the women’s rugby league, which was rebranded as Premiership Women’s Rugby from Premier 15s in June. The Premiership Women’s Rugby complements TNT’s burgeoning rugby portfolio, which also encompasses the men’s Premiership Rugby and European Club Rugby.
Belinda Moore, Chief Executive of Premiership Women’s Rugby, said, “This is a pivotal moment in the history of women’s club rugby in England, as we will see at least 21 Premiership Women’s Rugby matches broadcast live on TNT Sports and Discovery+ this season. For the first time, this ground-breaking partnership with TNT Sports will allow us to create an appointment to view each weekend for our fans and clubs, fundamentally changing the profile of the league. Research from the Women’s Sports Trust shows there are 1.5 million committed women’s rugby fans in the UK, which shows the potential of this partnership.”
In the last few months, TNT Sports has been quite busy securing rights to a wide range of sports.
In addition to its lucrative contract to broadcast live Premier League (PL) events, the sports broadcaster recently signed a multi-year deal to become the home of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the UK, along with its lineup that includes mixed martial arts, boxing, and other sports.