Australian Rugby announced its new broadcast deal. The Australian Rugby Union has identified the five key elements of the new arrangement, running from 2016-2020.
1. Super Rugby Match of the Round broadcast on Network Ten
For the first time, fans can catch a Super Rugby game on free-to-air television. Network Ten will show a Match of the Round replay on Sunday morning, giving viewers the opportunity to see the best game featuring an Australian team, every weekend.
2. Wallabies Tests live on 10 and Fox Sports
All of the Wallabies Tests through the Rugby Championship, Bledisloe Cup and the June Test series will be shown live across the country on Network Ten and Fox Sports. That’s seven home Wallabies matches live on free-to-air and Fox Sports. New Zealand and South Africa Tests will also feature live, meaning fans will see all the biggest international clashes.
3. Weekly highlights show on free-to-air
If you’ve missed a game over the weekend, catch up on all the best bits from the latest round of Super Rugby. In another first for the competition, Monday night will become home to a one-hour highlights show, dedicated entirely to Super Rugby, on Network Ten as well as Fox Sports.
4. Provincial competitions live on Fox Sports
The NRC will continue to be shown online and on TV as one of three major provincial competitions available to watch. The NRC has showcased plenty of emerging stars in its first two iterations, with plenty cracking Super Rugby and Sevens contracts. As well as the Aussie comp, Fox Sports will be showing New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup and South Africa’s Currie Cup.
5. $285 million into Rugby over five years
There are a quarter of a billion other ways that Rugby stands to benefit from the new broadcast deal, running until the end of 2020. A 148 percent increase since the last negotiation (2011-2015) will give the game a handy cash injection.
When to watch Rugby Union in 2016 and beyond
Asteron Life Super Rugby
• All matches live on Fox Sports, including all finals matches
• Match of the round, featuring at least one Aussie team, on Network Ten on Sunday morning (with a start time between 8am and 11am)
Full replays of all Super Rugby finals matches involving Australian teams on Network Ten
• One-hour Monday night highlights show on Fox Sports and Network Ten
June series vs England
• Every match live on Fox Sports and Network Ten
The Rugby Championship
• Every Wallabies Test live on Fox Sports and Network Ten
• All South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina Tests live on Fox Sports
Bledisloe Cup
• Every match live on Fox Sports and Network Ten
Provincial Competitions
• Buildcorp NRC matches streamed across Fox Sports’ digital channels and one match live on Fox Sports each round
• New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup live on Fox Sports
• South Africa’s Absa Currie Cup live on Fox Sports
Other International Rugby coverage
• All HSBC World Sevens series tournaments (Men’s and Women’s) on Fox Sports
• All New Zealand and South Africa domestic Tests live on Fox Sports