Sky Sports signed a new deal with ERC for the exclusive rights for at least 50 live games a season from the Heineken Cup and Challenge Cup competitions.
From the Heineken Cup, Sky Sports will offer up to eight live matches per round from the Pool stages plus all Quarter-Finals, both Semis and the Final. In addition, there will be live coverage from every round of the Challenge Cup plus both semi-Finals and the Final.
Derek McGrath, Chief Executive of the ERC, said; "Over the past six seasons Sky Sports have helped to bring the Heineken Cup to the next level in the UK and Ireland, through their significant investment in the game and their innovative, comprehensive and world class coverage of the tournament.
“The Heineken Cup is now firmly established as Europe’s premier club rugby tournament and we look forward to continuing that journey with Sky Sports as the tournament enhances its global appeal.
“The new agreement also offers an important boost to the European Challenge Cup tournament guaranteeing an invaluable promotional platform for the tournament and participating clubs,” McGrath added.
Vic Wakeling, managing director for Sky Sports, said: “The Heineken Cup is a huge success; a great example of the growing strength of club rugby in the northern hemisphere and it plays to packed houses everywhere. In a hectic period of contract renewals this just had to be our priority.”
This is the third deal for live rugby rights secured in a month and follows Sky’s recent deals with the RFU and Premier Rugby to guarantee the best line up of live rugby for the next five years.
Last month, Sky and the RFU announced a new 5-year deal which gave Sky all England's autumn and summer internationals and Churchill Cup internationals.
The live RFU agreement also covers Barbarians matches, the Anglo-Welsh Cup, National League games, the Varsity Match, the County Championship Final, Women’s World Cup in 2010 and international sevens tournaments.
three-year deal which gives Sky Sports 26 live Guinness Premiership matches a season from 2010-11 to 2012-13.
Vic Wakeling continued; “It all adds up to more than 130 live matches per season on Sky Sports; good quality live rugby every weekend throughout the season and a lot more during the summer months.”
