ESPN and OSN convert World Club 7s deals

Premiership Rugby, the commercial rights-holder and organiser of the World Club 7s rugby union tournament, has agreed two new broadcast deals for the inaugural edition of the event.

US sports broadcaster ESPN and pay-television operator OSN have acquired the rights to the tournament in the US and the Middle East respectively.

The league has already agreed deals with pay-television broadcasters SuperSport in South Africa, ESPN Sur in Latin America and Sky in New Zealand.

Pay-television broadcasters BT Sport and Fox Sports will broadcast the World Club 7s in the UK and Australia. Premiership Rugby said the latest deals mean the tournament will be available to more than 100m households across the world.

The two-day tournament will take place from August 17-18 at Twickenham Stadium, London.

The World Club 7s is made up of 12 rugby teams from around the world. They are: Northampton Saints and Harlequins, as well as the winner of the Premiership Rugby Sevens tournament, from the UK; Western Province and the Bulls from South Africa; New York and San Francisco from the United States; Moscow Region and Kuban Krasnodar from Russia; Buenos Aires from Argentina; Auckland from New Zealand; and Brumbies from Australia.