Prem Rugby, English men's rugby union’s top-tier league, has renewed and expanded its partnership with finance platform Funding Circle.
Through the extension, the company will increase its visibility across the sport, growing its matchday presence with enhanced on-pitch presence across branded Prem fixtures.
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Additionally, Funding Circle will increase its investment in original content creation through the Prem Media House, providing fans with access to players, clubs, and behind-the-scenes moments across the season.
The platform has been a partner of Prem Rugby since the 2022-23 season.
Kelly Cooke, commercial director of Prem Rugby, said: "Funding Circle has been a fantastic partner over the past four seasons and we're delighted to be extending our relationship.
"They share our ambition and energy to engage rugby fans in new ways and invest in innovative matchday experiences. This renewed partnership will see Funding Circle grow its presence across the Gallagher PREM whilst continuing to enable our players to benefit from their services as they explore business ventures away from the pitch.”
Last month, Prem Rugby announced a five-year extension of its partnership with Defender, the car brand of UK vehicle manufacturer Land Rover, as it continues to consolidate its commercial portfolio.
Meanwhile, Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, the sports investment vehicle of US billionaire Bill Foley, has completed its acquisition of Prem Rugby side Exeter Chiefs.
Through a new subsidiary, Black Knight Rugby, the firm has purchased 100% of the shares of Exeter Rugby Group Ltd following a vote by Exeter’s members to permit the sale of the club.
Under Black Knight, previous owner Tony Rowe will continue as chief executive of the club “to maintain continuity.”
The Chiefs are the third Prem Rugby club to be sold since the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
The trend began when energy drink giant and prominent multi-sport ownership group Red Bull completed its acquisition of Newcastle Falcons in August 2025, immediately renaming them the Newcastle Red Bulls.
That deal for the Falcons was worth a reported fee of £39 million.
In March this year, UK entrepreneur James Dyson acquired a 50% stake in Prem champions Bath Rugby, also for a reported eight-figure fee.
That was the first Prem Rugby team sale since the RFU governing body announced a major revamp to its club pyramid, separating the top-flight from the lower tiers.
This move effectively eliminates promotion and relegation between the Prem and the second-tier Champ Rugby, establishing the top-flight as a standalone 10-team division, to add as many as two expansion teams by the 2029-30 campaign.
Foley most notably owns the US ice hockey franchise Las Vegas Golden Knights, and through the Black Knight Football Club arm also owns English Premier League soccer side AFC Bournemouth, top-flight French side FC Lorient, and New Zealand-based Australian A-League club Auckland FC.
On the takeover, GlobalData Sport analyst Tom Subak-Sharpe discussed what this move illustrates about the current state of Prem Rugby.
Subak-Sharpe said: “The acquisition of Exeter Chiefs by AFC Bournemouth’s owners underlines just how financially fragile even established Prem Rugby clubs have become—and why, from a commercial standpoint, the RFU Council has moved to scrap automatic promotion and relegation to make the league more investable.
“Exeter posted a loss in 2024-25 and has faced sustained deficits, a pattern mirrored across much of the league, with chairman Tony Rowe acknowledging he can no longer underwrite the club’s ambitions alone.
“Against that financial strain, Black Knight Football Club’s arrival would provide not only capital but the commercial expertise to move Exeter onto a more contemporary, growth-oriented footing. That the club reportedly spoke to more than 80 potential investors before choosing Bill Foley’s group underlines both the severity of the squeeze and how few bidders have the capacity to invest meaningfully.”
