The Fox Latin America broadcaster is set to provide coverage of top-tier European rugby union during the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Fox will air the top-tier Champions Cup and the second-tier Challenge Cup, across Mexico, Central America, South America (excluding Brazil), the Dominican Republic, and Belize. An agreement between Fox and the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has been unveiled today.
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The deal will see Fox showcase "a significant number" of group-stage games from both competitions, as well as all fixtures from the knockout rounds of the two cups – including both finals.
Both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup were only available last season in these regions and countries via EPCR.TV, the governing body's own in-house streaming service.
This deal, therefore, represents a significant breakthrough in the Americas market for top-tier European club rugby. Out of the countries covered by the deals, Argentina is by far the biggest in terms of a rugby presence – the country's national team regularly makes it to the latter stages of the Rugby World Cup, and has a selection of players housed at clubs in Europe's main rugby markets.
This agreement entails Fox distributing games via its linear channels, as well as through its digital and streaming platforms.
Both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup's 2026-27 campaigns will get underway across the weekend of October 16-18, with the finals to both be held in Lyon, France, in mid-May.
Luis Maldonado, vice president of programming and marketing at Fox Latin America, commented: "This is an important market for EPCR, with a passionate and knowledgeable rugby audience and a particularly strong connection through the many Argentine players who compete in our tournaments. FOX’s extensive reach and multi-platform offering will provide fans with excellent access to the competitions and represents an important step in the continued international growth of EPCR.”
In April, Fox Latin America acquired the programming and production elements associated with Tigo Sports Channel. The tie-up covers Tigo's assets across Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
John Barton, the EPCR's chief commercial and marketing officer, added: "We are thrilled to add the Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup to Fox Latin America’s portfolio … Both competitions feature elite rugby action that fits perfectly into our commitment to offer viewers the top sporting events and content from around the world.”
Other broadcasters set to cover EPCR Champions and Challenge Cup action this coming campaign include Premier Sports in the UK and Ireland, BeIN Sports (France), FloRugby in the US, and Canal+-owned SuperSport for South Africa.
