French rugby’s elite Top 14 domestic club competition has secured a “landmark” series of broadcast coverage deals for the 2025-26 campaign, resulting in coverage in over 90 global territories, brokered by agency Two Circles.
The majority of this has been facilitated by French pay-TV heavyweight Canal+, Top14’s domestic broadcaster, which has also signed on to provide significant international broadcast coverage for the competition.
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Canal+’s coverage also extends to sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Vietnam), the Caribbean (Haiti), and a myriad of nations across Europe, including French-speaking territories such as Switzerland and Monaco, and a burgeoning rugby market like Romania.
Other nations covered by Canal+ in Europe specifically include Andorra, Australia, Czechia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovakia.
Elsewhere in Europe, the Sky Sports pay-TV operator will carry Top-14 action in Italy, Movistar will showcase the league in Spain and Andorra, while in Georgia, coverage will be shown by Imedi TV.
In the United States, where the Rugby World Cup will be hosted in 2031, Top 14 will be shown by FloSports’ FloRugby offering, and the RugbyPass streaming service.
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By GlobalDataIn South America, another burgeoning market, the Disney-owned broadcaster ESPN will carry Top 14 across Argentina (where several national team players compete in Top 14), Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Japan, rugby’s biggest market in East Asia, will receive Top 14 action via streaming platform DAZN, while Digicel will cover the Pacific Islands.
Speaking on the broadcast expansion, Yann Roubert, chair of French rugby’s LNR organizer, commented: “This international and digital expansion marks a pivotal moment for the Top 14. Reaching fans in more than 90 countries reflects both the growing global appetite for our game and the outstanding commitment of our clubs, players, and partners.”
The competition has also launched its global DTC streaming offering, Top 14 Rugby TV, in collaboration with the Two Circles media agency and its StayLive software offering.
This will allow Top 14 fans to watch the league in markets without broadcast agreements, such as Australia (which will host the 2027 Rugby World Cup) and New Zealand.
On the launch of the service, Roubert continued: “The launch of TOP 14 Rugby TV is more than a new platform; it’s a bold step into a new digital era. It allows us to engage directly with fans around the world and to deliver premium access to the intensity, values, and passion that define French professional rugby.”
Tobias Osmund, group executive director for Two Circles, added: “We see a tremendous opportunity to grow the TOP 14’s global presence and set a new benchmark for rugby worldwide.
“At Two Circles, we’re proud to support the LNR in this journey, both by securing new international broadcast partnerships and by powering the launch of the league’s first global streaming service, TOP 14 Rugby TV, via our StayLive technology.
“By leveraging our knowledge and insights about fans, we're partnering with the LNR to grow audiences and revenues, demonstrating how insight-driven strategies can expand the reach and long-term impact of the sport.”
