FloSports, the US-based over-the-top sports subscription service, has extended its deal covering European club rugby union’s top-tier Champions Cup and second-tier Challenge Cup.
Through the renewal, FloSports will continue to cover both men's competitions, starting with the upcoming 2025-26 campaign. In total, the FloRugby platform will air over 110 games each season in the US.
The original tie-up between FloSports and the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) body, which runs the two competitions, came into effect in late 2022 and came to an end following the conclusion of the 2024-25 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup seasons earlier this month.
Over the last week, rights deals covering the two EPCR competitions have been extended in France, with pay-TV broadcaster BeIN and the France Televisions free-to-air network.
Other significant 2024-25 EPCR broadcast partners include Premier Sports in the UK and Ireland, SuperSport in South Africa, Sky in New Zealand, SportsMax in the Caribbean, Viaplay across Scandinavia, and Telefonica in Spain.
Rights for the last three seasons have been sold by the Infront and River Media agencies, although GlobalData Sport now understands that Infront will not be renewing that agreement – one option currently being considered is for the EPCR to take the sale and distribution of these rights in-house, going forward.
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By GlobalDataThe 2024-25 Champions Cup final took place on May 24, with French team Bordeaux Begles beating England’s Northampton Saints 28-20.
Phil Wendler, FloSports’ executive vice president of global rights acquisition, added: “These events add to a FloRugby portfolio that drives impressive viewership and continues to contribute to the growth of the sport here domestically in North America."
In terms of recent activity, early April saw FloSports secure new investment in the form of Series D funding, bringing total investment in the business to over $100 million. The funding round was led by Indian technology firm Dream Sports, a prominent player in that country’s sports and entertainment market.
With this added investment, FloSports said it is aiming to expand its sports rights portfolio as a means of attracting growth, as well as bettering the user experience through investment in its production capabilities and its streaming technology.
Regarding coverage of men’s rugby union in the US, meanwhile, late last week it was announced that CBS, the Paramount-owned commercial network, will be showing the next three editions of the Rugby World Cup (two women’s, and one men’s) exclusively.
The deal will see CBS broadcast the men’s World Cup in 2027 and the next two women’s World Cups in 2025 and 2029, with select matches airing on the linear CBS Sports channel and the rest available on streaming platform Paramount+.
As part of the deal, CBS also gains rights to the men’s and women’s USA national team matches, as well as Pacific Nations Cup, the rugby seven’s HSBC SVNS series, WXV, the annual women’s national team competition.
The US will host the men’s RWC in 2031 and the Women’s 2033 tournament.
