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World Rugby, the global governing body of rugby union, has announced a collaboration with Endeavor Streaming to launch RugbyPass TV, a free streaming service that will broadcast the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2023.
Contract:
- RugbyPass TV is set to stream Cup matches globally, mostly in regions where no broadcast agreements exist
- Platform will also feature all matches from other World Rugby tournaments, including World Cups, WXV and the HSBC SVNS series
- RugbyPass TV to offer more than 1,000 hours of archived content from historic matches, behind-the-scenes footage, documentaries, and feature content produced by World Rugby Studios
- The service will be hosted on Endeavor Streaming’s Vesper platform and is available via browsers, iOS and Android mobile apps, as well as Smart TVs
Context:
This is World Rugby’s first venture into its own standalone over-the-top (OTT) service to broadcast its international competitions to a global audience, but Endeavor Streaming has extensive experience in direct-to-consumer (DTC) product launches. The specialist firm works with Uefa, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and the English Football League (EFL), among others.
Comment:
James Rothwell, World Rugby’s chief marketing and content officer, said: “This is an opportunity for rugby fans around the world to get closer to the game we love. Rugby is an incredible sport, and we want to deepen the connection it has with new and existing fans through live rights, never seen before archive content, and our World Rugby Studios original programming. RugbyPass TV is the destination for global rugby content.”
Coming next:
RugbyPass TV will debut its live coverage with France 2023 when the tournament gets underway on 8th September.
