Major League Rugby announces deal that will ‘supercharge growth’ of competition and ‘fuel rugby fandom’ ahead of 2031 Rugby World Cup
Major League Rugby has signed a multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN.
Major League Rugby (MLR) has signed a multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN in a boost for the US-based competition ahead of the upcoming 2025 season.
The new campaign begins on Saturday, February 15 with five games on the schedule.
Under the agreement, all regular season and play-off games will stream live on ESPN+, with a select number of matches presented on ESPN2. Additionally, fans can stream replays of each match, highlights and content on The Rugby Network, following a 72-hour delay. As part of the agreement, MLR will be available across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Strong foundation
“Major League Rugby has built a strong foundation as the premier professional rugby league in North America, and we’re thrilled to be part of its next phase of growth,” said Tim Bunnell, ESPN SVP of Programming and Acquisitions.
“As MLR continues to establish itself on the North American sports landscape, we look forward to bringing the league’s dynamic competition to an even wider audience.”
Nic Benson, Major League Rugby Commissioner, added: “During our 2024 campaign we grew our viewership by more than 25 percent year over year.
“We are hyperfocused on increasing our audience and introducing rugby to more American sports fans every year. This relationship with ESPN will give us an opportunity to supercharge that growth.
“Given the depth of talent across the league, I’m confident we’re headed toward our most exciting season yet. This strategic agreement will enable more of our fans to tune-in for some best-in-class rugby action.”
The road to the 2025 MLR Championship officially begins over President’s Day weekend, featuring 18 weeks of intense regular season action, followed by two weeks of play-offs, all leading to the MLR Championship on June 28, where the league’s best will battle for the coveted MLR Shield.
This season, 11 teams from across the country will compete for the title, including Anthem RC, Chicago Hounds, Houston SaberCats, Miami Sharks, New England Free Jacks, NOLA Gold, Old Glory DC, Rugby LA, San Diego Legion, Seattle Seawolves and Utah Warriors.
Continued growth
The league’s new media rights agreement substantially increases the league’s visibility and enhances its reach.
This move follows a 2024 season marked by growth in media coverage, ticket sales and social media engagement, including the 2024 MLR Championship, which featured a record crowd of more than 12,000 as the New England Free Jacks captured their second straight title with a victory over the Seattle Seawolves.
“We are tremendously excited to work with ESPN on behalf of Major League Rugby,” said William Mao of Octagon’s SVP Media Rights Consulting.
“Already the most-watched professional rugby league in the United States, MLR is the primary vehicle pushing the sport forward in our market. And now with a presence across ESPN platforms, the league will be even better positioned to fuel rugby fandom in the U.S. ahead of the 2031 Rugby World Cup.”
READ MORE: Super Bowl finalists offer advice to ‘hard worker’ Louis Rees-Zammit on his next career move