Streamer Secures Rights to Broadcast Prem Rugby Season in France

Streamer Secures Rights to Broadcast Prem Rugby Season in France

An online streamer with 11,000 subscribers has acquired the rights to show the remainder of the Prem Rugby season in France. Florian Marliere, through his Janusport outlet, disclosed to L'Equipe that he paid a five-figure sum for the rights, which also includes an option for the 2026-27 campaign. Marliere’s coverage kicks off on Friday with a match between defending champions Bath and Saracens. Previously, the 2024-25 season was broadcast in France under a one-year deal with mainstream broadcaster Bein Sport. However, the strong presence of French domestic rugby and local fan loyalties have made it challenging to penetrate the market. In his unique approach, Marliere will provide live commentary during the games, a format typically associated with gaming on Twitch. He expressed his motivation, stating, "It all stems from frustration, that a rugby fan like myself can no longer watch this exciting competition." Marliere clarified that the initiative isn't primarily profit-driven, admitting, "Honestly, the idea isn't to make money with this project; we'll probably even lose some. But I hope that the increased visibility will lead to side projects that might be more profitable." Other streamers have ventured into similar territories; for instance, Mark Goldbridge broadcasts Bundesliga matches on his That's Football channel, which has over 1.5 million subscribers. Additionally, the Pro D2 league is available in the UK on the start-up channel FR-UK. The Prem Rugby organization has experienced success with streaming its Prem Rugby Cup competition, attracting substantial audiences. Ollie Lewis, head of broadcast at Prem Rugby, emphasized their commitment to innovation, stating, "We are proud of the fact that the Gallagher Prem is a global product broadcast in more than 150 territories. Our vision is to become the best league in the world and we look forward to bringing viewers in France unmissable, free-to-air coverage across Twitch and YouTube."

Source: BBC Sport - 2026-03-19