BT Sport has announced that it will broadcast live coverage of every Gallagher Premiership match played behind closed doors for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.
In a ground-breaking agreement with Premiership Rugby, BT Sport subscribers will be able to watch more live matches than ever before when the season resumes on 14-15 August.
All six matches in round 14 will be broadcast live across BT Sport’s TV channels, red button and online platforms, including the BT Sport App and btsport.com, starting with Harlequins’ clash against Sale at Twickenham Stoop in what is expected to be Manu Tuilagi’s Sharks debut.
That game kicks off a stellar line up on re-opening weekend in the Premiership, including league leaders Exeter Chiefs versus Leicester Tigers on Saturday afternoon and high-flying Bristol Bears’ clash with reigning champions Saracens.
Once crowds can safely return to stadia, BT Sport will revert to its usual live coverage of up to three matches per round, while four of the remaining 57 matches of the 2019/20 season will also be shown live and free-to-air on Channel 5.
BT Sport will present live coverage from the grounds, led by its regular team of experts and commentators including Craig Doyle, Sarra Elgan, Martin Bayfield, Ugo Monye, Ben Kay, Lawrence Dallaglio, Austin Healey, Nick Mullins and Alastair Eykyn.
Viewers of certain matches on BT Sport will be able to watch with pre-recorded dynamic crowd noise – the line-up of matches available with crowd noise to be confirmed in due course, while selected games will also be available in 4K HDR via BT Sport Ultimate, as well as using
BT Sport will also use its remote production capabilities to comply with Covid-19 restrictions, and minimise the number of production crew attending grounds, with the majority of crew working remotely or from home.
Premiership rugby union clubs have not played since March, when the league was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A busy schedule of matches will now see the 2019/20 season conclude throughout August, September and October, including midweek clashes, with the showpiece final at Twickenham set to be played on 24 October.
Commenting on BT Sport’s coverage, Premiership Rugby’s chief commercial officer Mark Brittain said:
“We are so pleased that our loyal fans won’t miss a moment of the action as Premiership Rugby returns on 14 August. Huge thanks to our partners at BT Sport for their collaboration to bring viewers the very best Gallagher Premiership Rugby experience possible, in what promises to be a compelling conclusion to the season.”
In addition to the live televised matches, BT Sport says it is also working with Premiership Rugby and its clubs to offer eligible season ticket holders free access to home Gallagher Premiership matches broadcast on the BT Sport App.
The BT Sport Match Pass is designed for season ticket holders of participating clubs who do not already have a BT Sport subscription and cannot attend their home matches in person due to the current restrictions, though eligibility for the Match Pass is at the individual clubs discretion and is not determined by BT.
Complimenting the live matches, BT Sport’s coverage will also include editions of Rugby Tonight on Tour and Gallagher Premiership Rugby Tonight through to the end of the season.
BT Sport will also show every match from the conclusion of the 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup, which will be played in September and October.
Simon Green, head of BT Sport, added:
“The return of Gallagher Premiership Rugby is an exciting moment for rugby fans and we’re pleased to be bringing more Premiership Rugby than ever before to BT Sport subscribers.
“We are looking forward to broadcasting live domestic club rugby again and bringing new innovations to our customers to give them the best viewing experience. Alongside every fixture from the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League in August, live Moto GP and now live rugby, viewers will be in for a packed summer of sport like never before.”
Premiership Rugby has confirmed the dates and kick-off times of almost every match for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, which are listed below.
The exact schedule of round 21 fixtures and the date of the Premiership Rugby Cup Final will be announced at a later date.
The 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership season will start on Friday, 20 November, concluding with the final at Twickenham on Saturday, 26 June, 2021.
As well as four live free-to-air matches, Channel 5’s regular Premiership Rugby highlights programme returns with weekly round-ups of every match from Monday, 17 August.
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