RUGBY IS BACK – AND TNT SPORTS WILL BE THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

Witness the best domestic talent and international stars battle it out in what promises to be a season to remember only on TNT Sports - your destination for top-tier rugby with unrivalled coverage of the Gallagher PREM, Premiership Women’s Rugby, Quilter Nations Series and PREM Rugby Cup.

Scott Young, EVP Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “With new multi-year agreements for both the Gallagher PREM and Premiership Women’s Rugby, we are proud to strengthen our long-term commitment to showcasing the very best of domestic men’s and women’s rugby. Off the back of registered record numbers for our rugby coverage across the 2024-25 season, we are excited to build on that momentum and bring fans even closer to the game this time around.

“We will also look to evolve our coverage of international rugby after a successful first year as we return with the Quilter Nations Series this November.

“For this season, our focus remains on working hand-in-hand with leagues and clubs to keep innovating our coverage and shining a light on the sport’s defining stories across the country. At TNT Sports, storytelling is what we do best, and we are committed to introducing more fan-first formats that truly get under the skin of the game. With the best minds in rugby helping us paint the picture for our audiences, we are confident that fans will continue to see and experience rugby in ways they never have before.”

TNT Sports celebrated the start of the new rugby season with a media event in London on Wednesday hosted by Sarra Elgan and Craig Doyle who were joined by TNT Sports rugby experts Ugo Monye, Dan Biggar and David Flatman.

As part of the event, TNT Sports partnered with its data provider Oval to offer data-led insights into the season that lay ahead. Among a host of findings discussed at the event, it is predicted by Oval that this season’s Gallagher PREM top four will comprise of Bath (65% chance), Leicester Tigers (49%), Saracens (48%) and Northampton Saints (44%).

146 MATCHES LIVE ON TNT SPORTS FOR 2025-26 SEASON
Once again, every explosive moment from all 93 matches of the Gallagher PREM season will be broadcast live on TNT Sports or its streaming platform discovery+.

In May this year, TNT Sports announced a new five-season deal extending its existing agreement through to the end of the 2030/31 season, further cementing itself as the home of the men’s top tier domestic competition. The PREM Rugby Cup got underway last Friday which saw the Newcastle Red Bulls successfully launch its new era with an impressive victory against Harlequins. The top match from every round of the PREM Rugby Cup as well as the semi-finals and final will once again be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

With a new four-year agreement in place commencing this season, TNT Sports re-affirmed its commitment to women’s rugby, broadcasting the top pick from each Premiership Women’s Rugby match week – as well as both semi-finals and final.

The 2025-26 season kicks off with a repeat of last year’s final with eventual champions Gloucester-Hartpury hosting Saracens at Kingsholm on Sunday, 26 October.

Starting with England and Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, 1 November, fans can also enjoy all 21 matches from the upcoming Quilter Nations Series. Production plans for the month of international rugby series will be announced soon ahead of the opening game, which will also include the huge clash between Ireland and New Zealand clash from Chicago, USA.

WELSH RUGBY ROYALTY JOINS ON-SCREEN LINE-UP
TNT Sports’ Gallagher PREM coverage will this season include legendary Welsh fly-half, Dan Biggar (pictured). Boasting 112 international caps and 633 points, plus two British & Irish Lions Tours, Biggar joins the team of experts to deliver his insights at key points of the Gallagher PREM season as well as November’s Quilter Nations Series.

Coverage will once again feature an enviable cast of on-air experts throughout the season, including Emily Scarratt, Austin Healey, Sam Warburton, Brian O’Driscoll, Chris Ashton, Danny Care, David Flatman, Ugo Monye and Ben Kay. Each will lean on their own experiences, offering their own takes and insights and breaking down the nuances of the sport for viewers watching the live action.

 
NEW SHOWS TO REIGNITE COVERAGE FOR A BRAND-NEW SEASON
As part of its fan-first philosophy, TNT Sports will launch The Breakdown, a new season-long debate show featuring regular faces across TNT Sports’ coverage. Broadcast across all linear and digital platforms and produced on-site at every Gallagher PREM club, the show will feature lively debates, opinions and special guest appearances from club CEO’s to star players.

In addition to the action on the pitch, TNT Sports will this season present an extended post-match show, The Rugby Wrap Up. The 15-minute show will immediately follow each Gallagher PREM match played on a Sunday, offering fans in-depth reviews and analysis of the weekend’s highlights and key stories. This will also be available across TNT Sports digital channels.

This season, TNT Sports’ coverage of rugby union will once again extend beyond the pitch further with a 360-degree digital and social media approach. Fans will get exclusive behind-the-scenes access, match reports, expert opinions, and insights from key moments of the season.

THE BEAUTY OF THE GAME AND THE BEASTS WHO PLAY IT
TNT Sports’ start of season marketing campaign launched over weekend and captures the contrasting qualities needed by an elite rugby player to compete at the highest level. The Gallagher PREM demands grace and brutality, discipline and destruction, elegance and ferocity with every elite player requiring every attribute.

The on-air campaign delivers a creative narrative beautifully blending and juxtaposing all the calm and chaotic moments from last season – the beauty and the beasts – everything which makes the Gallagher PREM the fiercely competitive competition it is. The voiceovers tell a powerful story, with one representing a calm and measured side to the game, the other portraying a more gritty and raw tone.
TNT Sports’ rugby season kicked off last weekend with the PREM Rugby Cup, and live coverage continues on Saturday with Bath vs Exeter on TNT Sports 1 at 3pm.

During the 2024-25 season, Gallagher PREM (previously Premiership Rugby) average audiences were up +10% versus the 23/24 season on TNT Sports with a live-to-live scheduling strategy seeing Saturday afternoon matches drive a +47% rise in audiences when directly following a Premier League football match in comparison with weeks with no Premier League football lead-in.

Premiership Women’s Rugby audiences, meanwhile, rose 156% following November’s Autumn Nation Series. March’s PWR Grand Final, which saw holders Gloucester-Hartpury overcome Saracens 34-19, drove a 36% increase in average audience vs the 2024 final, contributing to an 86% year-on-year increase in season average audiences on TNT Sports.

TNT Sports Core On-Air Team for the 2025-26 season:
Pundits: Emily Scarratt, Austin Healey, Ugo Monye, David Flatman, Ben Kay, Sam Warburton, Brian O’Driscoll, Chris Ashton, Dan Biggar, Danny Care
Presenters: Craig Doyle, Orla Chennaoui, Emma Dodds, Ugo Monye, Claire Thomas
Reporters: Sarra Elgan, Jenny Drummond, Ashleigh Wilmot, Claire Thomas Commentators: Alistair Eykyn, Nick Mullins, Jamie Lyall

HOW TO WATCH TNT SPORTS
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms including EE TV, Sky and Virgin Media. discovery+ is the streaming destination for TNT Sports in the UK, presenting many of the world’s most celebrated sports events live together with an extensive selection of original documentaries.

Selected 2025-26 key dates on TNT Sports:
• 25 September – Gallagher PREM opening game – Sale vs Gloucester, KO 19:45
• 10-12 October - Derby Weekend – including Northampton Saints vs Leicester Tigers, KO 15:05
• 26 October – Premiership Women’s Rugby – Gloucester-Hartpury vs Saracens, KO 15:00
• 1 November – Quilter Nations Series – England vs Australia, KO 15 :10
• 8 November – Quilter Nations Series – Scotland vs New Zealand, KO 15 :10
• 15 November – Quilter Nations Series – England vs New Zealand, KO 15 :10
• 22 November – Quilter Nations Series – Ireland vs South Africa, KO 17 :40
• 29 November – Quilter Nations Series – Wales vs South Africa, KO 15:10
• 12-13 June – Gallagher PREM – The Play-Offs
• 13 June – Premiership Women’s Rugby – Semi-Finals
• 20 June – Gallagher PREM – The Final