TNT SPORTS: BUILT DIFFERENT FOR DOMESTIC RUGBY

For the next nine months, TNT Sports will build on its unique approach to its coverage of rugby, combining world-class live sport with innovative storytelling, immersive production and unrivalled access to the biggest names in the game. From Ref Cam and Player Mics to cameras on the pitch during warm-ups, fans will experience the game from perspectives that go way beyond the traditional broadcast.

Across the season, TNT Sports will deliver all 93 Gallagher PREM matches – 13 PREM Rugby Cup games and at least 21 Premiership Women’s Rugby fixtures – with every production brought to life by TNT Sports’ expert editorial and in-house production teams. The Gallagher PREM season starts this Friday with Bath travelling to the Twickenham Stoop to play Harlequins (19:45 KO, HBO Max) and current PREM Rugby champions Northampton Saints entertaining the Newcastle Red Bulls (19:45 KO, TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max).

Scott Young, EVP, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “Being right by the fans means being prepared to do things differently. With TNT Sports’ coverage of rugby, we want to challenge convention, get closer to the action and tell the stories that fans genuinely care about – whether that’s taking them inside the huddle, onto the pitch or behind the scenes with the people who make the game what it is.

“Our ambition is simple: to get closer to the sport and give fans more ways to experience the game they love. We’re not afraid to be a little maverick across a season that promises to be more compelling than ever.”

Expertise that brings the game to life
TNT Sports’ coverage of English domestic rugby will once again feature one of the strongest and most engaging line-ups of pundits in sports broadcasting, including Chris Ashton, Danny Care, David Flatman, Austin Healey, Ben Kay, Ugo Monye, Brian O’Driscoll, Emily Scarratt and Sam Warburton.

Drawing on their experience at the very highest level of the game, the team will provide more than analysis – offering informed opinions, insight and personality to help fans understand the moments that matter and see the game from a different perspective.

Taking the debate beyond matchday
As part of its fan-first approach and following its success last season, TNT Sports will once again The Breakdown, a 10-programme series produced on location visiting each Gallagher PREM club that will bring together familiar faces from the people and personalities shaping the competition. 

The Breakdown will be available across TNT Sports’ linear and digital platforms where fans can expect lively debate, strong opinions and a host of special guests – from club CEOs and coaches to star players – throughout the season.

Telling the stories behind the sport
TNT Sports’ commitment to rugby storytelling will extend beyond the live action with Lewis Moody vs MND, a powerful new documentary offering intimate access to former England captain and Rugby World Cup winner Lewis Moody and his family as they navigate his diagnosis with motor neurone disease (MND).

Co-produced by Brian O’Driscoll and Craig Doyle’s 3 Rock Productions, the film follows Lewis and his wife Annie as they confront the personal, medical and scientific realities of the disease.

With unprecedented access to Lewis and his family, Lewis Moody vs MND offers a deeply personal insight into their search for answers and hope for the future – telling a story of courage, resilience and humanity beyond the rugby pitch.

The feature-length documentary will sit alongside a host of brilliant, original rugby documentaries already available to watch on-demand via HBO Max including Unbreakable: England 2003, Lions Uncut and Lomu: The Lost Tapes. 

Lewis Moody vs MND premieres on Friday 25 September at 22.00 on TNT Sports 1 and from midnight on HBO Max. The documentary will be available across all subscription tiers on HBO Max, starting from £4.99 a month. 

A new streaming home for domestic rugby
This season will be the first full season on HBO Max, meaning rugby programming will sit alongside world-class content including the highly-anticipated Harry Potter television series and award-winning The Pitt as well as returning global hits including Euphoria and House of the Dragon.

HBO Max will provide a selection of streaming features which will allow fans to customise their viewing. Key Moments will offer fans the option to seamlessly skip between key moments of the match, to re-live the action again and again at their choosing. New for the 2026/27 season, Quick Catch-up will provide a concise recap of the moments that matter most, giving viewers joining the coverage late the context they need to get up to speed with what’s happened and quickly connect with the live action.

TNT Sports to show The 745 Game from Leicester's Mattioli Woods Welford Road

TNT Sports is to show The 745 Game on September 27, with former England stars Joe Marler, Ben Youngs and Billy Twelvetrees among the stars taking part in support of the fight against Motor Neurone Disease.

The game sees a collection of rugby legends come together, as union takes on league in a modified-rules match that seeks to entertain as well as raise funds and awareness for those affected by MND.

The 745 game takes its name and inspiration from three players who have inspired the rugby world and wider MND community with their courage and determination: Rob Burrow (7), Ed Slater (4) and Doddie Weir (5).

This year's edition will be staged at Leicester's Mattioli Woods Welford Road ground, following on from Leicester Tigers' first Gallagher PREM fixture of the season against Saracens, which is a 3pm kick-off, directly following live coverage of Leicester vs Saracens. 

A rugby audience continuing to grow
The strength of TNT Sports’ rugby offering is reflected in continued audience and engagement growth. Last season saw viewing of the Gallagher PREM up 4% year-on-year, with season reach remaining in line with the previous campaign and viewing subscriptions increasing 15% across discovery+ (until March) and HBO Max (March-June).

Premiership Women’s Rugby, meanwhile, also delivered strong momentum, with viewing up 8% year-on-year and reach increasing 31%. 

Across TNT Sports’ activity beyond the live sport, engagement on its dedicated rugby social channels increased 16% season-on-season, demonstrating the appetite for coverage that puts fans closer to the sport, its personalities and its stories.

Core Presentation Team for the 2026-27 season:
Chris Ashton, Danny Care, Orla Chennaoui, Emma Dodds, Craig Doyle, Jenny Drummond, Sarra Elgan, Alistair Eykyn, David Flatman, Austin Healey, Jamie Lyall, Ugo Monye, Nick Mullins, Brian O’Driscoll, Ben Kay, Emily Scarratt, Claire Thomas, Sam Warburton, Ashleigh Wilmot

Dates for the diary

• 25 September: Start of the Gallagher PREM season – Northampton Saints vs Newcastle Red Bulls (TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max) and Harlequins vs Bath Rugby (HBO Max)
• 23-25 October: Derby Weekend
• 20 November: First Premiership Women’s Rugby broadcast – Loughborough Lightnings vs Trailfinders Women
• w/e 12 June: Gallagher PREM – The Play-Offs
• w/e 12 June: Premiership Women’s Rugby Semi-Finals
• 19 June: Gallagher PREM Final
• 26 June: Premiership Women’s Rugby Final

How to watch TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland
The new domestic rugby season promises compelling drama wherever fans choose to watch. 

TNT Sports is available on HBO Max (UK only) from £25.99 (via the Standalone 12-month plan). TNT Sports is also available across all major TV platforms including EE TV, Prime Video, Sky and Virgin Media.