Major League Rugby and ESPN Extend Broadcast Agreement

Roughly six months before Major League Rugby’s (MLR) ninth season is expected to kick off, the U.S. rugby landscape has secured a much-needed victory. North America’s premier rugby competition officially extended its broadcast and streaming partnership with ESPN through the 2027 MLR season.

The extension between the two parties signals continued fan and broadcaster interest in American rugby as the country prepares to host the 2028 Olympic rugby sevens and the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033.

“We look forward to building on our longstanding relationship with Major League Rugby and supporting its efforts to expand rugby’s reach across the U.S. through ESPN’s networks and platforms,” said John Suchenski, Senior Director ESPN Programming and Acquisitions.

As part of the one season broadcast extension, “the worldwide leader in sports” will make all MLR matches available to fans across its various networks. Notably, five MLR matches will air on ESPN’s linear channels throughout the season, and ESPN will retain exclusive streaming rights to Sunday Night Rugby, the flagship program that the two parties launched last season which includes pre- and post-match in-studio analysis from current and former players.

Sunday Night Rugby matches will continue to air in primetime, exclusively on the ESPN App. ESPN and MLR’s commitment to the program is a reflection of its popularity during its first season, and the program’s ability to draw new viewers to the sport.

According to Comscore data, Major League Rugby has seen a 25 percent viewership increase year over year for its matches broadcast on ESPN2 and 35 percent for streamed matches. Engagement with highlights on social media has been even higher with 96 percent growth on Instagram and a whopping 714 percent growth in Tik Tok year over year.

“Sports fans have responded to Major League Rugby in a positive way the past few years, particularly to the Sunday Night Rugby franchise we introduced last year, and we will continue to serve and grow the rugby fanbase as the country prepares to host the Rugby World Cup in 2031,” Suchenski told RugbyPass.

MLR co-president Alexander Magleby is thrilled with the extension and feels that continuing Sunday Night Rugby programming is necessary to accelerate rugby’s growth in the U.S.

The Sunday night primetime slot is the longstanding premier TV slot in the U.S. During different parts of the year, it is home to major sporting events and entertainment shows including the NFL, MLB, Emmys and Oscars.

Magleby says, if MLR wants to be “the contact sport of the spring and early summer,” the primetime window is the best way to make it happen. As he says, “that’s where the greatest eyeballs are on a regular basis.”

Having all league matches broadcast on ESPN networks provides fans a singular ecosystem on which to watch their games, something that NFL, NBA, and European soccer fans can no longer share in.

With ESPN still the undisputed leader in sports programming in the U.S., ESPN is simply the best way for MLR to get the word out about rugby, a sport that remains a challenger in an already saturated sports market. With one sport bleeding into the next and highlights and news shows like SportsCenter and PTI still taking a central space on ESPN airwaves, it is inevitable that casual sports fans watching other events will catch a glimpse of rugby throughout the season.

“Relevance and reach are really important for us right now and ESPN is helping people fall in love with rugby,” Magleby told RugbyPass.

The short-term extension is expected to boost current viewership and provide a springboard for MLR’s future broadcast agreements as the league seeks to garner fan and investor interest ahead of next decade’s World Cups.

The dissolution of Anthem RC saw Major League Rugby reduced to five teams after the 2026 season, but Magleby says, this summer’s FIFA World Cup and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry generated increased interest amongst potential investors.

Ahead of the 2027 season, conversations are ongoing for a potential sixth team, with greater expansion expected from 2028 onward. By the time the Rugby World Cups arrive on U.S. shores MLR anticipates it will be operating in twelve cities once again.