URC breaks audience and attendance records

The United Rugby Championship (URC) have confirmed that for the third consecutive season they have set new records in both attendance and broadcast viewership.

The 2023/24 season attracted a total audience of 47.7 million, surpassing the previous record of 37.4 million set in 2023.

Round 11 saw 3.4 million viewers even though it came in a break weekend in the Guinness Six Nations. This was one of seven rounds with audiences exceeding 2.5 million. The seven-game play-off series drew 4.7 million viewers, with an average of 671,428 per game.

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The Bulls’ semi-final match against Leinster attracted 947,589 viewers, while their final against Glasgow Warriors was watched by 1.1 million.

“In three seasons the Grand Final has produced two away winners, our Play-Offs continue to deliver surprise results and nearly half of our games are decided by seven points or less – a feat no other club competition can match in this past season,” said URC CEO Martin Anayi. “All of this feeds into the appeal of the BKT URC as we aim to grow the competition and the sport. To break the previous broadcast record by 10 million is a staggering achievement and pays testament to the superb product on the pitch and the high levels of coverage provided by our broadcasters.

“There has never been as much buzz about the BKT URC and our clubs, players, coaches and broadcasters deserve huge appreciation for making it what it is today.”

The league also reported significant growth in international viewership, with overseas audiences increasing by 138 per cent to 6.2 million. Attendance figures showed a 3 per cent increase, reaching a total of 1.69 million, with an average of 11,200 per game. Round 9 set a new record for single-round attendance, with 146,000 fans across games in Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales.

“There is more collaboration happening between the clubs, the league, the broadcasters and commercial partners to promote our games and attract fans to venues. Across the board all of our clubs have made strides to innovate and improve their match-day experiences and as a result supporters are now enjoying a day out that goes beyond the 80 minutes of play.

“With a number of teams upgrading their stadiums over the next 18 months we believe that these numbers will continue to rise in the long-term with some great examples of best practice being deployed across all of our territories.”