The European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) club competition organizing body has struck a deal with Eluvio, a US video content and distribution site, centered around the launch of a relaunched direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service.
Through a tie-up unveiled today, Eluvio will power EPCR TV, a global streaming subscription service set up by the rugby union body as a relaunch of the previous EPCR service of this kind, epcrugby.tv, which was rolled out in late 2020 and was powered by StreamAMG.
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That service, however, was not available in markets where broadcast deals were already in place, whereas EPCR TV is, in the case of the UK and Ireland.
EPCR TV is set to cover the European body’s top-tier Champions Cup and second-tier Challenge Cup during 2024-25 in a range of markets worldwide, both live and on-demand. Some archive content will also be available on-demand on the service.
Countries where action will be covered by EPCR TV include the UK and Ireland, Italy, Australia, and Germany, as well as Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Across all those regions, except for the UK and Ireland (where Premier Sports also holds rights), it is at this point the exclusive live rights partner.
Subscriptions can be for the entire season, for a weekend, or one individual game, while EPCR TV is available through web, mobile, Apple TV, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV. A season pass is available for €49.99 ($53.09), a weekend pass for €14.99, and a single-game pass for €7.99.
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By GlobalDataThe new service has been unveiled with the group stages of the 2024-25 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup getting underway on December 6 (subscribers to EPCR TV will be able to watch multiple games simultaneously).
Other significant EPCR broadcast partners include SportsMax in the Caribbean, ESPN in South America, BeIN Sports (France), Movistar (Spain), Viaplay (the Nordics, Baltics, and Netherlands), SuperSport (Sub-Saharan Africa), and Sky New Zealand.
The EPCR has said Eluvio’s involvement will provide the streaming service with “state-of-the-art content security and end-to-end anti-piracy protection,” as well as “strong encryption, digital rights management, authorization, proof of authenticity, forensic watermarking, and rights control.”
Jacques Raynaud, chief executive at EPCR, has commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Eluvio to bring best-in-class experiences for EPCR TV audiences. This represents a significant step forward in working with next-generation technology to deliver high-performance streaming and expand the global reach of international club rugby’s best competitions.”
Michelle Munson, Eluvio’s chief executive and founder, added: “This is a first-of-a-kind experience for rugby fans to enjoy high-quality streaming, with access to the best live and archival video content EPCR has to offer. EPCR and fans can engage directly through the platform for maximum enjoyment while benefiting from the most efficient and cutting-edge technology.”
