The RugbyPass TV streaming service, which launched ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, attracted more than 350,000 subscribers during the showpiece tournament.
Since its launch, the platform has achieved huge global viewing figures, attracting a total of 1.7 million users around the world.
Go deeper with GlobalData
It streamed nearly 500,000 hours of content throughout the Rugby World Cup with 3.3 million total views, including nearly 700,000 live views.
In September, World Rugby partnered with Endeavor Streaming to launch RugbyPass TV, providing live and on-demand content of the Rugby World Cup worldwide and free-to-air.
The service enabled World Rugby to reach fans directly in markets where broadcast deals for the tournament were not in place, including large audiences across Greece, South Korea, and Hungary.
The platform reached its biggest audience in South Africa, followed by the UK and the US.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataIn most countries, including some very established media and rugby markets, rightsholders did not carry all matches, which gave World Rugby the provision of rights to livestream on RugbyPass TV.
James Rothwell, World Rugby chief marketing and content officer, said: “World Rugby’s objective is to drive global and diverse fan growth for our sport by making the game as relevant, accessible, and entertaining as possible.
“RugbyPass TV is a cornerstone of our fan engagement strategy, and provides a platform to deliver programming to fans around the world through live matches, highlights, on-demand matches and shoulder content.”
Pete Bellamy, chief commercial officer at Endeavor Streaming, added: “RugbyPass TV’s impressive results exemplify the power that direct-to-consumer services have in reaching fans on a global scale, particularly around highly charged moments such as a World Cup tournament.
“These platforms are influential and essential tools for helping sports organizations deepen their engagement with fans, offering highly personalized experiences that traditional channels cannot offer.”
RugbyPass TV is hosted on Endeavor Streaming's Vesper platform, an end-to-end streaming solution.
The service will aggregate all World Rugby events into one place with additional coverage to include the women’s Rugby World Cup, the new women’s WXV competition, and the relaunched top-tier rugby sevens series (rebranded as SVNS).
World Rugby acquired OTT digital media platform RugbyPass as part of a media rights deal with pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand in 2022 as its first step to entering the streaming world.
