DAZN has secured a multi-territory broadcast partnership with European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) covering the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons, expanding international distribution and free-to-view coverage across multiple global markets, sportindustry.co.uk reported.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Streaming accessibility broadens fan engagement across emerging rugby territories like Japan and the MENA region.
- Italy moves to exclusive subscription rights for top-tier European rugby alongside free-to-air matches, reinforcing DAZN’s regional anchoring strategy.
- Hybrid distribution models implemented by broadcasters test viewer conversion rates from free-to-view matches into paid platform subscribers during pool stages.
Expanding Global Distribution for the 2026/27 Season
The agreement launches as the 2026/27 European club rugby season gets underway on 16 October, bringing together clubs from Europe and South Africa across the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. The partnership provides wider international distribution for British clubs competing alongside teams from France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and South Africa. Eight English clubs feature in the Investec Champions Cup for the 2026/27 campaign. Alongside the DAZN agreement, EPCR has also recently partnered with FOX Latin America to secure coverage across Latin American markets, sportindustry.co.uk reported.
The European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) and DaZn sign a broadcast deal. https://t.co/bigeaayb8d
The broadcast structure blends subscription access with free-to-view elements. International markets including the Middle East and North Africa, Japan, the Baltics, the Caribbean, Benelux, the Nordics, Poland, Romania, Brazil, the DACH region, and the Pacific Islands will benefit from on-demand content, delayed and live broadcasts, and gratis access to one Investec Champions Cup fixture per round via DAZN. The deal reinforces DAZN’s strategy of utilizing niche sports rights to anchor specific regional markets while lowering entry barriers in emerging regions.
Broadcast Terms in Italy and Regional Rights
Italy serves as a central focus of the new agreement. DAZN will broadcast every Investec Champions Cup fixture live in English within Italy, alongside one game per round available free-to-view. Italian-language commentary will accompany every EPCR Challenge Cup round, during which the service will broadcast both fixtures featuring Italian clubs.
John Barton, EPCR Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer, stated, “Expanding the international profile and accessibility of our competitions is a key priority for EPCR, and this new agreement with DAZN is an important step forward. Italy is a particularly exciting market for us, and combining free-to-air and subscription coverage, alongside EPCR TV, will give more fans the opportunity to engage with the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.”
Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, added, “By combining EPCR’s world-class rugby competitions with DAZN’s global reach and innovative platform, we can bring the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup to more fans across more markets. DAZN’s partnership with EPCR reflects our commitment to support leading sports properties with growing their international audiences, while giving fans easier and more flexible access to the sport they love.”
The 2026/27 season will conclude at the EPCR Finals Weekend in Lyon, with the Challenge Cup final scheduled for 21st May 2027, followed by the Champions Cup final on 22nd May, sportindustry.co.uk reported.
