TV audience boost for Premiership Rugby

Aviva Premiership Rugby enjoyed a bumper season of coverage on BT Sport, Premiership Rugby can confirm.Almost nine million people watched the 2014/15 Aviva Premiership Rugby campaign live on BT Sport channels, up 6% on the previous season. That rise follows an impressive first season on BT Sport where audiences rose by 40%. For the season 2014/15, 8.932million people watched Aviva Premiership Rugby live on BT Sport, while the Aviva Premiership Final had a peak audience of 297,000 which is the highest figure for the fixture since 2010.   "It is amazing to think that BT Sport has only been on air for less than two years, but in that time the partnership with Premiership Rugby has delivered on all fronts," said Dominic Hayes, the commercial director at Premiership Rugby. "Aviva Premiership Rugby has never been more popular than it is today. "Next season we start a new six-year deal with BT Sport and we couldn't be in better shape to take the partnership to the next level. "Rugby is embarking on a golden era in England and last Saturday's Aviva Premiership Rugby Final showed its true potential."    The ITV Sport highlights show, produced by Premiership Rugby productions, had an average overnight audience of 338,000 the day after the Aviva Premiership Final, the highest figure since December. "To have partners like BT Sport and ITV Sport is crucial for a sport like rugby,” Hates added.   “The profile of club rugby in England has never been higher and that is – in part – due to our broadcast partners.”