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About six months before the ninth season of Major League Rugby (MLR) is expected to begin, the American rugby landscape has secured a much-needed victory. North America’s premier rugby competition has officially extended its broadcast and streaming partnership with ESPN through the 2027 MLR season.
The extension between the two sides signals continued fan and broadcaster interest in American rugby as the country prepares to host the 2028 Rugby Olympics and the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033.
“We look forward to building our long-standing relationship with Major League Rugby and supporting its efforts to expand rugby’s reach across the US through ESPN’s networks and platforms,” said John Suchenski, ESPN’s senior director of programming and acquisitions.
As part of the one-season broadcast extension, the “world leader in sports” will make all MLR matches available to fans on various networks. Notably, five MLR matches will be broadcast on ESPN’s linear channels throughout the season, with ESPN retaining exclusive streaming rights Sunday Night Rugbythe flagship program launched by the two sides last season, which includes analysis of current and former players in the studio before and after the game.
Sunday Night Rugby games will continue to air in primetime, exclusively on the ESPN app. ESPN and MLR’s commitment to the program is a reflection of its popularity during its first season and the program’s ability to attract new viewers to the sport.
According to Comscore, Major League Rugby saw a 25 percent year-over-year viewership increase for its games broadcast on ESPN2 and a 35 percent increase for televised games. Engagement with social media highlights was even higher with a 96 percent increase on Instagram and an incredible 714 percent year-over-year growth in Tik Tok.
“Sports fans have responded positively to Major League Rugby over the past few years, especially the Sunday Night Rugby franchise we introduced last year, and we will continue to serve and grow the rugby fan base as the country prepares to host Rugby World Cup 2031,” said Suchtski RugbyPass.
MLR Co-President Alexander Magleby is delighted with the extension and sees it continuing Sunday Night Rugby programming is necessary to accelerate the growth of rugby in the USA
Sunday evening prime time is the long-standing premiere TV slot in the US. During different parts of the year, it is home to major sporting events and entertainment shows, including the NFL, MLB, the Emmys and the Oscars.
Magleby says if MLR wants to be “the contact sport of spring and early summer,” a prime-time window is the best way to make it happen. As he says, “the biggest eyeballs are regularly there.”
Broadcasting all league games on ESPN networks provides fans with a unique ecosystem to watch their games, something fans of the NFL, NBA and European soccer can no longer share.
With ESPN still the undisputed leader in sports programming in the US, ESPN is simply the best way for MLR to get the word out about rugby, a sport that remains a challenge in an already saturated sports market. With one sport moving on to the next and prominent news shows like SportsCenter and PTI continuing to take center stage on ESPN’s airwaves, it’s inevitable that casual sports fans following other events will glance at rugby throughout the season.
“Relevance and reach are really important to us right now and ESPN is helping people fall in love with rugby,” Magleby told RugbyPass.
The short-term extension is expected to boost current viewership and provide a springboard for future MLR broadcast deals as the league looks to attract fan and investor interest ahead of next decade’s World Cup.
The dissolution of Anthem RC saw Major League Rugby reduced to five teams after the 2026 season, but Magleby says this summer’s FIFA World Cup and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry have sparked increased interest from potential investors.
Ahead of the 2027 season, talks are underway for a potential sixth team, with a major expansion expected from 2028 onwards. By the time the Rugby World Cup hits American shores, MLR anticipates it will once again be operating in twelve cities.
