New Zealanders to have more ways to watch rugby than ever before 

• New five-year agreement with Sky for 2026-30 as broadcast partner for all of rugby in New Zealand, including All Blacks, Black Ferns and Super Rugby.  
• Exciting new international calendar for the All Blacks and Black Ferns over the five-year period, including new tours and competitions.  
• TVNZ becomes NZR’s free-to-air provincial rugby partner, with 93 matches set to be broadcast. 
• Domestic broadcast revenues will support forecast record commercial, broadcast and matchday revenue in 2026.  

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has confirmed a new broadcast agreement with Sky as the broadcast partner for all of rugby in New Zealand for the 2026-2030 period.

NZR Chair David Kirk said: “We’re delighted to confirm this new agreement with our long-term partner Sky, which will see Sky remain the home of rugby in New Zealand. The next five years are exciting for fans, with the best domestic competitions in the world and an amazing international calendar for our All Blacks and Black Ferns, including a men’s and historic first women’s British & Irish Lions tour”. 

TVNZ will become NZR’s free-to-air provincial rugby partner, which includes all Bunnings Warehouse NPC matches and select Farah Palmer Cup presented by Bunnings Warehouse and Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship games. 

“We are pleased to partner with TVNZ to provide expanded free-to-air coverage of provincial rugby. New Zealanders will have more ways to watch rugby than ever before over the next five years."

Kirk said NZR was focused on improving access to rugby for fans through this broadcast agreement and NZR’s wider content strategy, supported by exciting domestic and cross-border competitions and a block-buster international calendar. 

The agreement with TVNZ will see 93 provincial matches available free-to-view on TVNZ+, with three games a week in appointment viewing slots on TVNZ 1. These matches will also be shown co-exclusively live on Sky. 

“We see this as a win-win-win outcome – a secure revenue stream to support NZR in investing in rugby; Sky remaining our partner and the home of rugby; and a win for our fans as they will have more options and channels for viewing rugby.” 

Set against a backdrop of change and turbulence in domestic and international broadcasting and media landscapes, Kirk said there was much to be positive about in terms of the financial outcome, the expansion of rugby coverage and fan access.

As the free-to-air provincial rugby partner for NZR, TVNZ will broadcast the following:  

• A total of 93 provincial rugby matches.  
• 77x Bunnings Warehouse NPC games (70 regular season & 7 finals) 
• 12x Farah Palmer Cup presented by Bunnings Warehouse regular season and semi-finals games (2 per week as double headers with NPC) 
• 2x FPC Finals matches 
• 2x Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship Finals 

All 93 provincial rugby matches will be shown co-exclusively live on Sky. 

For further information head to https://www.nzrugby.co.nz/news-and-events/latest-news

Article added: Friday 22 August 2025