Rugby World Cup Will Be Largest Global Sports Event This Year

The Rugby World Cup, which begins September 7, will be the “most popular global sporting event of the year,” as it drew a worldwide TV audience of over 3 billion people when it was last held four years ago, according to a cover story by Kemp & Szalai of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The event ranks third among the most-watched sporting events worldwide, behind the FIFA World Cup and Summer Olympics.  The Int’l Rugby Board (IRB) holds world TV and marketing rights, reportedly worth over $200M.  Setanta Sports holds the exclusive rights to live games in the U.S. and Canada, and the net is offering PPV games and broadband subscriptions via Setanta.com. In Demand is offering 23 live matches for $24.95 per game (the final will cost $29.95), or a package for all its coverage for $199.95. Versus will also air some of the tournament.

SPONSOR DEALS: The IRB has signed EDF Energy and Peugeot as its main sponsors for the event, and also has deals with financial service provider Societe Generale, Visa, Heineken, Toshiba, Emirates Airline, telecom firm Orange and consulting firm CapGemini. Meanwhile, the U.S. national team recently signed a deal with Sony to promote its Bravia line of TVs, and England national team member Jonny Wilkinson has been featured alongside Galaxy MF David Beckham in TV ads for adidas (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 8/24).