Sources revealed that Sky and BT will be "pitted against each other" for the exclusive U.K. and Irish broadcast to European club rugby at next year's auction, according to the LONDON EXPRESS. The rights to the European Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup, rugby’s equivalent of football’s Champions and Europa leagues, "were split" between the pay-TV companies in '14. However, senior sources at European Professional Club Rugby, the body that controls and organizes the sport’s European competitions, said that having coverage divided between Sky and BT is "very unsatisfactory." They believe the games have not had the "desired coverage and support from the broadcasters because of the split coverage and are disappointed with the viewing figures." The new four-year deal starts with the '18-19 season. The current £24.3M deal was a "last-minute" compromise, which ended a "bitter two year row between the Anglo-French clubs and rugby’s authorities over the structure of the competitions and their TV rights" (LONDON EXPRESS, 10/16).
