PRO16 heading Skyward with South African franchises on board

SKY SPORTS are frontrunners to be the main broadcaster for the PRO16 from next season when South Africa's top franchises – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers – join the expanded league.

Sky are set to replace Premier Sports, who took control of the league's television rights on a controversial three-year deal in 2018.

The new contract will be worth significantly more than the £30m Premier paid in 2019, but won't come close to the massive broadcast deals in English and French rugby.

BT Sport paid £110m to show Premiership games while France's new deal with Canal Plus is worth €113.6m-per-year to the Top 14 clubs.

The PRO14 hope a move back to Sky – who broadcast the competition between 2014 and 2018 – will be a step in the right direction and provide a better platform for growth.

Sky are keen to get back on board having lost a significant amount of their rugby content including the Premiership, Champions Cup and Super Rugby over the last decade.

The BBC were also interested in regaining their rights to the PRO16, but look to haved miss out.

There will, though, be a significant free-to-air element to the new television deal with clubs understood to be concerned at the viewing figures on Premier Sports.

Welsh language channel S4C is set to remain part of the new deal.

STEFFAN THOMAS