Virtual Broadcasting Tech and Tailored Channels Set to Transform Rugby Broadcasting and Consumption in 2025

In the age of technology, there’s no doubt that the way things are broadcast to and consumed by viewers is changing, and rugby is no different.

Indeed, the sport is no stranger to pioneering new technologies and techniques for improving the viewer experience. Video replay is a fundamental aspect of rugby in games of various levels, used to assist in-game officials, but it has numerous benefits for broadcasters as well. For example, the ability to pause, rewind, and manipulate footage live using video replay software can provide rugby audiences with a more dynamic virtual experience. And, additional features like showing the referee’s perspective for Referee Review can help to demonstrate decisions more impartially. This can benefit the experience of the viewer, making the entertainment more engaging. 

Alongside existing technology like video replay, two other strategies have hit the headlines for their potential impact on rugby consumption. The rising popularity and publicised applications of tailored content and virtual studios are set to take rugby broadcasting and viewership to another level. 

Virtual Studios 

When you tune into rugby broadcasts, chances are you’ve got pundits sitting together in a studio, and commentators physically onsite. However, other forms of entertainment have utilised virtual studios to enhance engagement for a while.

Take something like online casinos, for example. When players try their hand at roulette online they’ll find a range of live games, where a croupier interacts with a roulette wheel in front of different backdrops. Some of these games use a green screen to situate the game in famous casinos like the Bellagio or the Hippodrome, whilst games like Mega Fire Blaze and Immortal Romance incorporate digital features like animation and augmented reality (AR) through the live stream. 

Similarly, virtual studios are beginning to creep into rugby broadcasting and entertainment. In February 2025, Crowd Network announced that it had employed Sage to create a virtual studio for the popular For The Love Of Rugby podcast. This will allow them to record virtually when schedules don’t align and provide analysis, insights, and data in an exciting and digestible way. 

Tailored Channels 

Traditionally, rugby enthusiasts would have to know when and where a rugby game would be televised. Today, rugby games can be streamed through a variety of channels like the BBC, ITV, S4C, and Sky Sports, as well as online streaming providers like TNT Sports and Premier Sports. However, rugby lovers won’t have to wait until the next scheduled game to get their next rugby hit. 

In March 2025, Virgin Media TV announced a brand-new channel that is entirely dedicated to rugby. Premier Sports Rugby is said to offer the most comprehensive club rugby coverage in the UK. This channel streams coverage of rugby leagues in the UK, Japan, the USA, and other international games around the clock, providing a tailored alternative to their broader sports-centric Premier Sports channel.

Games from big leagues and cups such as Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, the United Rugby Championship, TOP14, Japanese Rugby League One, and Major League Rugby are broadcast 24/7 on this channel. 

As you can see, virtual studios and tailored channels are transforming the way that rugby broadcasting and entertainment are created and consumed in 2025. This should make coverage more engaging, authentic, and immersive.