Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Finn Russell, who spent five seasons with French side Racing 92, is now with Bath and is one of the Prem's biggest stars
ByMike HensonBBC Sport rugby union news reporter- Published30 minutes ago
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An online streamer with about 11,000 subscribers has bought the rights to show the rest of the Prem season in France.
Florian Marliere, whose Janusport outlet attracts most of its viewers on Twitch, told French newspaper L'Equipe that he had paid a "five-figure sum" in a deal which also includes an option for the 2026-27 campaign.
His coverage starts on Friday with defending champions Bath's meeting with Saracens.
The 2024-25 season was shown in France on a one-year deal with mainstream broadcaster Bein Sport, but the strength of French domestic rugby and local fan loyalties make it a difficult market to sell to.
Marliere will commentate on the games in vision, a standard format on Twitch which is best known for hosting gaming content.
"It all stems from frustration, that a rugby fan like myself, can no longer watch this exciting competition," Marliere told L'Equipe., external
"Honestly, the idea isn't to make money with this project; we'll probably even lose some. But I hope that the increased visibility will lead to side projects that might be more profitable."
Marliere is not the first streamer to broadcast action free on YouTube.
Mark Goldbridge, whose That's Football channel has more than 1.5 million subscribers, shows football from Germany's Bundesliga, while the Pro D2 – the second tier of French domestic rugby – is available in the UK on start-up channel FR-UK.
Prem Rugby itself has had success with streams of the Prem Rugby Cup competition, attracting six-figure audiences for pool-stage meetings between Leicester and Northampton and Gloucester and Bath in November.
"We're always looking at how we can innovate and deliver the best broadcast experiences for new and existing fans around the world," said Ollie Lewis, head of broadcast at Prem Rugby.
"We are proud of the fact that the Gallagher Prem is a global product broadcast in more than 150 territories, which gives us the biggest footprint of any league in rugby.
"Our vision is to become the best league in the world and we look forward to bringing viewers in France unmissable, free-to-air coverage of the Gallagher Prem across Twitch and YouTube."
