The new United Rugby Championship season is here, and with it comes more ways than ever to follow every tackle, try, and talking point. Whether you want to watch Leinster and Munster go head-to-head, keep tabs on the South African giants, or just watch some of the highest-paid rugby players do their thing, there’s no shortage of options. URC betting odds have Leinster as favourites this season, meaning some fans in Ireland could be in for a treat.
This year’s broadcast and streaming deals mean fans in Ireland and the UK can watch all 151 games live, plus get access to exclusive matches, replays, and extra content. Read ahead for all the information you need on where to watch the URC this season.
What channel is the URC on?
Premier Sports
Premier Sports expanded its coverage of the URC earlier in 2025. That means every single game featuring the home nation clubs, Leinster, Munster, Ulster, and Connacht, will be live. There will also be one exclusive URC game per round that you won’t find anywhere else. Even better, they will broadcast all six inter-pro derbies live and exclusively every season.
Premier Sports 🤝 URC
Four more years of BKT United Rugby Championship coverage from us, taking our partnership with one of the most exciting leagues on the planet beyond the decade mark 🎉 pic.twitter.com/1Pbn0ZkTHY
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 17, 2025
Premier Sports will also have full coverage of the play-offs and two of the next four Grand Finals (2026 and 2028). Add in Champions Cup coverage next season, and Premier Sports really is becoming the home of Irish club rugby. Fans in Ireland can keep track of all their rugby predictions by watching along with Premier Sports.
TG4
Some more good news for Irish rugby fans is that you will not need to break the bank to watch the URC this season. TG4 will be the exclusive free-to-air broadcaster in Ireland. This means you’ll get at least 26 games per season live and free, including some of the biggest Irish fixtures on the calendar. TG4 will also share rights to the knockout stages, with selected quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the Grand Final in 2027 and 2029 on their schedule.
Their coverage isn’t just limited to Irish teams either. Sixteen games each season will feature non-Irish sides, so you can follow all the drama from across the league. TG4 has been with the competition for over two decades and has built a reputation for innovative rugby coverage, so expect the same high-quality matchday experience through to 2029.
How can I stream the URC?
URC.tv
If you want to follow the United Rugby Championship online, the URC.tv app is still one of the best ways to do it. The official streaming app of the United Rugby Championship has just had some major updates. The service is now run directly by the URC itself after taking over from RTÉ Commercial Enterprises. That means the league has full control of the platform and has already announced upgrades for the 2025/26 season.
Watch the #BKTURC Grand Final Live & On Demand 🏉📺
Sign up here 👉 https://t.co/izVB6INNw1#URC pic.twitter.com/DYfEkFoJbb
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) June 13, 2025
The biggest change is the price, with a full season pass now costing €40. That makes it one of the most affordable ways to watch live rugby. On the content side, URC.tv will continue to show seven of the eight games live from every round in Ireland. The one match per round that is exclusive to Premier Sports will still be available to URC.tv users, but as a full replay 60 minutes after full-time. That means you won’t miss a single minute of action across the whole season. Subscribers will still get full match replays of all 151 games, bespoke highlights packages, and plenty of additional content to keep you up to date with every team in the competition.
Premier Sports App
The Premier Sports app is another good way to keep up with the United Rugby Championship on the go. With your subscription, you can stream all matches on mobile, tablet, or smart TV through the Premier Sports Player or the app available on iOS, Android, and most connected devices. You’ll also get on-demand replays and highlights, plus access to Premier Sports’ new 24/7 rugby channel. It’s a great option if you want a single platform that covers the URC, Champions Cup, and Challenge Cup all in one place.
Where can I watch the URC in the UK?
As well as streaming with URC.tv, there are several options available for UK fans. The renewal of broadcasting rights this year has seen some changes, however. BBC Wales lost those rights, and there will now be one Welsh-language broadcaster. The URC have also said that another free-to-air broadcaster will be announced in due course.
Premier Sports
If you’re in the UK, Premier Sports is also the go-to destination for every single URC game. All 151 matches of the BKT United Rugby Championship will be available live. The service is available on Sky, Virgin Media, and Amazon Prime Video. The coverage doesn’t stop with the URC.
Premier Sports now offers UK rugby fans more than 400 live games every season across six top competitions and 11 rugby nations. That includes every game from the Investec Champions Cup, full knockout coverage of the EPCR Challenge Cup, selected matches from France’s TOP 14, exclusive coverage of Major League Rugby (MLR), and two games per round from Japan’s Rugby League One.
S4C
S4C has renewed its broadcast deal for the United Rugby Championship, ensuring free-to-air access continues in Wales for at least the next two seasons. Under this new agreement, S4C will show a live match involving one of the Welsh regions in every round of the competition, plus a second Welsh-region fixture per round on a deferred broadcast basis.
In total, there will be 20 live URC matches featuring Welsh teams, and 18 deferred matches. All of this will be available with both Welsh and English commentary across S4C’s platforms. S4C is available throughout the UK, meaning you can tune in if you are in England, Scotland or the North of Ireland.
