Twitch streamer to show rest of Prem season in France
Finn Russell, who spent five seasons with French side Racing 92, is now with Bath and is one of the Prem's biggest stars 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. 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.