Channel 4 agrees deal to broadcast European Champions Cup matches
- Published
Saracens defeated Clermont 28-17 in the Champions Cup Final at Murrayfield last May.
Channel 4 has agreed a deal to show nine live games per season in the European Champions Cup until 2022.
From next season, the channel will show one match from each of the six pool stages and one quarter-final, one semi-final and the final.
Its deal with European Professional Club Rugby will see the competition return to free-to-air TV. BT Sport will be the main rights holder.
The competition replaced the Heineken Cup in 2014.
Saracens are the current holders of the cup, after defeating Clermont in 2017, a year on from their victory over Racing 92 in the 2016 final.
Channel 4 sports commissioning editor Stephen Lyle said: "The Champions Cup is one of the most prestigious rugby union tournaments featuring many of the best players in the world and I'm sure viewers will be delighted to see it returning to free-to-air television."
BT Sport, which shares coverage with Sky Sports under the current contract, agreed a deal last July to show the Champions Cup until 2022.