2017-18 Premiership: average cumulative audience of 10 million subscribers (BT Sport and Channel 5)

The average cumulative audience of the 2017-18 Aviva Premiership on the BT Sport pay-TV channels "set a new a record season in terms of live audiences" exceeding 10 million subscribers, said Premiership Rugby to News Tank Football on 30/08/2018. The new season of newly named "Gallagher Premiership Rugby" began on 31/08/2018.

The total average audience per weekend for the 2017-18 Aviva Premiership games broadcast on BT Sport and the free and private TV channel Channel 5 was 493,000 viewers (+29% compared to the 2016-17 season). "493,000 is the cumulative audience across the live matches we show in one weekend which is often three... we never show all six live," explained Premiership Rugby.

"Harlequins - Northampton Saints (50-21, on 30/12/2017) simulcast on Channel 5 and BT Sport was our highest match audience ever of 691,000 (546,000 Channel 5, 145,000 BT Sport). Exeter Chiefs - Leicester Tigers in Round 12 (30-6, on 31/12/2017) with a 362,000 average audience was the highest audience we have ever had on BT Sport," added the body.

"We became the first club rugby union tournament to…