53-million tuned into the URC as records tumble

With just four days to go until the United Rugby Championship kicks off, the league enters its 25th season off the back of yet another record-setting campaign that was watched by an audience of 53-million.

The 2024/25 season, which saw Leinster Rugby claim their ninth league title, set new records for broadcast and attendance while social media growth and watch time on URC’s YouTube channel set new benchmarks.

For the third season in a row the league set a new record for total attendance which was buoyed by the introduction of new big-game venues and a record crowd for a Grand Final held in Ireland where Leinster defeated the Vodacom Bulls.

Since the evolution of the league into the United Rugby Championship, fans have embraced the format and the north v south battles between the European and South African teams.

That interest is clearly shared by the league’s broadcast partners with Premier Sports, TG4 and S4C all renewing their rights in the UK & Ireland while BKT, Vodacom, Qatar Airways and OFX will now be joined by Castle Lager, Macron and Vipre Security Group in the URC’s family of commercial partners.

By far the biggest signing of the summer for the URC came in the recent confirmation that SA Rugby had become a shareholder in the league which has gone from strength to strength since their four franchises joined the competition in 2021.

In just four years the league has recorded a broadcast audience of 173-million, seen a total attendance of 6.2-million across stadiums, grown to 1.65-million followers on social media and are closing in on One Billion video views.

The 2024/2025 Season Highlights

Broadcast

Watched around the world across the URC’s domestic and international broadcast partners as well as on URC.tv, the league recorded an 11% increase in total viewership with a cumulative audience of 53 million across the 2024/25 season. This marks the fourth season in a row where the league set a record for television audiences.

With an average of 2.6-million viewers for each round, the league witnessed its most-watched regular season weekend with 3.5-million tuning in across Round 6. However, that was narrowly pipped in the hotly-contested quarter-finals where 3.6-million tuned in across the four games.

In Stadium

A record-breaking 1.8-million fans turned out across the season, setting a new high for the URC and marking a 9% increase on the previous campaign. The average attendance of 12 100 per game is also the highest ever recorded.

The increase in attendance is due to the ambitions of the URC’s teams in delivering greater match-day experiences for supporters while the likes of Leinster, Glasgow Warriors and Connacht took some of their biggest games of the season to larger venues to help create incredible events that attracted new fans to the sport.

In addition, Edinburgh Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks and DHL Stormers all saw increased attendances for some of their biggest derby fixtures while the likes of Zebre Parma and Cardiff also enjoyed year-on-year increases across the season.

A total of 20 regular season games also surpassed the 20 000 mark creating unforgettable moments in iconic venues. An all-time league record 80 468 fans packed Croke Park to watch Leinster face Munster, while derby occasions across the league hit new heights; 46 002 at Murrayfield for Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, 27 538 at Hampden Park for Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby, 27 580 at McHale Park for Connacht v Munster, 40 063 at DHL Stadium for DHL Stormers v Hollywoodbets Sharks and 34 827 at Hollywoodbets Kings Park for Hollywoodbets Sharks v Vodacom Bulls.

It was all capped off with a Grand Final in Dublin, where a crowd of 46 127 turned up to see a titanic North v South clash as Leinster took on the Vodacom Bulls. That figure proved to be the highest attendance out of the nine league deciders that have taken place in Ireland in front of fans.

On Social

The URC has reaffirmed its status as the fastest-growing club rugby competition in the world, adding 310 000 new followers this season to bring its total social media following to 1.65-million. Engagement reached 18-million interactions (up 36%), while video views soared to 413.6-million (up 67%).

Growth was led by YouTube (+57%), Threads (+37%), Facebook (+28%) and TikTok (+22%), highlighting the league’s ability to connect with younger and diverse audiences across multiple platforms.

YouTube

YouTube continues to be a breakout success for the URC, recording 56-million video views and a staggering 1.8-million hours of watch time – an increase of 370% year-on-year – all of which led to the addition of 80 000 subscribers and a 257% increase in content monetisation.

As consumption habits evolve, with so much content now being viewed on smart TVs, the URC has doubled down on its efforts to make YouTube a focal point of its growth strategy. In particular, the channel has leaned into creating content that resonates with Gen-Z and younger audiences, serving as a vibrant way to stay connected to the league in between game days. Prior to the 2024/25 season, the URC had already enjoyed a 336% rise in watch time, while also growing from just 55 000 subscribers in 2021 to 221 000 today.

This success has been fuelled by a mixture of short-form and long-form formats. Viral shorts showcasing the best of the URC, behind-the-scenes access, and highlight reels have supercharged subscriptions and views, while longer-form content such as full match replays and extended highlights has steadily increased watch time (now accounting for 41% of viewing time, up from 23% the previous year). Crucially, the URC has struck the balance of using snappy short-form content to hook new audiences, before drawing them into traditional long-form storytelling.

A range of new content formats have driven high engagement – from best celebrations, biggest hits and Top 10s to original feature pieces – supported by strong thumbnails optimised for performance within the YouTube algorithm. Spotlighting talent has also been key, with content focused on stars of the league, next-gen players, new signings and standout performers. Timing distribution has played an equally important role, with clips released when most editorially relevant (eg Jac Morgan’s “Beast Mode” drop before his first British & Irish Lions Test, or Ethan Hooker highlights ahead of his Springboks debut).

YouTube is also extending the URC’s reach into new markets not always captured by web, OTT or social. Notably, 10% of total views now come from India, making it the third most engaged market for the league on YouTube. The US, France and Australia all sit within the URC’s top 10 YouTube markets, underlining the channel’s role in expanding the league’s international footprint.

On the Pitch

The action on the field matched the scale of growth off it. Leinster have become the fourth different winner in four years while Scarlets’ qualification for the play-offs means that 12 of the 16 teams have reached the knock-out stages in that same period.

The past season averaged 6.7 tries per game, with 42% of matches decided by seven points or fewer, underlining the drama and jeopardy that have become hallmarks of the URC. A total of 319 internationally capped players featured – more than any other club competition in world rugby.

Martin Anayi, CEO of the United Rugby Championship, said: “Rugby thrives when people within aim to disrupt the old ways of thinking and as a league we’ve never fit the mould of being traditional. Our continued success in setting records all areas of audience growth is a testament to our drive to connect with fans new and old. We challenge everyone in our environment to innovate and bring new ideas to the table and we see that all the time now with our clubs, broadcasters and commercial partners.

“It's clear the players and coaches are committed to putting a world-class product on the field and it’s our job to keep pace with the entertainment and drama they create by showcasing it to as wide an audience as possible. We’re really proud of how BKT URC has established itself in the past four seasons, we are more sure of our identity than ever before and that will help us to achieve more success in the years to come.”