Heineken returns as Champions Cup title partner

The EPCR has announced that Heineken will return as the title partner of the European Rugby Champions Cup from the 2018/19 season.

The four-year deal will see the tournament renamed as the Heineken Champions Cup. The Champions Cup has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, intensifying competition with the reduction from 24 to 20 clubs and attracting aggregate attendances of more than one million fans in each of the past two seasons.

The tournament will be more accessible than ever to supporters from next season with live free-to-air broadcasts taking the matches to new audiences in the United Kingdom and Ireland (Channel 4 and TV3 respectively) in addition to the move to a single pay-TV broadcaster (BT Sport) in those territories with the possibility of an extra live free-to-air match per round on France Télévisions to complement beIN SPORTS’ continued coverage in France.

The tournament’s global reach has also been enhanced by the recent agreement with NBC Sports as rights-holding broadcasters in the USA.

EPCR Chief Executive, Vincent Gaillard, said: “We have substantially developed the Champions Cup over the past four seasons and it is fitting that at such an exciting time for the tournament, we welcome back a world-leading brand in Heineken. They are steeped in rugby history and inextricably linked with the heritage of European club rugby and we are delighted to be embarking on this journey with their full support.”

Full story via Epcrugby.com