Premiership dips toe in deep pool of free-to-air viewers with live debut

Casual rugby fans are target for broadcast of Harlequins v Northampton on Channel 5 in search for balance between pay TV riches and terrestrial TV’s reachFor the first time in its history Premiership Rugby pulls back the curtain to a live free‑to-air TV audience on Saturday. Channel 5 will broadcast Harlequins’ annual festive fixture at Twickenham, against Northampton, and while it may be pushing it to say the rugby revolution will be televised – not least because of the two sides’ respective form – it can be considered a seminal moment.Premiership Rugby has had its critics of late but th…