Florian Marliere, the French streamer behind Janusport, has bought the rights to show Premiership Rugby matches on his Twitch channel so viewers in France can watch games live for free.
What he did
Marliere, who has about 11,000 subscribers on Twitch, paid a five-figure sum to obtain broadcasting rights for the rest of the season. There is also an option to extend the agreement through the 2026/27 season.
Matches start this Friday, with reigning champions Bath facing Saracens. Marliere will stream the games live on Janusport and provide commentary during the broadcasts.
Why this matters
Until now, French viewers often had to pay to access Premiership Rugby and even then the matches they wanted were not always easy to find. The 2024/25 season was carried by a French sports channel, but no deal had been in place for the current season until Marliere stepped in.
Rugby is not the top sport in France, which helps explain why traditional broadcasters were not quick to secure rights. Marliere sees this as a chance to make the competition easier to watch and to raise its profile in France.
How the broadcasts will work
Twitch is best known for gaming streams, but live sports commentary on the platform is already a thing. Marliere will start solo on commentary this weekend, and he plans to invite professional rugby players from the Pro D2 and the third division to join him for future shows.
He also plans to create a broader viewing experience, including pre-match and post-match coverage rather than just the live feed.
Money and arrangements
Marliere says the project is driven by frustration that fans could not easily watch the competition. He told reporters: "It all stems from frustration, that a rugby fan like myself, can no longer watch this exciting competition."
He added: "Honestly, the idea isn't to make money with this project; we'll probably even lose some. But I hope that the increased visibility will lead to side projects that might be more profitable."
The deal was not quick or simple. Marliere says he negotiated for months to prove Janusport's credibility and to show how he could build an ecosystem around the championship. He also secured sponsorship that covers about 30 percent of the rights cost from an energy drink brand.
The bottom line: A French streamer has paid serious money to make Premiership Rugby free to watch on Twitch in France, promising live matches, commentary, and extra coverage while hoping the gamble boosts the sport and creates future opportunities.
