Sky’s Super-Duper Rugby Ratings

Sky reports double-digital audience growth across digital platforms and the “blockbuster final” for the Super Rugby Pacific 2026 season.

The 2026 final was Sky’s highest-rating broadcast year to date, with more 750,000 viewers watching on Sky Sport and Sky Open, which was up about 4% year-on-year.

Sky says digital audiences also set benchmarks, with more than 330,000 viewers, 8% up on last year, streaming the match on Sky Sport Now and Sky Go.

Across the full 2026 season, more than 1.9 million viewers watched Super Rugby Pacific on Sky Sport and Sky Open.

More than 750,000 watched the competition across Sky Go, Sky Sport Now and ThreeNow.

A strong and stable audience on Sky Sport combined with rapid growth on streaming platforms, up 16% year on year, drove overall audience growth for the competition in 2026, Sky says.

Gary Burchett, Sky’s Head of Sport Content, said the results reflect both the enduring appeal of Super Rugby Pacific and changing audience behaviours.

“Super Rugby Pacific delivers the moments that matter to Kiwi, and this season we saw that come through across every Sky platform.

“The Finals Series, and the final in particular, had real scale and intensity. It landed as our biggest broadcast of the year so far, which speaks to both the quality of the competition and the way we’re bringing it to life.

“It’s also notable that the other peak moment of the competition – the Super Round opener, between the Crusaders and the Waratahs – ranked among the top five matches across all Sky platforms.”

Top five most viewed matches from Super Rugby Pacific 2026 (across all Sky platforms)

• Super Rugby Pacific: Final Hurricanes v Chiefs
• Super Rugby Pacific: Semifinal 1 Chiefs v Crusaders
• Super Rugby Pacific: Semifinal 2 Hurricanes v Blues
• Super Rugby Pacific: Crusaders Waratahs R11 (Super Round)
• Super Rugby Pacific: Qualifying Final 3 Chiefs v Reds