53 Million Tune Into URC As Records Tumble Across Stadiums, Screen & Social

The 2024/25 season, which saw Leinster 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 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 versus 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 is closing in on one billion video views.

2024/25 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 2024/25. 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-final stage 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 match 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 fixtures of the season to larger venues to help create incredible events that attracted new fans to the sport.

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

A total of 20 regular season matches 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.

There were 46,002 supporters at Murrayfield for Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors, 27,538 at Hampden Park for Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh, 27,580 at MacHale 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 heavyweight final in Dublin, where a crowd of 46,127 turned up to see table toppers Leinster battle it out with the Bulls from Pretoria. 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 BKT URC has reaffirmed its status as the fastest-growing club rugby competition in the world, adding 310,000 new followers over the last 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 (e.g. Jac Morgan’s ‘Beast Mode’ drop before his first British & Irish Lions Test, or Ethan Hooker’s highlights ahead of his debut for South Africa).

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 USA, 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 became the fourth different title winners in four years, while the Scarlets’ qualification for the play-offs meant that 12 of the 16 teams have reached the knock-out stages in that same period.

Last 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 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 in 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 teams, 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 the 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.”