Crème de la crème: Toulouse targeting record as world-leading Top 14 returns

The biggest and best league in the rugby world starts this weekend. Vibrant, full stadiums are the norm, especially when the likes of Bordeaux-Bègles, Toulouse and La Rochelle are at home, and the Top 14’s lucrative TV deals dwarf rival leagues in both hemispheres. What’s more, the Top 14 is only going to flex its pecs even more.

Canal+ has secured the broadcast rights again from next season for both the Top 14 and Pro D2 until 2032, paying a whopping €696.8 million for the privilege. This equates to an annual payment of €128.7 million for the Top 14; a 13.3 per cent increase on the existing agreement. This is about double what the Super Rugby Pacific and the URC generate in TV income, and about 3½ the revenue of the Premiership.