Japan World Cup on course to break financial records

More lucrative broadcasting and sponsorship deals fuel rise in value

The 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan is on course to eclipse the record commercial revenues generated by England in 2015 despite a much lower target for ticket sales, the Talk of Rugby can reveal.

The tournament in England smashed records despite the hosts’ pool-stage exit, generating more than £150million for World Rugby and profit of £26million for the Rugby Football Union.

The host country’s only means of revenue are from ticket sales, and the RFU profit came from setting a record of more than 2.47 million sales for the 48 matches in 13 venues across England and Wales.

Japan has a more modest target of 1.6million-1.8million, and even with increased prices it will be difficult to match the RFU figure. But the 2019 tournament is due to bring another rise in the commercial value of the broadcasting rights and sponsorship, which should ensure that it raises the overall financial worth of the tournament to World Rugby.

Several high-profile sponsor partners have been confirmed recently and at least four more are expected before the end of this year.

Japan will have to pay

£96 million to World Rugby to host the tournament, an increase of 20 per cent from the £80 million that England had to guarantee to World Rugby in 2015.

World Rugby’s take from sponsors, broadcast revenue and hospitality for the tournament in England rose by more than 50 per cent from the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

And another massive increase is expected in two years’ time, in part due to the increased competition to secure broadcasting rights. Japan’s historic victory over South Africa in Brighton in 2015 was key to raising the profile and popularity of rugby union in the host country, and the victory over Samoa was watched by a record national television audience of 25 million viewers.

Japan has yet to finalise its ticketing structure – the match schedule will be published in September and tickets are set to go on sale in early 2018 – but prices are almost certain to rise, particularly for the top-end tickets.

Since 2015, Japan has seen its rugby fan-base rise by 11 million, while 400,000 visitors are expected for the tournament.