SNY and RUNY Announce Television Partnership

SNY AND RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK ANNOUNCE TELEVISION PARTNERSHIP

New York City’s First Professional Rugby Franchise to be Televised on SNY

Coverage Begins Sunday, January 27, 2019

New York, December 20, 2018 – SNY, the official television home of the New York Mets, New York Jets and all things New York sports, is now also the home of New York City’s first professional rugby franchise, Rugby United New York (RUNY).SNY will televise nine games of RUNY’s inaugural season, with the premiere game airing LIVE Sunday, January 27th at 5:00 PM EST.

“As the home of New York Sports, we are excited to team up with Rugby United New York on their inaugural year in Major League Rugby,” said Marie DeParis, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, SNY. “We are confident our viewers will enjoy the addition of rugby to our professional sports coverage.”

RUNY is set to join Major League Rugby after the League’s successful launch in 2018 with seven teams. The expansion franchise played an exhibition schedule last season as an affiliate member, finishing with an undefeated record. MLR’s second season of play will kick off with nine teams with the inclusion of two of the largest media markets in the North America in RUNY and the Toronto Arrows.

“We believe that Rugby United New York can elevate the sport of rugby in the region in new and exciting ways.That all starts with building a fan base and we couldn’t be happier with the fact we can now do that with SNY.” says James Kennedy, Owner, Rugby United New York.

“The partnership with SNY is a big moment for rugby in New York,” added RUNY General Manager James English. “Delivering our games to our fans on a major platform that reaches 11 million homes, promoted with other major sports in the region, has been a huge goal of ours and we are thrilled to put RUNY on the map in this deal.”

RUNY has assembled talent from a number of club teams in the tri-state area, including New York Athletic Club and Old Blue Rugby Football Club, two of the most competitive clubs in New York City. RUNY also focused resources on international scouting, highlighted by the addition of English star Ben Foden and Irish Fly Half Cathal Marsh.

The team has been training together for nearly a month under the leadership of head coach Mike Tolkin and is playing a rigorous preseason schedule in anticipation of their MLR debut in January.

2019 Rugby United New York Programming Schedule on SNY

Day Date Opponent Time Sunday 27-Jan San Diego 5:00 PM Saturday 16-Feb Nola 3:00 PM Saturday 2-Mar Houston 8:00 PM Saturday 9-Mar Utah 9:00 PM Friday 15-March Toronto 7:00 PM Sunday 14-Apr San Diego TBD Saturday 11-May Seattle 4:30 PM Sunday 19-May Austin TBD Sunday 26-May Nola TBD

All RUNY’s home games will be played at MCU Park in Coney Island.Tickets for RUNY’s 2019 campaign are now on sale and available at http://www.rugbyunitedny.com/tickets/single-game.

ABOUT SNY

SNY is an Emmy Award winning, multiplatform regional sports network serving approximately eight million homes in the New York Metropolitan area and 11 million homes across the country through unparalleled coverage of the New York Mets, Jets and all things New York sports. SNY is the official television home of the New York Mets, televising more than 125 live games each season with exclusive pre- and post-game programs, plus additional Mets entertainment programming airing throughout the calendar year. As the official television home of the New York Jets, SNY delivers more than 300 hours of exclusive year-round content devoted to Gang Green. SNY is also the official television home of the UConn Huskies men’s and women’s basketball programs, broadcasting approximately 350 hours of UConn programming annually, including more than 20 live games. As New York’s leader in local sports television coverage, SNY delivers the most comprehensive access to all of the Tri-State area’s professional and collegiate sports teams through five nightly sports and entertainment programs from SNY’s state-of-the-art studio located high above the city at 4 World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan. SNY’s programming roster also includes classic sports programming, critically acclaimed original entertainment shows, and exclusive interview and magazine programs. Online, SNY.tv is the “go-to” digital communal home for New York sports fans to get succinct, easy-to-read updates, video highlights and features, recaps, news, opinion, rumors, insight and fan reaction on their favorite New York sports teams. Owned by Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, Charter Communications and Comcast, SNY is available to viewers throughout New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and northeastern Pennsylvania, and nationally on DIRECTV, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse.

ABOUT RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK

Rugby United New York is a professional rugby team who joined Major League Rugby as an associate member in 2018, playing a brief, but successful exhibition season. Their first full MLR schedule will take place in 2019. When they officially join the league, RUNY’s vision is to bring the excitement of professional rugby to the New York sports landscape. The use of rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, and discipline will help to educate, inspire and connect with the New York Community. Rugby United New York, the city’s first professional rugby franchise, strives to unite the entire rugby community and enrich it at every level throughout the region. The team was founded by James Kennedy of the Murphy Kennedy Group, who is an active supporter of grassroots rugby.

ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY

MLR is a professional rugby league that launched in April of 2018. It’s an initiative of the American rugby community, in partnership with private investors, who believe that American rugby can thrive at the highest levels: as a commercial enterprise; as an influential player on the international scene; and as a participation sport at the youth and senior level. MLR is the pinnacle of the American rugby, and provides a rallying point for local communities, a focal point for American rugby fans, and an aspirational destination for young athletes. MLR features nine teams in Austin, Glendale (Colorado), Houston, New Orleans, New York, San Diego, Seattle, Toronto and Utah.