New York, 5th March, 2026 –Major League Rugby (MLR) and OS Studios have today announced a transformative multi-year partnership designed to disrupt traditional sports models and redefine the North American sports landscape. This collaboration positions OS Studios as the league’s primary engine for broadcast production, social content and holistic fan engagement strategy, leveraging deep expertise from gaming culture, entertainment, and music to engage a new generation of fans.
The timing is critical. With the global rugby community soon focused on the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups on US soil, OS Studios and MLR are partnering to lead the way, ensuring the domestic game sets a new benchmark for rugby storytelling before the world arrives.
Beyond the Field: A Culture-First Approach
The partnership is built on the belief that for a league to thrive, it must prioritise rugby culture alongside rugby competition. The vision is to build an always-on community hub where connection thrives, tribalism is celebrated, and storytelling fuels belonging.
Moving beyond passive engagement, MLR fans will no longer just consume content; they will co-author it, feeling seen, valued, and empowered to shape the future of the sport in the US. The ultimate “North Star” is ambitious: By 2035, Major League Rugby will be sports’ most accessible, community-driven league.
“We are building a space where fans are the architects of the culture,” said Lucas Reid, CRO of Major League Rugby. “By combining our innovation on the pitch with OS Studios’ ability to engage next-gen audiences and build digital communities, we are ensuring MLR becomes integral to North America’s entertainment and sports attention.”
To deliver this vision, OS Studios has assembled a ‘Team for Disruption’ that bridges the gap between deep rugby heritage and digital innovation.
This heritage is being fused with OS Studios’ industry-leading experience in gaming, entertainment, music and creator culture. The partnership will apply the same community-driven mechanics OS used to power Activision’s Call of Duty: Next, creator-led initiatives for TikTok Live, sneaker culture storytelling for Rakuten & CANVVS, and the high-octane broadcast production of Ultra Music Festival.
“For US audiences to care about players on the pitch, they need to care about the players off it. We’re not focusing on trying to explain when a ruck is formed or if a lineout is straight – entertainment and excitement has to come before education,” said Paul Guest, SVP Sports Strategy & Growth at OS Studios. “We are working with all stakeholders long term, from the league to the franchises, to partners and the international community. Many people in rugby have a desire to do things differently, but there is a unique drive and flexibility from Lucas, Alex and Graeme to spearhead change. We are moving quickly, we are all willing to take risks, and while not everything will work, you can be sure we are going to try different things over the next few years.”
Nigel Owens announces “No more TMO” – In a bubble bath?
As a prime example of this new creative direction, today’s launch of the Referee Review System ignores traditional technical explainers in favour of “Extreme Incongruity.”
The RRS represents a global-first for a major rugby competition, replacing the traditional TMO with a faster, fan-centric model. To communicate this change, OS Studios eschewed dry explainers or homework for fans, instead drawing inspiration from Margot Robbie’s iconic bubble bath scene in The Big Short and working with the most respected voice in rugby, Nigel Owens.