Culture secretary Lisa Nandy urges free-to-air deal for Rugby League World Cup
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy urged administrators to secure a deal allowing this autumn’s Rugby League World Cup, which will be held in Australia, to be shown on free-to-air television in the United Kingdom after it was announced the tournament would be broadcast exclusively on subscription TV. Her appeal followed confirmation that the BBC would not bid for the rights and that Premier Sports had acquired exclusive streaming rights for the UK and Ireland.
The BBC has had a longstanding relationship with the sport and has traditionally shown the Rugby League World Cup irrespective of where and when it has been held, but it will not bid for the current tournament. Premier Sports’ exclusive rights mean supporters in the UK and Ireland will have to pay to watch, and the decision has triggered strong backlash, including criticism from within parliament.
Nandy, the MP for Wigan and a keen rugby league supporter, pleaded with the International Rugby League (IRL) to reach an arrangement that would allow at least some matches—most likely England’s games—to be shown on free-to-air television, whether on the BBC or another terrestrial broadcaster. “Rugby league is a source of pride and identity that brings communities together across the country,” she said. “As a fan myself, I wholeheartedly share fans disappointment that the upcoming World Cup will not be on free-to-air television. I urge the International Rugby League to work with UK free to air broadcasters, so the millions of fans can follow the tournament.”
The 2022 World Cup, staged in England, combined the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments and broke television audience records; the BBC showed every match live, England’s men’s team attracted audiences well in excess of one million, and the cumulative audience for the whole tournament was over 30 million. The simultaneous three-tournament format will be repeated this autumn.
Premier Sports has broadcast World Cup fixtures before, including in 2017, and is now the exclusive home of the tournament in the UK and Ireland. IRL secretary Danny Kazandjian said: “Premier Sports has had a strong partnership with international rugby league events for many years and has showcased some of the sport’s elite tournaments – none more so than the 2017 Rugby League World Cup,.“ “IRL is really excited about renewing that relationship as we continue to develop our business, increasing the IF’s [International Federation] capacity to invest consistently and in a meaningful way in the global game.”
Nandy has called on the IRL to work with UK free-to-air broadcasters so the millions of fans can follow the tournament; those numbers will be significantly lower this year if a deal cannot be reached for the tournament to be put on free-to-air television.
