The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has urged administrators to strike a deal to allow this autumn’s Rugby League World Cup to be shown on a free-to-air broadcast after it was announced the event would be shown in the United Kingdom exclusively on subscription TV.
The BBC’s longstanding relationship with the sport has led to it consistently showing the Rugby League World Cup irrespective of where and when the tournament has been held. But that tradition will seemingly end after it was confirmed the broadcaster would not bid for the rights to show the event, which will be held in Australia.
Premier Sports has acquired exclusive rights to stream the event in the UK and Ireland, meaning rugby league supporters will have to pay if they want to watch the biggest event the sport has to offer. The decision has already provoked a strong backlash, including from within parliament.
Nandy, a keen rugby league supporter and the MP for Wigan, has pleaded with the International Rugby League (IRL) to do a deal that will at least show some – most probably England’s games – of the tournament on free-to-air television, whether that be 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 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, which was staged in England, broke TV audience records as the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments were held simultaneously, a format which will be repeated this autumn. The BBC showed every match live, with England’s men’s team attracting audiences well in excess of one million and the cumulative audience for the whole tournament more than 30 million. 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.
The IRL’s 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.”
