Channel 4’s Super League coverage could end

When Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves met in the opening Round of the 2022 Super League season, we started a new era for the sport continued into this year by Wigan Warriors and Hull KR.

This of course is the start of Channel 4’s coverage but the deal will conclude at the end of the season.

Also questions have been raised about what next for the channel now that Sky Sports are covering every game next year though RL Commercial do have the right to still agree a free to air deal which could be with Channel 4.

But others could rival them to the rights such as ITV. If this is the end of Channel 4, they will have one last hoorah showing the Grand Final.

Sky Sports again were host broadcasters in the UK and Ireland, with live national radio coverage on BBC 5 Live, and highlights on BBC Two on Sunday, then a fresh angle on all the unfolding drama on Channel 4 on Saturday.

Sky Sports’ coverage was shared globally through Fox Sports in Australia and the USA, Sky NZ in New Zealand, Premier Sports in South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, SportsNet in Canada and SportsMax in the Caribbean.

In addition, L’Equipe concluded their first season of exclusive Super League coverage across France by showing the Dragons’ second Grand Final appearance, and the team from Televisio de Catalunya’s TV3 arrived at Old Trafford on Friday night ahead of their live coverage across Spain.

Rhodri Jones, the Managing Director of RL Commercial:

“International interest has reached unprecedented levels for the 2023 Betfred Super League Grand Final, as Catalans Dragons make their second appearance at Old Trafford against Wigan Warriors, one of the most famous clubs in world Rugby League. We are looking forward to another memorable night and it is testament to the occasion that it will be watched by households all over the world.”

The future of the sport’s broadcasting has been settled lately.

Following a meeting of RL Commercial, IMG and Super League (Europe) Shareholders, RL Commercial will now enter a 30-day exclusive negotiating period with Sky Sports to formalise and contract the broadcast rights agreement.

This follows a period of activity in the market that saw multiple bids tabled for the rights, with all stakeholders convinced Sky Sports are offering the best deal for the Super League competition.

It would see the partnership with Sky Sports extend for a further three years, until the end of the 2026 season – which would include the 30th anniversary of the launch of Super League’s partnership with Sky Sports for the inaugural season in 1996.

Under the proposed deal, the partnership would include the live broadcast of every Super League fixture, to the UK and worldwide – a transformative development for the competition. This would also allow for video match officials to be appointed for every match.

There would also be the continuation of a free-to-air window.