Minister Lisa Nandy urges International Rugby League to work with free-to-air broadcasters for World Cup

Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, has urged International Rugby League to ensure that this year’s Rugby League World Cup is available to watch on free-to-air television.

Her comments have come following the news that Premier Sports, a subscription-based broadcaster, will have the exclusive rights to showcase the men’s, women’s and wheelchair Rugby League World Cups.

All three tournaments will run at the same time, taking place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea across October and November, however, fans in the UK and Ireland will be hard-pressed to watch the games as they have been put behind a paywall.

It’s understood that the BBC, who aired last year’s Ashes, will not have any exclusive broadcast rights, not even for the final of each competition.

Instead, fans in the UK and Ireland will need to pay to subscribe to Premier Sports to watch the competition and government minister Nandy, who is the MP for rugby league town Wigan, has urged a reconsideration.

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What Lisa Nandy said about the Rugby League World Cup broadcast deal

In a statement issued via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Nandy called on the IRL to work with free-to-air broadcasters to ensure that fans do not miss out on the tournaments.

She said: “Rugby League is a source of pride and identity that brings communities together across the country.

“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.”

Previously, the BBC had exclusive rights for the World Cup but their deal had expired at the end of the last World Cup, held in 2022.

This year’s three competitions will all run concurrently with England represented in each of the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments, the latter of which they are the reigning champions.