Seven secures Rugby League World Cup 2013

The Seven Network is the home of Rugby League World Cup 2013.

Seven has secured exclusive broadcast rights to the 2013 Rugby League World Cup following an agreement with IMG Media.

Seven will broadcast all RLWC2013 matches - which runs from October 26th- November 30th - live on 7mate as part of an all-encompassing agreement covering broadcast and subscription television rights, IPTV, interconnected TV, catch-up TV, HbbTV, pay per view, video on demand and digital rights, including online and mobile.

RLWC2013 - which is organised by the Rugby League International Federation - will be the fourteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and will be hosted by England and Wales with matches also to be held in France and Ireland.

Fourteen teams will contest the tournament: Australia, England, New Zealand, Samoa, Wales, Fiji, France, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, Cook Islands, Italy and the United States. New Zealand is the defending champion, having defeated Australia in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup final. It is Italy and the United States' first Rugby League World Cup.

Today’s agreement adds further depth to Seven’s leadership in sports television.

“Seven is delighted to have secured this agreement that will see us as the home of rugby league and the Rugby League World Cup 2013 across October and November," Tim Worner, CEO of Seven West Media, said.

“It is an extraordinary event and fits perfectly with our portfolio of major sports event that we can drive across our broadcast television platform and our emerging and developing online and mobile content platforms. A key to this agreement is our ability to deliver this amazing event across multiple platforms in formats that meet the demands of our audiences. This approach is a cornerstone for our future development as a broad-based audience company.

“Live events define our business and we are delighted that rugby league will be on Seven’s broadcast platform. We are investing in and building our three channels and 7mate is key to our development, in particular its increasing presence in live sports television and extending its leadership in key male demographics.

“It is also fitting that we are entrusted with the Rugby League World Cup 2013 – it is 50 years this year since the late, great Rex Mossop joined Seven after an extraordinary playing career in league and union, and through his commentary and passion, defined league television coverage in Australia.”

“It is great news for the tournament that Seven will be showing every game and on so many platforms. Sports fans in Australia know they can rely on Seven’s experience of covering not just domestic and international Rugby League but other world class sporting events too," Nigel Wood, RLWC2013 Tournament Director, said.

“We know we’ll be staging the best Rugby League World Cup to date, with competitive matches in front of passionate fans. The tournament now has a compelling broadcast offer in both hemispheres.”