The National Rugby League, the sport’s top division in Australia, has teamed up with domestic rights partner, pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports, to launch a new direct to consumer streaming product for the international market.
Watch NRL will launch for the start of the 2018 Premiership season, which commences on March 8 with the St. George Illawarra Dragons facing the Brisbane Broncos.
The new service will also offer the State of Origin Series, Australian men’s and women’s international matches played on home soil and Super Cup matches.
Watch NRL content will only be accessible outside of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Territories. A pricing strategy for the service was not disclosed.
Fox Sports has partnered with the IMG agency to promote the international NRL broadcast rights over the next five years, with Fox Sports managing the broadcast rights for the USA and the UK.
In November 2015, Fox Sports and the Telstra telecommunications company acquired NRL rights in a five-year deal from 2018 to 2022.