The Rugby League World Cup is set to be removed from free-to-air TV, with the UK broadcaster for this year's tournament still yet to be confirmed just weeks before it gets underway.
The men's 2026 tournament was due to be held last autumn but was moved following the withdrawal of France as hosts. Now being held in Australia, with some games in Papua New Guinea, it will kick off on October 15 and run in parallel with the women's and wheelchair tournaments.
But while the BBC has previously broadcast the tournament, showing free-to-air coverage of all 61 matches played in the last edition in 2022, that is set to change this time around.
BBC's Limited Interest and Imminent Announcement
According to a report from The i Paper, the corporation has "limited interest" in airing this year's tournament and is set to give up the rights to another broadcaster.
With just eight weeks to go until the competition gets underway, who will pick up the rights is yet to be confirmed, although International Rugby League (IRL) officials told the publication that an announcement is now "imminent".
Premier Sports Favourite to Secure Rights
The i Paper adds that subscription channel Premier Sports is now the favourite to pick up the UK rights from the BBC, with the tournament set to move off free-to-air TV as a result.
The channel has already been awarded the broadcast rights for this autumn's World Cup in Canada and South-East Asia. Premier Sports subscriptions in the UK start at £12.99 per month.
If confirmed, it would represent the latest big move from Premier Sports in expanding its rugby portfolio in the UK, having also shown five live matches at this year's Six Nations after joining the UK's broadcast partnership for the tournament alongside BBC, ITV and S4C.
The channel already provides coverage of United Rugby Championship, Champions Cup, Challenge Cup and Top 14 games, alongside top international matches.
BBC's Recent Rights Losses
As for the BBC, their reported decision to give up the rights to this autumn's tournament follows a failed bid to show next year's rugby union World Cup, with ITV becoming the exclusive UK broadcast partner for that competition.
The corporation has lost the rights to top events including the Commonwealth Games - which moved to TNT Sports this summer - and the Boat Race - which moved to Channel 4 - in recent times.
According to reports, BBC staff are also said to be worried about the future of events like Wimbledon and the Six Nations on their channels, as the corporation shifts its focus towards digital content.
