Stan CEO on securing rights to the Rugby World Cup
Stan Sport, has today secured the rights to the women’s Rugby World Cup this year in New Zealand and the men’s Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.
With access to the pinnacle events in world rugby, every match will stream ad-free, live, and on-demand, with every match of the 2023 tournament in 4K UHD on Stan Sport.
Stan chief executive officer, Martin Kugeler said: “Since Stan Sport’s launch in February 2021, we have invested significantly to build a fresh and comprehensive rugby offering for fans in Australia. From grassroots to world-class internationals and now the pinnacle of the game, the Rugby World Cups, Stan Sport continues to deliver more men’s and women’s rugby content than ever before.
“Together with our great partners at Rugby Australia, we have grown the audience for rugby significantly and this announcement further highlights our commitment to the game. Stan and Nine are uniquely positioned to broadcast the Rugby World Cup to more Australians than ever before with Nine’s Total TV assets (Stan, the Nine Network, and 9Now) alongside all of our other channels, including publishing, and digital, and radio. There is no better place to showcase one of the biggest events in global sport and we can’t wait for the women’s World Cup action to kick off in New Zealand this October.”
The agreement will see Stan Sport exclusively broadcast all 26 matches from the women’s Rugby World Cup beginning Saturday 8 October 2022 and spans 35 days in New Zealand. The Wallaroos’ World Cup campaign kicks off against New Zealand’s Black Ferns on the opening day of the tournament in front of what could be a record crowd for a women’s test match at Eden Park.
This is followed by Pool A matches against Scotland (15 October) and Wales (22 October). With only 45 days to go until the world’s best women’s teams go head-to-head in New Zealand, Stan will bring fans closer to the action like never before with additional exclusive content like never before.
Hosted in France, the men’s Rugby World Cup 2023 will be the biggest event on the global sporting calendar next year and the largest global sports event to be held in France since Rugby World Cup 2007. All 48 matches across seven weeks (9 September – 28 October) will be streamed ad-free in 4K UHD on Stan Sport, with full match replays, highlights, and mini matches available on demand. Wallabies matches and the Final will also be simulcast live on the Nine Network and streamed on 9Now.
The Wallabies’ quest to win a third Rugby World Cup title begins on Saturday 9 September against Georgia and is followed by Pool C matches with Fiji (17 September) and Wales (24 September). The iconic Webb Ellis Cup will be lifted at Stade de France on Sunday 29 October. Over one million tickets for Rugby World Cup 2023 have already been sold to fans worldwide, confirming the global appeal of rugby’s biggest tournament.
Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan was the most watched rugby event ever, with more than 857 million people tuning in around the world. The combination of Stan, alongside Nine’s broader TV platforms and media assets, means Stan is better placed than any other streaming or broadcast TV business to bring the Rugby World Cup to more Australians than ever before.
The addition of the Rugby World Cup further cements Stan’s position as the Home of Rugby, with more world-class rugby available in one place than ever before, including The Rugby Championship, Spring Tour (Autumn Nations Series), Super Rugby Pacific, and Six Nations.
World Rugby chief executive officer, Alan Gilpin said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Stan Sport to provide fans in Australia with access to our men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups. Stan Sport is the home of rugby in Australia and we are excited by their plans to showcase the sport to new audiences through their innovative content and leading digital platforms.
“We are entering what will be a golden decade for rugby in Australia, culminating in hosting of the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029 respectively. The excitement is building and we are looking forward to working with Stan Sport and our friends at Rugby Australia to get all of Australia excited about rugby once again.”
Stan Sport, The Home of Rugby, is the only place to watch all the action from the women’s Rugby World Cup in September 2022 and the men’s Rugby World Cup 2023 with every match streaming ad-free, live, and on demand.
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