ITV wins World Cup rights
ITV has won the rights to screen both the 2011 New Zealand Rugby World Cup in the UK and to be host broadcaster for the 2015 tournament in England, continuing an association with the event going back to the 1991 World Cup.
Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) announced yesterday that the agreement followed "a rigorous process managed by RWCL's exclusive commercial agents IMG throughout June and July during which five parties submitted bids".
Under the terms of the new deal, ITV will broadcast live coverage of every match from the 2011 tournament in New Zealand and the 2015 tournament in England. All matches will also be shown online at ITV.com with the deal also encompassing highlights and clips packages on television, online and mobile.
Rugby World Cup 2011, the seventh RWC, kicks off in New Zealand on September 9 and will feature the top 20 teams in the world competing across 48 matches.