The 2022 Rugby League World Cup will be broadcast by Foxtel in Australia.
It has been unclear who may broadcast the tournament to Australia, with an unfavourable timezone not making it an attractive proposition to networks who would traditionally broadcast the sport in Australia.
The news was first reported yesterday by Sport Business, with Fox Sports now confirming that every match of the tournament will be broadcast on Foxtel through the company's 24/7 rugby league channel Fox League, with live streaming available on Kayo Sports.
In an even bigger boost to the international game, the men's tournament will be joined in broadcast form by the women's team and the wheelchair tournaments.
It's the first time wheelchair rugby league has been broadcast outside of a organisation-run live stream, with eight teams in that tournament.
It means 61 matches will be broadcast live.
It also however means the entire tournament will be going behind a paywall for Australian audiences for the first time since 2000.
The 2017 edition, which was hosted in Australia and New Zealand, was broadcast by Channel 7, while the 2013 edition was also on the free to air network, albeit on their back up channel 7Mate with games held in the English time zone, making it unfavourable for Australian broadcasters.
The 2008 edition saw some patches on free to air through Channel 9 and the remainder on Fox Sports, while there was an eight-year gap to the tournament prior to that, with the 2000 edition broadcast by Fox Sports out of England in its entirety.
The tournament kicks off on October 15 in England, with Australia looking to defend their crown from 2017. The final will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester on November 19.
