International rugby is coming to broadcast television.
On Thursday, World Rugby announced a new multi-year media rights deal with CBS Sports that will see the next three Rugby World Cups broadcast across the company’s linear and digital platforms. According to the announcement, Paramount+ will exclusively stream coverage for all World Rugby matches included in the deal, with select matches being highlighted on the CBS broadcast network and CBS Sports Network cable channel.
The agreement, which goes through at least 2029, includes rights to the next three Rugby World Cups: the women’s competition in 2025 and 2029, and the men’s competition in 2027. CBS Sports will also air coverage of every men’s and women’s USA national team match across its platforms, as well as key competitions like the HSBC SVNS, WXV, and Pacific Nations Cup.
On July 19, CBS will air a doubleheader featuring both the men’s and women’s USA national teams. The men will take on England while the women will take on Fiji. The first match of the deal will air Friday when the women’s team plays New Zealand at 11:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
“With rugby’s popularity continuing to grow here in the U.S., this is the perfect moment to bring every major World Rugby competition to CBS Sports and Paramount+,” CBS Sports programming exec Dan Weinberg said in a release. “By adding these championship events to our platforms, we’re elevating rugby’s presence nationwide and providing fans for the first time unmatched access to some of the sport’s most prestigious competitions. Paramount+ is now a year-round must-have for rugby fans.”
The United States will host the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2033, making the next several years critical for growing the popularity of the game stateside. Now, rugby fans will have a one-stop-shop for all of their international competitions.
Earlier this year, ESPN reached a media rights agreement with Major League Rugby, the domestic club league established in 2016.