CBS Media Rights Deal Secured for Rugby World Cup

CBS Sports has reached a great media rights deal for Rugby World Cup fans! The deal, all set to last through 2029, includes broadcasting several major international rugby competitions.

Exciting news came this Thursday when World Rugby announced a new multi-year media rights agreement with CBS Sports. They’ll be bringing the next three Rugby World Cups straight to your screens through their linear TV channels and digital platforms. As part of this fantastic deal, Paramount+ will have the exclusive streaming rights to cover all World Rugby matches included, and some prestigious matches will also be showcased on CBS network and CBS Sports Network cable channel.

This agreement is incredibly significant as it’ll run until at least 2029, including rights to host 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 be airing all men’s and women’s USA national team matches on their platforms, along with highlighting key competitions like the HSBC SVNS, WXV, and Pacific Nations Cup.

Excitingly, mark your calendars for July 19 because CBS is hosting a thrilling doubleheader with both the men’s and women’s USA national teams playing. The men will face off against England, while the women will take on Fiji. This coming Friday, check out the women’s team battling New Zealand at 11:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

CBS Sports programming exec Dan Weinberg expressed his delight stating, “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+. We’re excited to grow rugby’s presence nationwide and provide unprecedented access to some of the sport’s most prestigious competitions. It’s clear, Paramount+ is now a must-have for all rugby fans.”

In the upcoming years, the United States will host the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2033, making it a pivotal time to boost the game’s popularity across the country. But fans can rest easy knowing that now they have a one-stop shop for all international competitions, thanks to this incredible deal.

Earlier this year, ESPN had also secured a media rights agreement with Major League Rugby—the domestic club league founded back in 2016. Onward and upward for rugby fans!