TVNZ and Spark won the rights to broadcast the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and while some games will be broadcast free, Kiwi rugby fans are "going to have to dig into their pockets to watch every match," according to STUFF. The successful bid for New Zealand's TV rights for the '19 tournament was confirmed in a joint release from TVNZ and Spark on Monday and "lauded" as the first time since '07 that New Zealanders "would be able to see the games without paying." Spark signed the deal over the weekend with World Rugby, Spark Managing Dir Simon Soutter said. The service would offer free and paid content and "be available to all New Zealanders," not just Spark customers. However, "some rural customers may not be able to stream the games." Moutter said that the pricing would be "lower than most people would expect." He said, "If you were buying a tournament pass, I think NZ$100 ($73.55), plus some, minus some, in that sort of territory." When the 2019 Rugby World Cup begins, viewers "will download an app onto any device and stream live," and they "can also watch a back catalogue of games." The successful bid is "part of a larger package" that will also bring New Zealanders the 2021 Women's World Cup, the 2018 World Cup Sevens and 2018 and 2019 World Rugby U20 Championships. TVNZ confirmed it will screen seven 2019 Rugby World Cup matches live -- including the opening match and the final -- "which is the same number offered free-to-air" in '15. It will also air a "yet-to-be-confirmed number of delayed matches" (STUFF, 4/16). STUFF's Tom Pullar-Strecker reported Spark will have "splashed out big time" to secure the rights to the tournament, Sky TV said. Sky TV spokesperson Melodie Robinson said that Sky offered to pay "significantly more" for the rights to the 2019 World Cup than it did when it won the rights to the event in '15. She said, "Therefore, Spark paid a lot of money." Spark spokesperson Andrew Pirie responded that it was "very comfortable" with the price it paid and said it was "not safe to assume" RWC organizer World Rugby would necessarily have "plumped for the highest bid" (STUFF, 4/16).
