Rugby League World Cup Action Picked Up By Streaming Platform FITE
Posted on: October 6, 2022, 07:49h.
Last updated on: October 6, 2022, 07:49h.
The Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) kicks off later this month and fans in the US and Canada will be able to follow all the action. While PPV options on cable and satellite were already available, streaming service Fite (stylized FITE) is going to carry the games in North America, as well.
Fite, owned by TikTok rival TrillerVerz, has been around for the past decade. It has mostly concentrated on combat sports, hence, the name. It became the go-to free and pay streaming service for a lot of fans of MMA, professional wrestling, martial arts and more.
That limited the company’s potential customer base, so it began adding new content. The RLWC is one of its biggest coups, with Fite also providing coverage in Africa, parts of Europe, Japan and Latin America.
Back To Business
This may be the RLWC 2022, but it actually serves as the 2021 version. Last year’s event never happened due to COVID-19, but it’s now getting back onto schedule.
The series begin on October 15 and run through November 19, with all of the action taking place at various stadiums in England. The men’s tournament includes 16 teams, divided into four groups, and the women’s tournament includes two groups of four teams each.
There is also a wheelchair competition, with the same split as the women’s. This is the first time that all of the competitions will run simultaneously.
Fite, which once convinced former POTUS Donald Trump to provide commentary on a boxing match, will have coverage of some of the men’s events on its FITE+ subscription service in North America. In addition, according to a company announcement, it will offer complete coverage of the women’s and wheelchair competitions.
Around six million sports fans across the globe subscribe to Fite’s subscription service. These will have immediate access to the games, but other options are available. Fite will provide certain coverage via PPV options for those who don’t want to subscribe to Fite+.
Australia Looks To Retain Crown
Getting the action started on October 15 in the pool stage are England and Samoa, two teams with strong players and a thirst for victory. They meet at St James’ Park in a hotly-contested match.
Next up will be Australia, which hopes to defend its title. The team from the land down under has taken the last two RLWC events, in 2013 and 2017, and are ready to do it again. Australia meets Fiji at KCOM Stadium to see if they have what it takes. William Hill gives them odds of -227 to take the championship.
After Australia, which has 11 RLWC titles, New Zealand (+333) is also a strong contender for the championship. England (+900), with three titles and a new head coach in three-time Super League Grand Finals winner Shaun Wane, is the third-place favorite to win. Tonga finds itself on the list, as well, getting 1000.