Emerging subscription channel Premier Sports has signed a deal with the Rugby Football League (RFL) to screen live Co-operative Championship matches from 2012.
Up to 32 matches from the Championship, Championship One and the Northern Rail Cup will be televised on the channel throughout the season, with coverage beginning in early March.
Subscribers will be able to watch at least one live game from the second and third tiers of English rugby league each week during the regular season.
Premier Sports’ on-site presentation team will include regular BBC commentator Dave Woods, rugby league broadcaster Ian Ramsdale, and former Bradford and Great Britain coach Brian Noble.
Three games will be televised in the play-off stages, as well as both the Championship and Championship One Finals.
Live matches will be screened mostly on Thursday evenings, and there will be opportunities for some double headers throughout the season.
As in previous years one game from the Northern Rail Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals will be shown live, as well as the final.
Premier Sports takes over Championship coverage from Sky Sports, who ended their association with the competition in 2011.
This was confirmed in August when Sky renewed its Engage Super League contract for a further five years.
Broadcast rights to all RFL competitions, including Super League, have been sold seperately for the first time, leaving the RFL to negotiate individual TV deals for internationals, the Challenge Cup and the Co-operative Championship.
“We’re delighted to confirm Premier Sports as the broadcaster for the Championships next season and look forward to working with them,” said the RFL’s Commercial Director Paul Kimberley.
“The Championships have provided fantastic entertainment for TV viewers over the past few years and fans will now be able to watch action from the NRL and the Co-operative Championships in the same place.”
Premier Sports executive Richard Webb said: “This is a superb opportunity for the channel to build on the great relationship we have with Rugby League fans in the UK.
“Next season we plan to broadcast 200 Rugby League games between the NRL and Championship which works out at 40p per game if fans take out a 12-month season ticket.
“Viewers can expect extended pre-match build-ups and analysis that will get to the true heart of the game at Championship level.”
Premier Sports broadcasts exclusively on the Sky platform (channel 433). For a fee of £7.99 per month, viewers can enjoy more than 700 events over the next 12 months, including NHL, NRL, NASCAR, South American and Conference football, Boxing and MMA.
Visit www.premiersports.tv or call 0871 663 9000 for information on subscribing.
