Live coverage of Super League XVIII on Sky Sports will begin with defending champions Leeds Rhinos at home to Hull FC on Friday, February 1.
Up to two live games will be broadcast each weekend during the regular season, and every club will be featured live by the end of Round six when Super League XVIII commences in February 2013.
The top four clubs from last season’s competition will be also shown live twice by Round six, plus there will three big derby matches around Easter weekend with Catalan Dragons at home to Leeds Rhinos on Easter Monday.
Reinforcing Sky’s commitment to Rugby League, regular Monday night games will be broadcast from mid-season onwards.
Leeds Rhinos against St Helens will kick off ‘Extraordinary Mondays’ on May 20, then Magic Weekend at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium follows a week later in round 16 with all seven matches and 14 clubs shown exclusively live on Sky Sports.
Over 70 matches from the Super League XVIII will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, all in high-definition, with selected matches to be shown in 3D.
Live coverage starts on February 1, 2013, when the defending champions Leeds begin their campaign for a record-beating seventh Super League title, with St Helens hosting Huddersfield Giants the next day.
The following weekend will see last season’s finalists and runners-up Warrington travel to Wigan on February 8 and Wakefield play host to Hull KR on February 9.
In addition to Sky Sports’ live Super League coverage, the broadcaster will cover a range of international games, live coverage of the Challenge Cup with quarter-finals on July 12 to 15, as well as the World Club Challenge match at Headingley Stadium between Leeds Rhinos and Melbourne Storm on Friday, February 22.
Sky’s comprehensive rugby league coverage will also feature a strong line-up of support programming during the 2013 season.
The popular weekly magazine show Boots ‘N’ All returns, along with other spin-off programmes, including Super League Super Men, debate show Super League Back Chat and Super League Full Time, a weekly live full round-up, analysis and discussion of all the tries from the weekend on Sunday nights.
The season culminates with the Rugby League World Cup, to be held across England and Wales in October/November 2013.
An announcement on the TV rights for the tournament will be made shortly, with Sky Sports and the BBC expected to share coverage.
Commenting on the return of live Monday night games, Super League chief executive Nigel Wood said: “We are delighted that live Monday night Super League action is returning to Sky Sports in 2013.
“Extraordinary Mondays greatly enhanced the competition in 2012 and helped showcase the excitement of Super League and the skills and athleticism of the players to a wider audience.
“I am sure that Extraordinary Mondays will continue to grow in popularity, among Rugby League fans and new viewers alike.”
Neville Smith, executive producer of Sky Sports’ rugby league coverage said: “This is going to be a great year for Rugby League.
“We’re reinforcing our commitment to its growth and popularity with over 70 live Super League games and the return of Monday nights.
“We’ll continue to deliver exclusive, live HD and 3D coverage, and we’ll broadcast from every stadium in the League.
“Alongside this, we have our fantastic stable of magazine shows, bolstered when Super League Back Chat and Super League Full Time joined the line-up last season.
“We’re also pleased that Sam Tomkins will continue to work with Sky Sports – watch this space!”
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