New Rugby Streaming Service to Launch for Rugby World Cup; What Are the Best Ways to Stream Matches Live?
Rugby fans the world over will soon have a new way to watch the sport without the need for a cable or satellite subscription. World Rugby, which is the governing body of the Rugby Union, has announced it is launching a new over-the-top (OTT) streaming service called RugbyPass TV in time for the start of the Rugby World Cup on Sept. 8.
World Cup matches will stream free to all territories where a broadcast rights deal is not currently in place. Sadly for American audiences, that means live matches on the service won’t be available initially; rugby contests are televised on NBC stations domestically and are frequently available to stream on Peacock.
RugbyPass TV will stream all contests from World Rugby’s upcoming tournaments live, including the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups, WXV, and the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series. In addition, the service will house more than 1,000 hours of footage from historical matches, as well as documentary and original feature content.
“This is an opportunity for rugby fans around the world to get closer to the game we love,” said James Rothwell, chief marketing and content officer for World Rugby. “Rugby is an incredible sport, and we want to deepen the connection it has with new and existing fans through live rights, never seen before archive content, and our World Rugby Studios original programming. RugbyPass TV is the destination for global rugby content.”
RugbyPass TV will be available via its own dedicated website, and will offer mobile apps on both Android and iOS devices, and on smart TVs and devices utilizing Android TV or Apple TV operating systems.
Where Can American Audiences Stream World Rugby?
If you’re a cord-cutting American rugby fan, you won’t be able to see live World Cup matches on RugbyPass TV. That’s because the broadcast rights to World Rugby in the U.S. currently reside with NBCUniversal so matches are most frequently available to stream on Peacock.
That includes the upcoming Rugby World Cup, which starts Sept. 8. Peacock will stream all 48 matches of the tournament, and 15 of these will also be shown live on CNBC. There will be several encore presentations available on NBC, as well. Check out the full schedule below, and watch with a subscription to Peacock for $5.99 per month, or watch on CNBC through one of five live TV streaming services.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Sept. 8 | 3:15 p.m. | France v. New Zealand | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 9 | 7 a.m. | Italy v. Namibia | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sat., Sept. 9 | 9:30 a.m. | Ireland v. Romania | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 9 | Noon p.m. | Australia v. Georgia | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 9 | 3 p.m. | England v. Argentina | Peacock |
| Sun., Sept. 10 | 7 a.m. | Japan v. Chile | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sun., Sept. 10 | 11:30 a.m. | South Africa v. Scotland | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sun., Sept. 10 | 3 p.m. | Wales v. Fiji | Peacock |
| Thurs., Sept. 14 | 3 p.m. | France v. Uruguay | Peacock |
| Fri., Sept. 15 | 3 p.m. | New Zealand v. Namibia | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 16 | 9 a.m. | Samoa v. Chile | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 16 | 11:30 a.m. | Wales v. Portugal | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sat., Sept. 16 | 3- p.m. | Ireland v. Tonga | Peacock |
| Sun., Sept. 17 | 9 a.m. | South Africa v. Romania | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sun., Sept. 17 | 11:30 a.m. | Australia v. Fiji | Peacock |
| Sun., Sept. 17 | 3 p.m. | England v. Japan | Peacock |
| Wed., Sept. 20 | 11:45 a.m. | Italy v. Uruguay | Peacock |
| Thurs., Sept. 21 | 3 p.m. | France v. Namibia | Peacock |
| Fri., Sept. 22 | 11:45 a.m. | Argentina v. Samoa | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 23 | 8 a.m. | Georgia v. Portugal | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sat., Sept. 23 | 11:30 a.m. | England v. Chile | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sat., Sept. 23 | 3 p.m. | South Africa v. Ireland | Peacock |
| Sun., Sept. 24 | 11:30 a.m. | Scotland v. Tonga | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sun., Sept. 24 | 3 p.m. | Wales v. Australia | Peacock |
| Wed., Sept. 27 | 11:45 a.m. | Uruguay v. Namibia | Peacock |
| Thurs., Sept. 28 | 3 p.m. | Japan v. Samoa | Peacock |
| Fri., Sept. 29 | 3 p.m. | New Zealand v. Italy | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 30 | 9 a.m. | Argentina v. Chile | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sat., Sept. 30 | 11:30 a.m. | Fiji v. Georgia | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sat., Sept. 30 | 3 p.m. | Scotland v. Romania | Peacock |
| Sun., Oct. 1 | 11:30 a.m. | Australia v. Portugal | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sun., Oct. 1 | 3 p.m. | South Africa v. Tonga | Peacock |
| Thurs., Oct. 5 | 3 p.m. | New Zealand v. Uruguay | Peacock |
| Fri., Oct. 6 | 3 p.m. | France v. Italy | Peacock |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | 9 a.m. | Wales v. Georgia | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | 11:30 a.m. | England v. Samoa | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | 3 p.m. | Ireland v. Scotland | Peacock |
| Sun., Oct. 8 | 7 a.m. | Japan v. Argentina | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sun., Oct. 8 | 11:30 a.m. | Tonga v. Romania | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sun., Oct. 8 | Noon | Ireland v. Scotland | NBC* |
| Sun., Oct. 8 | 3 p.m. | Fiji v. Portugal | Peacock |
| Sat., Oct. 14 | 11 a.m. | Quarterfinal | Peacock |
| 1 p.m. | Quarterfinal | NBC* | |
| Sat., Oct. 14 | 3 p.m. | Quarterfinal | Peacock |
| Sun., Oct. 15 | 11 a.m. | Quarterfinal | Peacock |
| Noon | Quarterfinal | NBC* | |
| Sun., Oct. 15 | 3 p.m. | Quarterfinal | Peacock |
| Fri., Oct. 20 | 3 p.m. | Semifinal | Peacock |
| Sat., Oct. 21 | 3 p.m. | Semifinal | Peacock |
| Fri., Oct. 27 | 3 p.m. | Third Place Match | Peacock |
| Sat., Oct. 28 | 3 p.m. | Final | Peacock, CNBC |
| Sun., Oct. 29 | Noon | Final | NBC* |
{*} denotes an encore presentation.
Which Streaming Services Carry Rugby in the United States?
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get $25 OFF | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $94.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| CNBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.