The Seven Network and Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) have launched their joint partnership packages for the Rugby League World Cup 2026 (RLWC2026), giving brands the opportunity to connect with Australian audiences across broadcast, digital, audio and social platforms when the tournament kicks off in October.
Seven and SCA hold the exclusive Australian rights to the RLWC2026, which will be live and free on Seven, 7plus Sport and the Triple M network.
The tournament runs from 15 October to 15 November, with coverage encompassing 18 men’s, 15 women’s and 20 wheelchair matches featuring 26 teams from around the world. The tournament opens with a blockbuster clash between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney, with four matches to be played in Papua New Guinea and two in New Zealand.
Seven’s coverage will include every match across Seven and 7plus Sport, live streaming, full replays and short-form highlights, The Agenda Setters Rugby League, extensive social coverage via @7sport and @7rugbyleague, and strong editorial support across Sunrise, 7NEWS, 7NEWS.com.au and The Nightly.
SCA’s Triple M Network will broadcast 11 matches including key men’s fixtures, the Women’s Final and the Men’s Final. The Triple M radio broadcast will be syndicated to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth and streamed live on LiSTNR.
The coverage will be supported by 17 Triple M regional markets across NSW and Queensland, with additional editorial and promotional support via LiSTNR podcasts and @triplem_nrl socials.
Together, Seven and SCA will offer brands a fully connected and integrated partnership model across broadcast, BVOD, audio, digital, news and social, featuring distinctive, proven and unmissable assets across live match coverage and supporting content programs and touchpoints.
“RLWC2026 promises an unpredictable and engaging sports and entertainment experience, with passion, pride and culture at the forefront,” Seven’s head of the Rugby League World Cup 2026, Lesley Tapsall.
“This will be a showcase of the very best of international rugby league –men’s, women’s and wheelchair. With stars in every team, fans can expect the fiercest and most competitive RLWC ever staged.
“When major events are staged in Australia, fan interest and anticipation increases. Every game will be live and exclusive on Seven and 7plus Sport, and RLWC2026 will form part of an epic spring of sport running alongside Australia’s premier thoroughbred racing and our record-breaking Supercars Championship coverage.”
“Bringing together the sporting equity of Seven and the rugby league heritage of the Triple M network, we are unlocking the most comprehensive and connected RLWC coverage ever staged – and the foundation for a massive marketing and media moment,” SCA’s head of sport content (On-Air and On Demand), Ewan Giles.
“From league fanatics to sport lovers, supporters of Aussies competing on the world stage and those cheering on their native countries, we will capture the interest of a diverse, multicultural Australia.
“Seven and SCA will strategically build far-reaching and powerful promotional pathways across broadcast, digital and audio touchpoints, driving mass marketing and promotional value for brands.”
“There’s nothing quite like a World Cup on home soil to capture the nation’s attention. A month-long, live, free-to-air event with national scale and the kind of emotional engagement that only live sport delivers,” said Southern Cross Media Group chief commercial officer, Seb Rennie
“For advertisers, the combination of Seven’s broadcast reach and Triple M’s audio heritage creates a connected ecosystem that’s hard to replicate. Brands that move early will have the chance to own a cultural moment that spans screens, speakers and social feeds right across the country.”
“Australians are passionate about sport. They watch and listen to it. They are totally engaged with it. They talk about it. Sport cuts through – and there is nothing more powerful than live sport,” added Seven’s head of Rugby League World Cup sales, Peta McMurray.
“Seven and SCA have a strong network of assets connected to consumer habits and consumption, from early anticipation and pre-game hype, through to the live games and post-game analysis. The diversity of touchpoints will enable brands to play a role and own the moment at every stage of the fan journey.
“Screens and audio will complement each other to reach unique audiences, maximising ROI and efficiency via joint planning across complementary inventory, with a consistent brand story following audiences wherever they are.
“For partners, the Rugby League World Cup 2026 is an opportunity for true brand category ownership against the content everywhere, the chance to be single-minded with brand ideas leveraging event context, right across the RLWC ecosystem.”
