Mr Baines said a World Cup represents the pinnacle of the sport and argued that making the tournament accessible to the widest possible audience is essential if rugby league is to grow and attract new supporters.
His comments to the Star came after International Rugby League confirmed Premier Sports has secured exclusive broadcast rights for the tournament in the UK and Ireland. The deal means all 18 men’s World Cup matches will be shown live on the subscription channel.
Premier Sports will also broadcast England’s matches in the women’s and wheelchair competitions, along with the later stages of both tournaments.
‘It can’t be right that not a single World Cup game will be on free to air TV ‘
Under the current arrangements, no World Cup matches will be available on free-to-air television in the UK. This has led to concern among supporters and people involved in the sport.
Mr Baines said the tournament should be made available to the widest possible audience to help rugby league grow and attract new supporters.
He told the Star: “A World Cup is the pinnacle of any sport and rugby league should be no different.”
Mr Baines added: “Like other fans I am regularly frustrated by the lack of attention and fair coverage our game attracts, and that’s for many reasons, but to put it right and grow the sport it is essential that our major competitions are seen by as many people as possible.”
Mr Baines, who until recently chaired Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Rugby League, has been one of the sport’s leading advocates at Westminster and has repeatedly campaigned to raise rugby league’s profile nationally.
He continued: “It can’t be right that not a single World Cup game will be on free-to-air TV and I urge everyone involved to do all they can to make it happen. It will be such a missed opportunity if they don’t.”
His comments come after the previous Rugby League World Cup, held in England in 2022, was broadcast by the BBC. That coverage helped the sport reach a significantly wider audience.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy wants a deal to be secured that would see matches from the tournament shown on free-to-view television (Image: PA)
Culture Secretary – make matches free to view
Culture Secretary and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has also called for matches to be made available to free-to-air viewers.
Ms Nandy said she shared supporters’ disappointment that the tournament could be shown exclusively on Premier Sports. She called on International Rugby League to work with terrestrial broadcasters.
Ms Nandy said: “Rugby league is a source of pride and identity that brings communities together across the country.”
Ms Nandy said: “As a fan myself, I wholeheartedly share fans’ disappointment that the upcoming World Cup will not be on free-to-air television.”
Ms Nandy said: “I urge the International Rugby League to work with UK free-to-air broadcasters, so the millions of fans can follow the tournament.”
It has been reported that the BBC did not bid for the rights to this year’s tournament, thoigh this has not been confirmed.
A BBC spokesperson told the Star: “We must make difficult choices to deliver the savings required while continuing to serve audiences as effectively as possible.”
The 2026 competition will therefore be available through Premier Sports unless an additional agreement is reached with a terrestrial broadcaster before the tournament begins.
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup will be staged across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with the tournament running from October 15 to November 15, 2026.