Sky TV reveals free-to-air RWC matches, Prime rebrand

Six Rugby World Cup games will be broadcast free-to-air live, with another six screened free on a...
Six Rugby World Cup games will be broadcast free-to-air live, with another six screened free on a 90-minute delay. Photo: Getty Images
Sky TV is rebranding its Prime channel as "Sky Open".

The broadcaster also revealed which All Blacks Rugby World Cup games will feature on the free-to-air channel.

There will be six live matches from the tournament hosted by France.

• All Blacks v France, from 6.45am, Friday September 9 (local time) / (7.15am on Saturday NZ time) 

• Quarter-final 2 (Winner Pool B v Runner-Up Pool A), from 7.30am, Sunday October 15

• Quarter-final 4 (Winner Pool A v Runner-Up Pool B) from 7.30am, Monday October 16

• Semifinal 1 (Winner QF1 v Winner QF2), from 7.30am, Saturday October 21

• Bronze Final, from 7.30am, Saturday October 28

• Final, from 7.30am, Sunday October 29

And six delayed matches, broadcast 90 minutes after kickoff:

• All Blacks v Namibia, from 8.30am, Saturday September 16

• All Blacks v Italy, from 9.30am, Saturday Sept 30

• All Blacks v Uruguay, from 9.30am, Friday October 6

• Quarter-final 1 (Winner Pool C v Runner-Up Pool D), from 5.30am, Sunday October 15

• Quarter-final 3 (Winner Pool D v Runner-Up Pool C), from 5.30am, Monday October 16

• Semifinal 2 (Winner QF3 v Winner QF4), from 9.30am, Sunday October 22

Other games will only be accessible via Sky Sport or a weekly, monthly or annual Sky Sport Now pass (recently subject to a 12.5% price increase), with no extra charges.

Sky will also be introducing a one-off Rugby World Cup Pass for those without a Sky subscription or Sky Sport Now pass. Pricing won’t be revealed until later this month.

The Prime rebrand will also see the Eric Young-fronted Prime News change its name to News First.

Sky TV shares closed Wednesday at $2.49.

The stock is down 3.3% for the year.

OUTSTREAM