Origin Global Broadcast Details

Game 1 of the 2013 Holden State of Origin Series will be available to its biggest ever world-wide audience with the match to be televised live across Australia and New Zealand and into 91 countries and territories around the world.

For the first time, nations without television coverage of the match will also be able watch the game live online for free via www.livestream.com/nrl.

“The interest in State of Origin transcends borders and with the support of the Nine Network and our international broadcast partners more people than ever will have the opportunity to watch the greatest rivalry in sport,” NRL Head of Strategy & Investment, Mr Shane Mattiske said.

The match will be broadcast live across Australia on Channel 9 and across the WIN and NBN Networks, as well as live across New Zealand on Sky Sport 2.

“State of Origin is without doubt one of the great events in world sport – and in broadcasting – every moment filling our hearts and minds with dramatically real action no one can turn away from,” said Nine Network Managing Director, Mr Jeff Browne.

“The finest athletes and the most remarkable pictures combine to present a contest and concept that is the envy of every sporting body, everywhere. “

Internationally, the match will be broadcast on television across Africa, Asia, Papua New Guinea, the United Kingdom, North America, Brazil, the Middle East and the Pacific.

In a first for Pacific nations, the game will be broadcast live by terrestrial free-to-air broadcasters across Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Island and Niue.

Among the new international broadcasters covering the match is FOX SPORTS Japan, whose delayed coverage of all three Holden State of Origin matches will be broadcast into five million households.

Calling the match in Japanese will be Kenji Imanaga, who played for Canterbury feeder club Moorebank in the 1990s and was the first Japanese player to sign at an NRL club when he was given a scholarship by the Bulldogs.

The match coverage is an exciting part of FOX SPORTS Japan’s commitment to Rugby League which also includes broadcasting a weekly NRL highlights show (NRL Full-time) as well as delayed coverage of the NRL Grand Final.

“I’m very excited and extremely honoured to be the commentator of State of Origin,” Mr Imanaga said.

“I would like to do my best to express the toughness, speed and high skills of Rugby League not only to the Rugby league fans, but also to all sports fans.”

Mr Rik Dovey, CEO of FOX SPORTS Japan, added: “Rugby League, particularly the best in the world, will quickly find a new, appreciative audience.”

(Countries and territories with TV broadcast in Africa, Asia, Pacific and Middle East)

Setanta Africa: (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo Democratic Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawai, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa)

Setanta Asia: (Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brunei, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Mongolia, Maldives, Pakistan)

Fiji TV and SKY Pacific: (Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Samoa, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Fortuna)

Orbit Showtime: (Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Palestine, Gaza Strip, West Bank)