Dublin, Ireland and San Carlos, California, United States
The International Rugby Board (IRB) and MediaZone have announced that fans will be able to view all the matches from Rugby World Cup 2007 (RWC) online through an exciting official broadband video service, RWCPlus. The product, which will go LIVE on July 31, will be streamed through the official Tournament website www.rugbyworldcup.com.
RWCPlus will offer fans an RWC Pass that includes 24-hour delayed coverage of all 48 matches from the 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup, as well as LIVE audio feeds, match previews, halftime and fulltime highlights, interviews, and archived Rugby World Cup content for US$49.99. Individual matches are also available on a pay-per-view basis.
Existing MediaZone Rugby All Access Pass customers in eligible territories can purchase the package at a discounted rate of $39.99. Fans interested in purchasing both the RWC Pass and the MediaZone Rugby All Access Pass can buy a combined package for $139.98.
RWCPlus is produced in association with MediaZone Rugby, the world's top provider of online Rugby video, with coverage of more than 250 LIVE matches per year and a wide variety of additional content from highlights and previews to viewer participation forums. Together, the IRB and MediaZone will offer the most comprehensive and far-reaching coverage of Rugby's showpiece tournament.
"As part of our ongoing efforts to make Rugby World Cup 2007 readily available to all fans worldwide, RWCPlus provides global broadband access to complement our unprecedented broadcast coverage at a very affordable price," said Mike Miller, CEO of the IRB.
"In addition to providing online coverage of premier events like Wimbledon, the Indianapolis 500 and the New York City Marathon, MediaZone is the worldwide leader for access to Rugby online, so it is a perfect fit for us to partner with IRB to deliver the world's biggest sporting event in 2007," said Patrick Guthrie, MediaZone's Director of Rugby. "We are absolutely thrilled to provide this affordable option so rugby fans worldwide can see every single scrum, lineout, ruck, maul and try while they support their favorite teams throughout the Finals Tournament."
About MediaZone
MediaZone is a leading global online broadcaster specializing in professionally produced sports, international and entertainment video programming. MediaZone has established lasting exclusive partnerships with leading media brands including AOL and NBC Sports and is the official online broadcast partner for major events such as Wimbledon, the New York City Marathon, and the Indianapolis 500. MediaZone Rugby is the world's leading service for rugby video online, available at MediaZone.com/Rugby. The company is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in China and Europe. MediaZone is a division of MIH Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Naspers (Nasdaq:NPSN). For more information, please visit: MediaZone.com.
About the International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board (IRB) is Rugby Union's governing body. There are currently 120 Unions in membership of the IRB within six Regional Associations. The IRB funds and runs major International Rugby tournament's all over the world including its most prestigious event, Rugby World Cup (RWC), which is held every four years. RWC is now the world's third largest sporting event and this year's tournament in France is widely anticipated to be the most successful in the tournament's 20-year history. Over 2 million fans are expected to attend one or more of the 48 matches while a worldwide audience of over 4 billion will watch RWC on TV. RWC plays an important part in the global development of the Game with funds generated pumped into the Game at every level in the form of high performance, union infrastructure and tournament initiatives designed at increasing the overall competitiveness of the Game.
Source: Business Wire (Business Wire India)