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.