STAMFORD, Conn – NBC Sports will present comprehensive coverage of the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens from San Francisco, Calif., on July 20-22, totaling more than 30 hours of live rugby coverage across NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports Group’s direct-to-consumer product, representing the most robust U.S. coverage of the Rugby World Cup Sevens in the event’s history.
“As the home of rugby in the United States, we’re proud to showcase the speed and excitement of the Rugby World Cup Sevens to a national audience with record-setting coverage,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBCSN. “Our 30-plus hours of coverage of the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens and exclusive offerings on NBC Sports Gold demonstrate our commitment to super-serve the growing rugby fanbase in the United States.”
The 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens will be held at AT&T Park – home of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants – and will feature the top 24 men’s teams and top 16 women’s teams in the world as they compete for the World Cup.
NBC Sports will present live coverage of all matches of the men’s and women’s tournaments. Linear coverage begins on Friday, July 20, at 4 p.m. ET on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, followed by six hours of coverage on NBCSN at 7 p.m. ET. Weekend coverage on NBC on July 21-22 will immediately follow live golf coverage of The 147th Open at Carnoustie, and NBCSN will carry live coverage of both the men’s final on Sunday, July 22, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide streaming coverage of all 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens matches airing on NBC, NBCSN and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA. Additionally, all coverage airing on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will also stream on OlympicChannel.com and the Olympic Channel app.
| 2018 RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS TELECAST SCHEDULE | ||
| Date | Network | Time (ET) |
| Fri., July 20 | Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA | 4 p.m. |
| NBCSN | 7 p.m. | |
| Sat., July 21 | Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA | 12:25 p.m. |
| NBC | 3 p.m. | |
| Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA | 5 p.m. | |
| NBCSN | 6:30 p.m. | |
| Sun., July 22 | Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA | 11:55 a.m. |
| NBC | 2:30 p.m. | |
| Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA | 5 p.m. | |
| NBCSN | 7 p.m. | |
NBC SPORTS GOLD 2018 RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS COVERAGE
NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports Group’s direct-to-consumer product – will provide live, commercial-free coverage of the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens via its “Rugby Pass.” Coverage begins with the Women’s Round of 16 matches on Friday, July 20, at 1 p.m. ET, prior to coverage airing on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA at 4 p.m. ET. In addition to all matches airing live and commercial-free, NBC Sports Gold will also present an exclusive 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens preview on Thursday, July 19, as well as a daily live recap show with highlights, post-match reactions and analysis. All matches and content on NBC Sports Gold will be available to fans on demand. The “Rugby Pass” can be purchased for $59.99 by visiting NBCSportsGold.com.
NBC SPORTS 2018 RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS COMMENTARY TEAM
NBC Sports’ game commentary and studio coverage will originate from San Francisco and will feature numerous high-profile rugby players, including current New England Patriots safety and 2016 U.S. Olympic Sevens team member Nate Ebner, who will serve as a studio analyst. Former USA Sevens captain Brian Hightower, U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame member Dan Lyle, former Premiership Rugby and English international prop Alex Corbisiero, and World Rugby Hall of Famer Phaidra Knight will provide game and studio commentary throughout the tournament. Leigh Diffey and Bill Seward will handle play-by-play commentary, and Ahmed Fareed will host NBC Sports’ 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens studio coverage on-site in San Francisco.
Last year, NBC Sports Group acquired the exclusive U.S. media rights to the Rugby World Cup through a seven-year partnership with World Rugby. The agreement included media rights on all platforms and in all languages to the Rugby World Cups in 2019 and 2023; the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017 and 2021; the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2018 and 2022; and the annual World Rugby U20 Championships from 2017-2023.
NBC Sports Group’s multi-year agreement with World Rugby enhances its already robust slate of rugby programming, which includes exclusive Olympic rugby coverage through 2032, Premiership Rugby, the Rugby Sevens World Series, and the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup. NBC Sports Group has also provided coverage of the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups, and exhibition matches in conjunction with USA Rugby that feature the USA Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, and Qantas Wallabies.
