Fox League is an Australian

subscription television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...

channel dedicated to screening

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

(both domestic and international) matches and related programming. It is owned by Fox Sports Pty Limited and is available throughout Australia on

Foxtel NXE Australia Pty Ltd, trading as the Foxtel Group, is an Australian pay television company that operates cable television, direct-broadcast satellite, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April ...

. The channel was launched on 27 February 2017.

History

On 27 November 2015, the

Australian Rugby League Commission The Australian Rugby League Commission Limited (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League Limited known as the Australian Rugby League is an Australian rugby league football competition operator. It was founded in 1986 as the Australi ...

announced that

Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...

had secured the rights to air all

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...

games excluding the NRL Grand Final (which continues to be aired on

Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...

) live for the 2018–22 seasons. Additionally, it was announced that the current rights agreement had been altered to allow Fox Sports to also have the live rights for all games excluding the Grand Final for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, however, a dedicated yet-to-be-named NRL channel to showcase these rights would not launch until the 2017 season. In February 2017 it was announced the new channel would be called Fox League and would officially launch on 27 February 2017. Ultimately, ''Fox League'' replaced Fox Sports 2 on channel 502. In 2017, the NRL preliminary finals had 418,000 and 407,000 viewers. In 2020, Fox League began carried in Canada on the pay streaming service

DAZN DAZN (; pronounced "da zone") is a British Over-the-top media service, over-the-top sports Sports broadcasting, streaming and entertainment platform. Founded in 2007 as Perform Group via the merger of Premium TV Limited and Inform Group, it is o ...

. In 2023, Fox League became the first sports channel in the world to use a robot in the role of analyst, unveiling Jake Duke.

Programming

Event coverage

Sports programming on Fox League includes the following: *

(2017–present; every game live except the

Grand Final Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. Synonymous with a championship game in North Ameri ...

) *

Challenge Cup The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...

(2017–present) *

Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...

(2017–present; three live games per weekend) *

Pacific Rugby League International The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...

s (2017–present) * The Knock On Effect NSW Cup (2017–present; one or two games per weekend) * Hostplus Cup (2017–present; One Finals Series Game Live each weekend & Grand Final Live) * NRL State Championship (2017–present) * Pre Season Challenge (2017–present) * Charity Shield (2017–present) * Harvey Norman All-Stars (2017–present) *

International Rugby League The International Rugby League (IRL) is the global governing body for the sport of rugby league football. The IRL organises the Rugby League World Cup, the oldest international rugby World Cup, as well as the Women's Rugby League World Cup, Wom ...

(2017–present) * NRL Women's Premiership (2018–present) * Pacific Championships (2019–present) *

Rugby League World Cup The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by senior men's national teams who each represent member nations of the International Rugby League who run and administer the tournament. The tournament has be ...

(2022–present) *

Women's Rugby League World Cup The Women's Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league tournament, contested by the women's national teams of the International Rugby League (IRL). The competition has been held since 2000 and was incorporated into the Festival of ...

(2022–present) *

Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup The Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup is an international wheelchair rugby league tournament contested by the top national teams. The tournament was first held in Australia as part of the 2008 Festival of World Cups and was upgraded to a centr ...

(2022–present) * Fijian Cup Touch (2024–present)

Special events

* Dally M Awards (2017–present) *

Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame The National Rugby League Hall of Fame was first established as the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2002, before being reestablished in 2018 in its current form. The hall of fame honours the contributions made to the National Rugby League ...

(2018–present)

News and analysis programming

Fox League airs several studio shows including the programs listed below: * '' Kia Thursday Night Football'' (2017–present) * '' VB Friday Night Footy'' (2017–present) * ''Bundaberg Rum NRL Super Saturday'' (2017–present) * ''Chemist Warehouse Sunday Ticket'' (2017–present) * ''KFC Monday Football'' (2017–present; occasional) * ''The Late Show With Matty Johns'' (2017–present) *'' Sunday Night with Matty Johns'' (2017–present) * '' NRL 360'' (2017–present) * '' NRL Tonight'' (2017–present) * '' The Fan'' (2018–present) * ''The Matty Johns Podcast'' (2019–present) * ''The Final 5'' (2020–present) * ''Top 5 Rivalries'' (2020–present) * '' Vossy's Awesome 80s'' (2020–present) * ''Season's Best'' (2020–present)

Former programming

* ''League 13 – to –1'' (2017) * ''League Legends'' (2017) * ''On the Couch with Sterlo'' (2017) * '' Narrow World of Sports'' (2017–2020) * ''The Sunday Wrap'' (2017) *'' NRL Under-20s'' (2017) * ''Queenslanders Only'' (2017–2019) *''League Life'' (2017–2019) * NRL Schoolboy Cup (2017–2019) * NRL Touch Premiership (2018) * Rugby League European Championship (2018–2018) * ''Big League Wrap'' (2018–2021) * ''Controversy Corner'' (2018–2020) * ''NRL Try Time'' (2018–2020) * ''The Greatest'' (2018–2019) * Rugby League World Cup 9s (2019–2019) * Jersey Flegg Cup (2019–2019 NZ Warriors Home Games) *''

NRL Nines The NRL Nines is a rugby league nines competition, normally held during the NRL preseason each year. It was initially held in Auckland, New Zealand, between 2014 and 2017 before going on hiatus. Returning in 2020, hosting duties moved to P ...

'' (2020) *

Auckland Rugby League The Auckland Rugby League (ARL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. Founded in 1909, the ARL has played a pivotal role in the development and promotion of rugby league in Auckland and beyond. ...

(2020) * Auckland Rugby League National 20's (2021–2022) * '' Benji'' (2022) * Koori Knockout (2022–2023) *

RFL Championship The Rugby Football League Championship, (known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the second highest division of rugby league in British rugby league system, Britain (with one team in the league also being based in France) ...

(2023)

Personnel

Network executives announced a number of key hosting personnel at the public launch of the station on 16 February 2017. Network personalities and the media attended the launch for Fox League's 2018 programming slate on 20 February 2018. Further key hosting personnel were announced, in addition to some pre-existing roles from 2017.

Hosts

Thursday Night League * Yvonne Sampson (2017–2021) * Braith Anasta (2021) * Lara Pitt (2022) * Jess Yates (2022–present) Friday Night Footy * Jess Yates (2020–2021) * Braith Anasta (2022) * Hannah Hollis (2022) * Yvonne Sampson (2023–present) Super Saturday * Yvonne Sampson (2017–present) * Braith Anasta (2022) * Jess Yates (2022) * Hannah Hollis (2022) Sunday Ticket * Jess Yates (2017–2020) *

Lara Pitt Lara Pitt is an Australian television presenter and sports journalist, mainly known for reporting for Fox Sports (Australia), Fox Sports on their NRL coverage and Monday Night with Matty Johns. Early life Pitt completed a Bachelor of Commerce M ...

(2018–2020, 2022) * Hannah Hollis (2020–2021) * Braith Anasta (2022–present) * Yvonne Sampson (2023) Sunday Night with Matty Johns *

Matty Johns Matthew James Johns (born 27 July 1971) is an Australian rugby league media personality, commentator and former professional player. An Australia national rugby league team, Australian international and New South Wales rugby league team, New S ...

(2017–present) * Bryan Fletcher (2017–present) * Nathan Hindmarsh (2020–present) * James 'The Professor' Rochford (2017–2021) * Emma Freedman (2018–2021) Controversy Corner * Graeme Hughes (2018–21) * Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield (2018–21) * Bill Harrigan (2018–21) * Steve Roach (2018–21) NRL 360 * Braith Anasta (2022–present) * Gorden Tallis (2023, 2024–present) *

Ben Ikin Benjamin Ikin (born 21 February 1977) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, and the chief executive officer, CEO of the Queensland Rugby League from 22 May 2023. He previously worked in football operations roles for the ...

(2017–2021) * Yvonne Sampson (2021) * Paul Kent (2017–2023, 2024) Big League Wrap * Yvonne Sampson (2018–2021) * Michael Ennis (2018–2021) * James Hooper (2018–2021) NRL Try Time *

(2018–2021) The Fan * Andrew Voss (2018–present) *

(2020–present) Queenslanders Only * Hannah Hollis (2018) *

Mal Meninga Malcolm Norman Meninga (; born 8 July 1960) is an Australian professional rugby league coach and a former professional rugby league footballer. Meninga is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the game's history. He enjoyed a long ca ...

(2017–2018) *

Kevin Walters Kevin David Walters (born 20 October 1967) is an Australian former professional rugby league player and coach, as well as a pundit (2017–2018, 2025) for Fox League. As a first-grade player for the Canberra Raiders and the Brisbane Broncos c ...

(2017–2018) * Corey Parker (2017–2018) * Justin Hodges (2017–2018) * Gorden Tallis (2017–2018) * Robert 'Crash' Craddock (2017) League Life * Yvonne Sampson (2017–19) *

(2017–19) * Jess Yates (2017–19) * Hannah Hollis (2017–19) The Greatest * Michael Ennis (2018) The Late Show with Matty Johns *

(2017–present) * Gorden Tallis (2017–present) * Nathan Hindmarsh (2017–present) * Bryan Fletcher (2017–present) * Hannah Hollis (2017–19) * Paul Kent (2017–19) The Professor's Late Hit
(previously titled The Professor's Farewell Tour)
(also previously titled The Professor's Second Year Syndrome) * James 'The Professor' Rochford (2017–2020) * Brett Finch (2017–2018) * Nathan Hindmarsh (2018–2020) * Andrew Barnett (2018–2020) * Chris Page (2017–2018) Matty Johns Face to Face *

(2021–present) Benji *

Benji Marshall Benjamin Quentin Marshall (born 25 February 1985) is a New Zealand professional rugby league coach and former player who is the head coach of the Wests Tigers in the NRL. He played at or for the Wests Tigers in two separate spells, St. G ...

(2022)

Commentators

Play-by-play

* Warren Smith (1995–present) * Matt Russell (2006–present) * Andrew Voss (2015–present) * Dan Ginnane (2019–present) * Brenton Speed (2017–2022) *

Matt Nable Matthew Nable (born 8 March 1972) is an Australian film and television actor, writer, sports commentator and former professional rugby league player. After playing in the Winfield Cup Premiership during the 1990s for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eag ...

(2018)

Special Comments

* Greg Alexander (1999–present) * Steve Roach (2016–present) * Michael Ennis (2017–present) *

(2017–present) * Corey Parker (2017–present) * Matthew Johns (2019–present) * Cooper Cronk (2020–present) * James Graham (2021–present) * Tiana Penitani (2023–present) * Jessica Sergis (2023) * Emma Tonegato (2023) * Sam Bremner (2023) * Luke Keary (2023) * Mitchell Pearce (2024) * Will Chambers (2024) * Shaun Johnson (2024-present) * Gorden Tallis (2006–2016) * Gary Belcher (2007–2017) * Brett Kimmorley (2011–2020) * Mark Gasnier (2012–2018) * Nathan Hindmarsh (2013–2016) *

(2016–2020) * Danny Buderus (2016–2019) * Justin Hodges (2018) * Luke Lewis (2019) * Shane Flanagan (2021–2023) *

(2022)

Sideline

* Brent Tate (North Queensland home games) (2017–present) * Corey Parker (Brisbane and Gold Coast home games) (2017–present) * Tiffany Salmond (New Zealand Warriors home games) (2023–present) * Courtney Tairi (New Zealand Warriors home games) (2025-present) * Matt Russell (2006–present) * Lara Pitt (2007–present) * Jake Duke (2023–present) * James Hooper (2023–present) * Darcie McDonald (2023–present) * Niko Pajarillo (2023–present) * Eloise Sohier (2024–present) * Hannah Hollis (2017–2023) * Andy Raymond (2008–2020)

Narrator

(2018–present)

NSW Cup

* Matt Russell (play-by-play) * Ben Homer (play-by-play) * Owen McLeod (play-by-play) (2019–present) * Mark Carroll (special comments) * Niko Pajarillo (sideline) * Jimmy Smith (play-by-play, special comments) (2012–2020) * Andy Raymond (play-by-play) (2008–2019) * Brett Kenny (special comments) (2018–2020) * Emma Lawrence (sideline) (2017–2018)

NRLW

* Matt Russell (play-by-play) * Ben Homer (play-by-play) * Brenton Speed (play-by-play) (2017–2022)

Watch NRL

Outside of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

and the

Pacific Islands The Pacific islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of several ...

, Fox League operates Watch NRL, a global

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

network. The network streams all games live, including State of Origin and the Grand Final, unlike its domestic counterpart, who broadcasts these games on delay.

References

External links

* {{Rugby league in Australia Fox Sports (Australian TV network) Television channels and stations established in 2017 2017 establishments in Australia English-language television stations in Australia Sports television networks in Australia Rugby league mass media