Fox League

Fox League is an Australian subscription television channel dedicated to screening rugby league (both domestic and international) matches and related programming. It is owned by Fox Sports Pty Limited and is available throughout Australia on Foxtel. The channel was launched on 27 February 2017.^[1]

Fox League

Country	Australia
Programming
Language(s)	English
Picture format	576i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Ownership
Owner	Fox Sports Pty Limited
Sister channels	Fox Sports News Fox Cricket Fox Footy Fox Netball Fox Sports
History
Launched	27 February 2017
Replaced	Fox Sports 502
Links
Website	foxsports.com.au
Availability
Streaming media
Foxtel Go	Channel 502
Kayo Sports	Channel 502

History

On 27 November 2015, the Australian Rugby League Commission announced that Fox Sports had secured the rights to air all National Rugby League games excluding the NRL Grand Final live for the 2018-22 seasons.^[2] 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,^[3] however, a dedicated yet-to-be-named NRL channel to showcase these rights would not launch until the 2017 season.^[2]

In February 2017 it was announced the new channel would be called Fox League and would officially launch on 27 February 2017.^[4] Ultimately, Fox League replaced Fox Sports 2 on channel 502.^[5][6]

In 2017, the NRL preliminary finals had 418,000 and 407,000 viewers.^[7] In 2020, Fox League began carried in Canada on the pay streaming service DAZN.

Programming

Event coverage

Sports programming on Fox League includes the following:

• National Rugby League (2017–present; every game live except the Grand Final)
• Challenge Cup (2017–present)
• Super League (2017–present; three live games per weekend)
• Pacific Rugby League Internationals (2017–present)
• The Knock On Effect NSW Cup (2017–present; one or two games per weekend & Finals)
• 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 (2017–present)
• NRL Touch Premiership (2018–present)
• NRL Women's Premiership (2018–present)
• Rugby League European Championship (2018–present)
• Rugby League World Cup 9s (2019–present)
• Oceania Cup (2019–present)
• Rugby League World Cup (2022–present)
• Women's Rugby League World Cup (2022–present)
• Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup (2022–present)
• Koori Knockout (2022–present)

Special events

• Dally M Awards (2017–present)
• Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame (2018–present)

News and analysis programming

Fox League airs several studio shows including the programs listed below:

• Kia Thursday Night Football (2017–present) ^[8][9]
• VB Friday Night Footy (2017–present) ^[8][9]
• Bundaberg Rum NRL Super Saturday (2017–present) ^[8][9]
• Chemist Warehouse Sunday Ticket (2017–present) ^[8][9]
• KFC Monday Football (2017-present; occasional)
• The Late Show With Matty Johns (2017–present)^[8][9]
• Sunday Night with Matty Johns (2017–present)^[8][1][9]
• NRL 360 (2017–present)^[8][9]
• NRL Tonight (2017–present)^[10]
• The Sunday Wrap (2017–present)
• The Fan (2018–present)
• Big League Wrap (2018–present)
• NRL Try Time (2018–present)
• Controversy Corner (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)
• Benji (2022–present)

Former programming

• League 13 – to –1 (2017)^[8][9]
• League Legends (2017)^[8][9]
• On the Couch with Sterlo (2017)^[8][9]
• Narrow World of Sports (2017–2020)^[8][9]
• Holden Cup (2017)
• Queenslanders Only (2017–2019)^[8][9]
• League Life (2017–2019)^[8][9]
• NRL Schoolboy Cup (2017–2019)
• The Greatest (2018–2019)
• NRL Nines (2020)
• Auckland Rugby League (2020)
• Auckland Rugby League National 20's (2021–2022)

Personnel

Network executives announced a number of key hosting personnel at the public launch of the station on 16 February 2017.^[11][12]

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.^[13]

Hosts Thursday Night League^[13] Yvonne Sampson (2017–2021) Braith Anasta (2021) Jess Yates (2022–present) Lara Pitt (2022) Friday Night Footy^[13] Jess Yates (2020–2021) Hannah Hollis (2022–present) Braith Anasta (2022) Super Saturday^[13] Michael Ennis (2020–present) Yvonne Sampson (2017–present) Braith Anasta (2022) Jess Yates (2022) Hannah Hollis (2022) Sunday Ticket^[13] Jess Yates (2017–2020) Lara Pitt (2018–2020, 2022) Hannah Hollis (2020–2021) Braith Anasta (2022) Sunday Night with Matty Johns^[11]^[13] Matty Johns (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^[11]^[13] Ben Ikin (2017–2021) Yvonne Sampson (2021) Paul Kent (2017–present) Braith Anasta (2022–present) Big League Wrap^[13] Yvonne Sampson (2018–2021) Michael Ennis (2018–2021) James Hooper (2018–2021) NRL Try Time^[13] Lara Pitt (2018–2021) The Fan^[13] Andrew Voss (2018–present) Lara Pitt (2020–present) Queenslanders Only^[11]^[13] Hannah Hollis (2018) Mal Meninga (2017–2018) Kevin Walters (2017–2018) Corey Parker (2017–2018) Justin Hodges (2017–2018) Gorden Tallis (2017–2018) Robert 'Crash' Craddock (2017) League Life^[11]^[13] Yvonne Sampson (2017–19) Lara Pitt (2017–19) Jess Yates (2017–19) Hannah Hollis (2017–19) The Greatest^[13] Michael Ennis (2018) The Late Show with Matty Johns^[11]^[13] 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^[11]^[13] (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 Matty Johns (2021–present) Benji Benji Marshall (2022)

Commentators Warren Smith (play-by-play) (1995–present) Andrew Voss (play-by-play) (2015–present) Brenton Speed (play-by-play) (2017–present) Matt Russell (play-by-play, sideline) (2006–present) Matthew Nable (play-by-play, narration) (2018–present) Dan Ginnane (play-by-play) (2019–present) Andy Raymond (sideline) (2008–2020) Greg Alexander (special comments) (1999–present) Gary Belcher (special comments) (2007–present) Steve Roach (special comments) (2016–present) Mark Gasnier (special comments) (2012–18) Braith Anasta (special comments) (2017–present) Michael Ennis (special comments) (2017–present) Brett Kimmorley (special comments, sideline) (2011–20) Corey Parker (special comments) (2017–present) Mal Meninga (special comments) (2017–20) Brent Tate (special comments, sideline, North Queensland home games only) (2017–present) Kevin Walters (special comments) (2016–2020) Danny Buderus (special comments) (2016–19) Justin Hodges (special comments, sideline) (2018) Gorden Tallis (special comments) (2006–present) Matthew Johns (special comments) (2019–present) Luke Lewis (special comments) (2019) Nathan Hindmarsh (special comments) (2013–present) Cooper Cronk (special comments) (2020–present) James Graham (special comments) (2021–present) Shane Flanagan (special comments) (2021–present) Benji Marshall (special comments) (2022) NSW Cup Jimmy Smith (play-by-play, special comments) (2012–2020) Owen McLeod (play-by-play) (2019–present) 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)

Watch NRL

Outside of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, Fox League operates Watch NRL, a global streaming 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.

See also

•  Television portal
•  Australia portal
•  Sports portal

• Fox Cricket
• Fox Footy
• Fox Netball
• Fox Sports
• Fox Sports 2 & Fox Soccer Plus (American simulcast partners for matches)
• List of sports television channels

References

1. "Fox Sports NRL channel to push game in Queensland with Suncorp Stadium launch". The Courier Mail. 12 February 2017.
2. Knox, David (27 November 2015). "New NRL channel coming as FOX Sports confirms multi-year deal". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
3. Knox, David (27 November 2015). "Nine varies NRL deal, new Thursday night game". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
4. Perry, Kevin (5 February 2017). "Foxtel confirms date for Fox League channel launch". DeciderTV. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
5. PaigeTurner (6 February 2017). "Foxtel combines sport and broadband in new promo bundle". Foxtel. Retrieved 23 February 2017. Fox League will replace Fox Sports 2 on 27 February 2017.
6. PaigeTurner (16 February 2017). "FOX SPORTS More launches 23 February on channel 507 in HD". Foxtel. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
7. 2017 TV: the final word - TV Tonight, 2 February 2018
8. "Women take pride of place in new FOX League channel". TV Tonight. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
9. Knox, David (17 February 2017). "Fox League: Dedicated rugby league, Channel 502, full season TV schedule". Fox Sports. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
10. "Fox League 2017: TV schedule, programs, guide". 16 February 2017.
11. "NRL stars, new all-female panel of hosts launch the new dedicated channel Fox League". The Daily Telegraph. 16 February 2017.
12. "Fox League: The Juicy Details". News.com.au. 16 February 2016.
13. "Fox League Gets Bigger and Better in 2018". Fox Sports. 20 February 2018.

External links

• Official website