UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy has expressed her discontent with the decision to place the League World Cup behind a paywall, following the announcement that subscription channel Premier Sports would be its exclusive UK broadcaster.
Premier Sports, which had previously shown some matches, has taken over after the BBC reportedly chose not to bid for the tournament, scheduled for October in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.
Nandy, who oversees the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport department and represents Wigan-home to one of the league's prominent clubs-stated, "League is a source of pride and identity that brings communities together across the country."
"As a fan myself, I wholeheartedly share fans' disappointment that the upcoming World Cup will not be on free-to-air television."
She urged the International League to collaborate with UK free-to-air broadcasters, enabling millions of fans to engage with the tournament.