Wakefield-Leeds Challenge Cup tie breaks impressive competition broadcast record
An action shot from the Challenge Cup Fourth Round tie between Wakefield and Leeds in 2026, with Rhinos captain Ash Hadley fending off three Trinity defenders
Wakefield Trinity’s victory over Leeds Rhinos on Friday night drew an average audience of 162,931 – with that the highest figure on record for a streamed Challenge Cup tie on record!
Trinity trailed 14-12 at the break on home soil in a Fourth Round tie which was halted for around 25 minutes during the first half due to a floodlight failure at Belle Vue.
But, keeping Leeds scoreless in the second half, Daryl Powell’s side mounted a comeback to end up 24-14 winners and book their spot in the quarter-final draw.
It’s the first time Wakefield have beaten the Rhinos in the Challenge Cup since the 1941/1942 campaign, when a 3-0 margin was enough to earn victory in the Second Round!
Since then, prior to Friday night, Leeds had won 14 Challenge Cup ties on the spin against their West Yorkshire foes, with the most recent of those a 60-6 thumping at Belle Vue in 2014’s Fourth Round.
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Wakefield Trinity-Leeds Rhinos tie breaks impressive Challenge Cup streaming record
Notably, last weekend’s all-Super League tie was the only rugby league available to watch live at the time, with Friday night’s only other tie between Wigan Warriors and Bradford Bulls not selected for broadcast.
The BBC streamed Trinity’s triumph via the iPlayer, Red Button and online, drawing in an average audience of close to 163,000.
And in turn, that smashed the average audience record for a Challenge Cup tie being streamed, which had been held by another game involving Leeds.
When the Rhinos were beaten 20-6 by St Helens at Headingley in the Sixth Round back in 2024, the stream of that game brought an average audience of circa 133,000.
Until Friday night, that tie held the record. But now, it belongs to the 2026 Fourth Round instalment of Wakefield-Leeds at Belle Vue.
Elsewhere, The Sportsman’s stream of Hull KR’s resounding 52-12 win at Huddersfield Giants in the cup on Saturday afternoon was watched on their YouTube channel by around 66,000.
