Wellington, Dec 8 NZPA - Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully said an announcement on a deal to screen 2011 Rugby World Cup games is likely this week.

Prime Minister John Key this morning said the International Rugby Board (IRB) had agreed to a joint bid by New Zealand broadcasters to screen 2011 Rugby World Cup games.

"My understanding is the partners have now agreed and the IRB has essentially agreed. So we are just working through one or two final finishing touches and going from there," Mr Key said.

"For all intents and purposes New Zealanders will be able to see on a free to air basis those big matches including the All Blacks, the semis and finals and the opening ceremony."

Mr McCully said the final announcement would be very soon and did not differ significantly from the proposal.

"I'm broadly aware of the content and as I say you won't be surprised by it... I think you will find it's a boringly predictable outcome."

Maori Television, TVNZ and TV3 put in a joint bid, backed by the Government, to cover all the World Cup free to air matches.

Before that happened, Maori Television put in a controversial bid of its own, backed with taxpayer funds, and would have ended up competing with TVNZ.

Those bids were withdrawn and replaced by the joint bid with the matches shared between the broadcasters.

Sky TV has the international rights to the World Cup.

Mr McCully said the process had not harmed the relationship with the IRB.

"The relationship with the IRB is in really good shape, we've had contact with them in recent weeks, on the question of the broadcasting rights and a number of other issues that we are working on with them, I would say very good progress is being made," he said.

Asked if a decision was likely this week, he said yes.

The proposed bid, if unchanged, would give Maori Television (MTS) rights to broadcast all 48 World Cup games, 32 by delayed telecast and 16 live.

Of the 16 live games, the final, semifinals and bronze game, plus all quarterfinals, would be simulcast on MTS, TVNZ and TV3.

The opening ceremony and the first game -- New Zealand v Tonga -- would be shown live on TVNZ as well as MTS.

That would give TVNZ and TV3 nine games each of the main 16 matches. MTS would be the only broadcaster to show all 16 main games free-to-air live.