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- Pay-TV network Foxtel keeps majority of games
- FTA network Nine to show State of Origin series and NRL Grand Final exclusively
- League eyes further expansion to 20 teams by 2029/30 season
The National Rugby League (NRL) has secured the richest media rights agreement in Australian sporting history after signing seven-year domestic broadcast deals worth AUS$5.3 billion (US$3.68 billion) with Foxtel, Nine and Sky NZ.
The new deals kick in from 2028 and represent a 90 per cent uplift on the current agreement.
The NRL has long had ambitions of securing a more valuable broadcast deal than the Australian Football League (AFL), which earns AUS$4.5 billion (US$3.12 billion) as part of a seven-year contract that began last year.
The increase reflects heightened demand from domestic broadcasters. Both Foxtel and Nine both retained significant rights packages amid reported interest from Seven, Ten and Amazon Prime Video.
The Australian Financial Review (AFR) reports that pay-TV network Foxtel will pay a reported annual fee of AUS$520 million (US$361.2 million) to retain the rights to all NRL and NRLW regular season and Finals Series matches. This is more than double the current amount it pays for NRL games.
The DAZN-owned company will also receive a share of revenue generated from the league’s international rights, excluding in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, in exchange for marketing the league globally.
“One of the vital requirements that we needed and we’ve delivered was it would be affordable to the fan,” said Peter V’Landys, Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman.
“Thanks to [Foxtel parent company] DAZN, we’ve agreed to ensure the fan can afford to watch the great game of rugby league. That has also been achieved, we thank DAZN for the way they’ve embraced that requirement.”
Meanwhile, free-to-air (FTA) network Nine will provide exclusive coverage of the NRL Grand Final and both the men’s and women’s State of Origin series. It will also simulcast three weekly NRL and NRLW fixtures and will pay a reported AUS$150 million (US$104.2 million) each season.
While the distribution of NRL games between Nine and Foxtel is the same as under the existing contract, the number of NRLW games shown on FTA television will halve from 2028 onwards to 33 matches per season.
In New Zealand, Sky will exclusively show the NRL, NRLW and State of Origin, with over 130 fixtures to be distributed on its FTA platform Three (TV3). According to the AFR, Sky will pay about AUS$50 million (US$34.7million) per year for its rights.
As part of the deal, the ARLC will control the draw, enabling the league to retain greater scheduling flexibility. The broadcast contract also includes a clause allowing for the league’s expansion to 20 clubs by the 2029/30 campaign, with V’Landys indicating at a press conference the team could be based in New Zealand or Queensland.
The Perth Bears are set to join the competition next year, becoming the NRL’s 18th franchise, while the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Chiefs will join a year later. Should the NRL eventually expand to 20 teams, Foxtel will broadcast an additional weekly game.
“This agreement is the largest commercial deal ever secured by an Australian sport, but its significance goes well beyond the financial outcome,” added V’Landys. “The deal future proofs the game for everybody. It future proofs it for the next 20-50 years, this will enable us to buy assets to continue to grow the game.
“More importantly, it gives us the platform to not only continue to grow the game here in Australia, but globally. The AUS$5.3 billion over the seven years does not include that potential growth in the market. We believe the AUS$5.3 billion will increase substantially once we start our global ambitions.”
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