The NRL has announced “the highest ever media broadcast deal in Australian sports history,” ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys said, as the code locks in a seven-year, $5.3 billion agreement with the Nine Network and Foxtel.
“Up until late last night, and I mean, late last night, we were still negotiating terms of this agreement,” V’landys said. “But at the end, I think we’ve got the right format.”
The deal, worth around $750 million annually, eclipses the AFL’s broadcast package for the first time in the NRL’s history.
It could grow to almost $800 million a season with the addition of a 20th franchise, a tenth game per round and New Zealand television investment.
The announcement was made at a press conference held by V’landys, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, Nine Entertainment Co. CEO Matt Stanton, and Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany.
V’landys said the structure of the new deal marked a significant shift from previous agreements.
“95% is cash, 5% is contra. This compares to the previous deals, where the contra was 10%, so we have got a 90% uplift in cash,” he said.
“This has been achieved by some very hard work in the past five years,” V’landys said.
Peter V’landys at today’s press conference.
How the rights split
Nine retains the commercial rights to the game, including exclusive coverage of State of Origin and the grand final. Foxtel retains the rights to broadcast all other games via its Fox League and Kayo platforms.
Foxtel had pitched to work in conjunction with the Seven Network and Network Ten to simulcast the Origin series and the grand final. Nine is understood to have offered additional money to retain exclusive access to both properties.
Asked whether the new deal would push up Kayo’s price, Foxtel’s dedicated sport streaming service, Delany said the platform’s pricing history spoke for itself.
“I think we can track the record; the entry-level price of Kayo has only risen once in nearly nine years. It is very well priced, and our goals keep it affordable,” Delany said.
Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany at today’s press conference.
Expansion clause included
The deal includes a clause for the addition of a 20th NRL team by the 2029-30 season, most likely based in New Zealand.
The Perth Bears will join the competition next year, expanding it to 18 teams. The PNG Chiefs will enter in 2028, followed soon after by a further team, with a consortium from New Zealand or Queensland the frontrunners for that licence.
Broadcast breakdown
Under the new deal, Foxtel and Kayo will broadcast nine live games a round, six of them exclusively, while Nine will continue to broadcast three matches a round. Foxtel has also secured the rights to the additional match once the competition expands to 20 teams.
At 20 teams, Foxtel will broadcast seven matches a week live and exclusive on Fox League and Kayo, simulcasting the remaining three with Nine.
V’landys and departing chief executive Andrew Abdo led the negotiations for the code.