NRL negotiations continue through press

Stories around NRL negotiations continue to filter through the press.

On the weekend The Australian claimed “NRL hints broadcast deal with Nine Network and Foxtel is close.” It suggested a deal with Foxtel for the remainder of this season could be imminent, only being held up by the need to finalise negotiations with the Nine Network.

But The Age reports Nine won’t commit beyond the three years that remain in its existing deal unless League Central agrees to its offer for a reduced long-term arrangement.

Nine CEO Hugh Marks has previously noted “it’s not a given that NRL has to be part of our future”.

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany told the Nine-owned newspaper, “Some people choose to negotiate through the press, we just like to do things directly with our partners.”

Sitting side by side in the Sunday Tele was one report suggesting Marks could be toppled at Nine by Board rumblings around his business strategy, and another that had the NRL poised for a $2.3b deal.

Today it reports ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has vowed to cut $50 million a year in costs.

If there is consensus around anything it appears to be around ballooning sports rights and renegotiation of the current deal.

Nine wants to cap its annual rights fees for the sport at $90m to $100m.

“There obviously needs to be a fundamental reset, the idea that things will return to normal this season is absurd,” News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson said.

“It’s not just the quantity of games it’s the quality of experience and that has obviously been diminished. And that reset has to apply longer term to us in Australia.”

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys says he hopes to have reached agreement with the two broadcast partners by Friday.

Good luck with that.