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Nine rumoured to announce new NRL deal

Speculation a new 5 year NRL deal worth $600 million is imminent.

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Media reports today suggest Nine is set to announce a new 5 year deal for NRL rights.

Both The Australian and Nine-owned Sydney Morning Herald speculate a new deal at $600 million is imminent this week or next.

Nine’s deal is reportedly more than $115 million annually from 2023, the most lucrative free-to-air network agreement in the NRL’s history.

Under the previous five-year deal, Nine paid $575m in cash and contra for the same rights, although the network was granted a discount in 2020 due to interruptions caused by the pandemic.

But the Daily Telegraph reports Seven walked away from negotiations. Seven had sought to cover the Sunday 4pm match each week, airing post and pre-game shows while using FOX Sports commentators to call matches.

As the SMH notes, the rugby league rights are also an important test for Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby, who commenced his role in March. On the weekend Sneesby was seated next to NRL CEO Andrew Abdo at a Racing NSW function attended by ARLC chairman Peter V’landys, News Corp executive chairman Michael Miller, Foxtel boss Patrick Delany, Seven West Media CEO James Warburton.

Both Nine and the NRL both declined to comment.

  • Tagged with NRL

4 Responses

  1. It always mildly amuses me when the networks (I guess 7 and 9) huff and puff about the rates they pay for sports in a seriously lame effort to reduce the price they eventually pay and till date, the sports do not blink……seven with the cricket and now (it seems) with nine and the NRL. Seven recently negotiating an extension to the AFL is an exception. 7 and 9 need a summer and winter sport. Seven had it so good when they had the tennis and afl. I’m sure a lot of head scratching when 9 nabbed the tennis. Nine securing the rugby union seems a clever acquisition. A little niche perhaps but probably good for advertisers and our national team have just found form.

  2. Please do not give Nine exclusive rights to State of Origin and Grand Final! Allow Foxtel and other streaming services to show live as well. They show every other game live and should not be excluded from showing the major games!

      1. I agree, hate having to watch Ch 9 those 4 times a year!

        Wouldn’t anti-siphoning only come in to play if Foxtel tried for exclusive broadcasting.

        Don’t think anyone wants that, but they should be able to simulcast like all other games Ch9 broadcast

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