NRL signs record $5.3bn broadcast deal with Nine and Foxtel until 2034
Consensus Summary
The National Rugby League (NRL) has secured a record $5.3bn seven-year broadcast deal with Nine Entertainment and Foxtel, set to begin in 2028 and run until 2034. The agreement, the highest in Australian sporting history, includes Nine retaining free-to-air rights and Foxtel/Kayo Sports securing pay-TV and streaming rights for all NRL and NRLW games except the grand final. Nine will broadcast three live games per week and exclusive rights to State of Origin, while Foxtel will cover all other games. The deal eclipses the AFLâs 2022 $4.5bn record and includes the addition of the PNG Chiefs as the 19th team in 2028, following the Perth Bearsâ entry in 2027. The NRLâs audience has doubled over the past five years, with the 2022 grand final drawing almost 4.5m viewers, surpassing AFL for the first time since 2015. Negotiations were led by ARLC chairman Peter Vâlandys, who emphasized global growth, including expansion into 200 international markets via DAZN. The deal also future-proofs the leagueâs financial stability, with 95% of the $5.3bn going directly to the NRL, up from 10% contra in the previous deal. Both sources agree on the financial scale and key partners but differ slightly on bid structures and historical comparisons.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A $5.3bn seven-year broadcast deal for the NRL with Nine and Foxtel, starting in 2028 and ending in 2034
- The deal includes Nine retaining free-to-air rights and Foxtel/Kayo Sports retaining pay-TV and streaming rights for all NRL/NRLW games except the grand final
- Nine will pay $145m in cash annually to the NRL, offset by $10m in advertising revenue
- The NRL will receive 95% of the $5.3bn in cash under the new deal, up from 10% contra in the previous deal
- The current deal expires at the end of the 2027 season, with the new deal starting in 2028
- The NRLâs current deal with Nine and Foxtel is worth around $400m per year
- The deal includes the addition of the PNG Chiefs as the 19th team in 2028, following the Perth Bears joining in 2027
- Nine will broadcast three live NRL/NRLW games per week on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, plus exclusive free-to-air rights to State of Origin
- The NRLâs previous record deal (2022) for the AFL was $4.5bn
- The new deal future-proofs the NRL for global growth, including expansion into 200 international markets via DAZN
- Peter Vâlandys is the chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) and has led the broadcast negotiations
- The NRLâs audience has doubled over the past five years, with the 2022 grand final drawing almost 4.5m viewers, surpassing AFL for the first time since 2015
- The deal includes a 20th team possibility, which could increase annual payments to $800m
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The NRLâs 2022 grand final drew an average audience of almost 4.5m, the first time it eclipsed the AFL showpiece since 2015
- The first match of the menâs State of Origin attracted close to 4m viewers, up 6% year on year, while the womenâs series draws around 1m viewers
- The NRL is the most viewed program in Australia and the Pacific, according to Peter Vâlandys
- The deal includes Nine paying $145m in cash annually, offset by $10m in advertising
- The NRL will get 95% of the $5.3bn in cash, up from 10% contra in the previous deal
- The NRLâs current deal is worth around $400m per year
- The partnership between Nine and the NRL is entering its fourth decade
- The NRLâs top two highest-rating TV programs in 2026 were both NRL games
- The seven-year deal is worth $700m per year, potentially rising to $800m if a 20th team joins
- Foxtel bid $500m per year, Nine bid $150m per year, and a New Zealand broadcaster bid $50m per year
- The AFLâs seven-year deal (starting 2025) is worth $4.5bn
- Peter Vâlandys became ARLC chairman in 2019
- The NRLâs broadcast rights have risen from slightly above $1bn a decade ago to $5bn-plus
- Nineâs free-to-air rights cost increased from $90m per year (under Hugh Marks) to $115m (under Mike Sneesby) and now $150m
- Foxtelâs NRL and AFL streaming rights cost it $1bn per year in total
- Foxtel was bought by DAZN last year, controlled by Ukrainian-born billionaire Len Blavatnik
- The NRLâs finances improved with five consecutive cash surpluses, helped by crowds, government injections for PNG team, and State of Origin competition
- The deal was announced after negotiations that lasted a little over a week, with leaks in Nine newspapers
- Foxtelâs Kayo subscription costs have risen to $4,120 per month for licensed venues, up from $2,600
- The NRLâs new deal includes three NRL/NRLW games per round on Nine, with all other games on Foxtel/Kayo except Origin and grand final
- Peter Vâlandys aims to grow the NRL globally, with ambitions for teams in Europe or America by 2050
- The NRLâs draw is now controlled by the league, not broadcasters, and Monday night football is unlikely to return
- The deal was the last major call by the Peter Vâlandys-Andrew Abdo partnership
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states the new deal is worth $5.3bn, while ABC initially describes it as a $5 billion-plus deal before confirming $5.3bn in the final article
- The Guardian says Nine will pay $145m in cash annually, while ABC states Nineâs bid was $150m per year (with advertising contra deals)
- The Guardian says the previous deal was 10% contra, while ABC does not explicitly mention the contra percentage but implies a shift in financial structure
- The Guardian says the NRLâs current deal is worth around $400m per year, while ABC states the previous deal was worth slightly above $1bn a decade ago (implying growth but not exact current value)
- The Guardian says the deal starts in 2028 and ends in 2034, while ABC does not explicitly state the end year but confirms the start in 2028
Source Articles
NRL announces record-breaking $5.3bn broadcast deal with Nine and Foxtel
Seven-year agreement struck around $750m annually from 2028 âA defining moment for rugby league,â says Peter Vâlandys Nine Entertainment and Foxtel have retained the media rights to the NRL in a $5.3bn deal which will see the games aired on the free-to-air network and the global streaming company DAZN until 2034. The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman Peter Vâlandys said the seven-year agreement from 2028 marked âa defining moment for rugby leagueâ. Continue reading...
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