BREAKING: Historic NRL broadcast deal reportedly agreed

The NRL is on the verge of securing a monster new broadcast rights agreement that could become the richest media deal in Australian sporting history with reports from SMH stating the new broadcast partners have agreed to the deal on Thursday.

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In somewhat of a shock, current broadcasters Nine and Foxtel are going to retain the rights, keeping rugby league with its existing broadcast partners for the foreseeable future despite channel seven and streaming options previously being seen as major competition.

The proposed deal is expected to run through until 2034 and is understood to be worth close to $5 billion overall — the richest in rugby league history by a wide margin.

If finalised, the agreement would mark a major victory for Peter V’landys, who has long made it a goal to elevate the NRL above rival Australian sporting codes in commercial value and would see the NRL eclipse the value of the AFL’s broadcast rights for the first time.

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The reported figures suggest Nine would contribute around $150 million per year for free-to-air rights, while Foxtel would pay approximately $520 million annually for subscription television rights.

The broadcast schedule and games is believed to remain similar to the current structure, including exclusivity around the live broadcast of the State of Origin series and NRL Grand Final.

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Such numbers would push the total value of the deal into unprecedented territory for Australian sport and further underline rugby league’s growing commercial power and it’s huge strides made under the current administration.

The enormous rights package also arrives at a critical time for the game, with expansion plans including Papua New Guinea and Perth expected to drive even greater audience growth in coming years and likely a key actor in helping negotiate the games new agreement.

A deal of this size would provide the NRL with enormous financial security and further strengthen its ability to invest in grassroots pathways, expansion and elite talent.

While the agreement is not yet officially signed, all signs point to the NRL closing in on a historic payday that could reshape the future of the code for the next decade and place it at the pinnacle of Australian sport — with more growth to come.

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