NRL announces historic $5.3bn broadcast agreement
Nine Entertainment and Foxtel have retained the media rights to the NRL in a landmark $5.3bn deal that will see games aired on the free-to-air network and global streaming platform DAZN until 2034. The seven-year agreement, starting in 2028, marks a defining moment for rugby league, according to Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman Peter V'landys.
“The Commission has worked hard in the last five years to make the game more entertaining for our fans, effectively doubling our audience,” V'landys said. “Our players and clubs that made this possible will now be justifiably rewarded.”
Key broadcast details and rights distribution
Nine will screen the NRL grand final and both the men’s and women’s State of Origin series. It has also acquired exclusive free-to-air and free streaming rights to broadcast three live NRL games a week: Thursday and Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Foxtel and Kayo Sports will retain rights to live coverage of every home and away game of both NRL and NRLW seasons, plus all finals except the grand final.
While the distribution of men’s matches across Nine and Foxtel remains unchanged from the current deal, the number of NRLW games on free-to-air television will halve from 2028, dropping from 66 per season to 33.
Financial terms and comparisons
The deal eclipses the AFL’s record $4.5bn agreement signed in 2022. Nine Entertainment told the ASX it will pay $145m in cash annually to the NRL, offset by $10m worth of advertising. V'landys confirmed the NRL will receive 95% of the $5.3bn in cash, a significant improvement from the previous deal which was 10% contra. “This hasn’t been an accident, this has been achieved by some very hard work,” he said.
The NRL’s current deal with Nine and Foxtel, ending after the 2027 season, is worth around $400m per year. The new agreement represents a substantial increase to approximately $750m annually from 2028.
Executive statements on partnership
Nine CEO Matt Stanton highlighted the enduring partnership: “Nine brings together an unmatched breadth of media capabilities and a proven track record of growing audiences, deepening fandom and creating cultural moments around the game’s biggest occasions. This year alone, the top two highest-rating television programs across any Australian broadcaster have both been NRL.”
Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany said Kayo Sports and Foxtel would remain the home of NRL and live sport in Australia well into the next decade. “We have been partners in the growth of rugby league for 30 years and are committed to working with the NRL to grow the game at all levels,” Delany added.
Audience growth and future expansion
The NRL attracts huge TV ratings and lucrative sponsorship deals. Last year’s grand final between Brisbane and Melbourne drew an average audience of almost 4.5 million, the first time it eclipsed the AFL showpiece since 2015. The first men’s State of Origin match attracted close to 4 million viewers, up 6% year-on-year, while the women’s series consistently draws around 1 million viewers.
The new deal takes effect in 2028, when the PNG Chiefs join the competition as its 19th team, following the addition of the Perth Bears in 2027. V'landys claimed the NRL is “the most viewed program in Australia and in the Pacific” and said the deal “future-proofs the game for everybody” with ambitions to grow the game globally.
