Nine retains rights for NRL in five year deal
The Nine Network has retained the free-to-air rights for the NRL for the 2018 to 2022 seasons in a deal worth $185m per year.
The network will broadcast four premium live games a week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons, as well as the Finals series, State-of-Origin, and other special event matches.
Nine has also acquired all free streaming rights for these games.
David Gyngell, CEO of NEC, said: “Rugby League is part of Nine’s DNA. This is a transformational outcome for supporters, Rugby League and Nine, enabling viewers to see the best of the NRL, live and free, 4 days per week, anywhere, on any device.
“As the audience for television fragments, the value and marketing power of free, live premium sport across multiple media cannot be underestimated.”
Mumbrella understands negotiations between the code and other players including Telstra and Fox Sports for other elements of the rights are ongoing.
All those parties have been contacted for comment.
Reports last week suggested the total NRL package could hit as much as $1.7bn once all negotiations have been completed.
It was suggested that Network Ten could pick up a match from Fox Sports, while a planned Thursday night game could see Monday night footy, currently shown on Fox Sports, scrapped to avoid “viewer fatigue”.
At the ADMA Global Forum last week NRL marketer Lewis Pullen said the rights deals would be “fascinating” and flagged that he expected there to be a larger streaming element in the next round of rights.
Speaking to Mumbrella Pullen said the code needed to improve its live experience to make sure people still wanted to attend matches rather than watch games from the comfort of their living rooms.
More to come.
The announcement:
Nine Entertainment Co. (ASX:NEC) has executed an agreement for premium National Rugby League (NRL) rights for the 2018 to 2022 seasons.
Under this agreement, NEC has acquired the exclusive Free-to-Air rights to broadcast 4 premium live games a week on each of Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons, as well as the Finals series, State-of-Origin, and other special event matches. NEC has also acquired all free streaming rights for these games. The National Rugby League may elect to grant the pay simulcast rights for certain games, but otherwise the live distribution of these games across any free visual media is exclusive to NEC.
NEC’s average cost over the new rights period amounts to $185m per annum, inclusive of contra, which will be reduced if the NRL elects to grant pay simulcast rights for certain games.
Rugby League fans will enjoy a vastly improved experience – four premium live games each week, more than doubling live coverage to over 270 hours per season, all of which will be available free across Nine’s Free-to-Air television and digital media.
David Gyngell, CEO of NEC, said: “Rugby League is part of Nine’s DNA. This is a transformational outcome for supporters, Rugby League and Nine, enabling viewers to see the best of the NRL, live and free, 4 days per week, anywhere, on any device.
As the audience for television fragments, the value and marketing power of free, live premium sport across multiple media cannot be underestimated.”
Sports rights will be a key topic at Mumbrella’s Sports Marketing Summit at the MCG on September 9. Click the banner below for more details.
Had to listen to the doggies game on the radio on Friday as it was delayed in Sydney and not even available live through the NRL digital pass, delayed there too. Hopefully this deal brings a sport, that has been marred with the influence of TV money, up to scratch with modern broadcasting.
Concerning that there is no mention of HD smh.
Once again the real fans of the game, ie Season Ticket Holders with young kids have been screwed over by the NRL to give benefit to the (so called) fans who don’t spend a cent supporting their team and park their backsides on the lounge to “‘support” their teams by watching on TV.
MEMO: Dave Smith…..
Parents with young kids don’t want to go to Thursday night games with late kickoff times, especially when not one Channel 9 game has kicked off on time this season.
What a debacle. It looks like TEN or Seven never had a chance to start with. It would be great to see some transparency.
RL maybe be in nines DNA but they have been doing a shithouse job over the years treating there viewers like crap not showing games live on delay and putting games on only to suit them .NOT the fans or viewers and they still get the rights…one has to wonder what else is going on
Broadcasting in HD should have been a mandatory part of securing the deal.
Interesting to see that Gyng says their NRL streaming will be free. Wonder if that means they’ll make the Cricket Aus app free too? Can’t see many people paying for that this year…
Not a good result for the PAY-TV business model.
The UK is about to get the option for Ultra HD. Whilst I don’t anticipate miracles, I do hope the channel 9 goes all 2011 by 2018.