NRL to explore selling State of Origin, buying Super League as part of plan to become $1 billion global juggernaut
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has revealed the NRL’s aspirations to become a $1 billion international force, with the game set to explore the possibility of selling off State of Origin and buying the Super League competition.
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The NRL will explore selling off State of Origin and buying the Super League competition in the code’s ambitious plan to become a $1 billion international force.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys outlined rugby league’s investment vision on Friday, declaring the NRL as Australia’s No.1 code after recording the biggest revenue in the code’s 117-year history.
The NRL is basking in the afterglow of another successful financial year with V’landys announcing a record revenue of $744.9 million – up from $701.2m in 2023.
And League Central is celebrating an operating profit of $62.3 million – the fourth consecutive year the NRL has recorded a surplus.
It marks a remarkable fiscal renaissance under the leadership of V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo, coming just four years after the NRL was on death’s door during the Covid crisis.
Now the NRL is ready to become a global juggernaut.
Determined to reach $1 billion in revenue, V’landys revealed State of Origin – the code’s showpiece – could be put up for sale to new broadcasting bidders when talks ramp-up this year on the NRL’s next TV rights deal.
The code’s current broadcast deal expires in 2027 and the next five-year TV rights cycle has opened the door for the world’s biggest brands such as Netflix, Amazon and Paramount.
Channel 9 has exclusive rights to State of Origin, valued at $100 million, but the NRL is investigating a broadcasting “fragmentation” strategy to sell off arms of the sport’s product to potential bidders.
V’landys is set to begin broadcast negotiations and confirmed the ARL Commission may look at putting State of Origin up for sale as a stand-alone TV or streaming product, separate from NRL club fixtures.
“You’re a you’re a step ahead, that’s a possibility,“ he said when asked about an independent sell-off of NRL broadcast assets.
“We have to look at all formats and that’s one of them.
“The jewel in the crown is State of Origin and there’s other channels (interested).
“Ideally we’d like it all in the one (package), but if you look at the NFL and how they do it, and they’re very successful, we’ll analyse it and watch it.
News Corp, publishers of this masthead, struck an agreement in December for Foxtel to be sold to UK sports streaming giant DAZN.
DAZN is expected to be a major player in the next broadcast cycle negotiations but may not be the only global brand.
Paramount, owners of Network Ten, has shown interest in Australian sports along with $4 trillion mega company Amazon, while Netflix recently paid US$150 million (A$240 million) to stream two NFL games on Christmas Day.
Should the ARL Commission opt to sell State of Origin under a fragmentation plan, it could be a financial coup for the NRL.
“Whatever maximises our return,“ V’landys said.
“There’s one important point which I need to make with broadcast, which a lot of sports don’t consider, and that’s the price point.
“We don’t want to make it unaffordable for our fans. We want to make sure whatever deal we do, that it’s affordable for the fan to buy a subscription because it’s a waste of time if you get all this money and your fans can’t watch your game.
“We’ve got some decisions to make in the next few months as to how we present our product.“
At the time of the Covid pandemic, V’landys and Abdo set out a strategic plan to give the code financial strength and they have delivered on their word.
Aside from record revenue, the NRL – once without a single asset – now has net assets of $322.4 million, while participation has hit record levels in excess of one million registrations.
The AFL is widely regarded as the pre-eminent winter code but a bullish V’landys says the figures are evidence rugby league is the king of Australian sport.
“With more girls, boys, women and men watching, attending and playing our game than ever before, rugby League is indisputably the number one sport in Australia and the Pacific,” he said.
“Financially the game has never been stronger.
“This is the fourth consecutive year we’ve reported a very healthy surplus, allowing us to maximise the opportunity for reinvestment in the game.”
That investment could extend its financial tentacles to England.
The ARLC is exploring offshore markets – the NRL is looking at a 20th team in New Zealand before the 2032 Brisbane Olympics – and V’landys says buying the British Super League is an option.
“We’re looking at the UK,” V’landys said.
Asked if the code could grow its assets portfolio further by buying the cash-strapped English game, he added: “Never say never.
“That’s if they want us. The first thing is there’s always two people to an agreement if they want us, we’ll certainly look at it.
“If they approached us, we’d certainly look at it. At this stage they haven’t approached us, but we’re a firm believer in having a strong game in England and we’re a firm believer in the international game
“You can’t have an international game without England.
“I don’t want to breach any confidentiality, but it’s important for us that the game in the United Kingdom is strong.
“At the moment, it’s got its challenges.
“I’m not being critical of them because they do a great job, but rugby league has to be strong in England, and we’re developing a relationship already by having Warrington and Wigan in Vegas.
“We’ll certainly have discussions with Super League to see how we can assist in the future.”
Abdo added: “The Commission is thinking strategically around the question of the makeup and the packaging (of the NRL’s broadcast deal) and how that’s taken to a global market, not just to a domestic one.”
V’landys dismissed concerns the NRL’s expansion plan to Perth could collapse as West Australian premier Roger Cook comes under pressure to pay more than $300 million in infrastructure for a club in the west.
“We’re trying to finalise what our competition’s going to look like, and we’re going to make a decision in the next two months and then we’ll stick to that decision,“ he said.
“So for the next broadcast cycle we’ll either have 18 or 19 teams.“
V’landys said total viewership across all formats of the game in Australia and New Zealand surpassed 200 million for the first time, up 8.6 per cent from 184.7 million in 2023 and 133.2 million in 2018.
The ARLC chair said in 2024, almost 4.8 million fans attended matches across all competitions to set a new benchmark for the game. This is up from 3.8 million fans in 2018.
The fan base of Rugby League increased to 11 million adults.
The total number of people playing rugby league in club competitions, recreational formats and school programs also surpassed the one million mark for the first time, with a total of 1.03 million participants nationally.
NRL CEO Abdo said rugby league is determined for more growth in 2025 and beyond.
“We are extremely proud of the 2024 results with revenue growth, record fan interest, new assets, well-funded and successful NRL clubs and State Leagues and a booming participation ecosystem setting us up for a bigger and better 2025,” Mr Abdo said.
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Originally published as NRL to explore selling State of Origin, buying Super League as part of plan to become $1 billion global juggernaut
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