NRL 2020: Broncos-Eels smashes TV ratings records as Nine, Fox Sports big winners

Nine and Fox may have smashed TV ratings records in the NRL return but rugby league is the real winner, with Peter V’landys delivering a huge new broadcast deal.

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The NRL will pocket an estimated $280 million annually for the next three seasons from its revised broadcast deal as ARLC chairman Peter V’landys lauded the code’s record TV ratings bonanza.

The Courier-Mail can reveal V’landys has delivered another triumph for rugby league by brokering a TV rights deal with Channel Nine and Fox Sports that has exceeded the NRL’s fiscal expectations.

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The Broncos-Eels clash delivered the NRL’s highest TV audience in six years. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

A fortnight ago, the governing body addressed the 16 club CEOs on the financial state of the game, outlining the NRL were undertaking financial modelling based on a revised broadcast deal of $270m annually for 2020-22.

But sources close to negotiations claim the NRL “has done better than that”, with V’landys understood to have formalised a package worth $280m per annum for the remainder of the current broadcast cycle, which expires in 2022.

The NRL has also secured a five-year extension with Fox Sports until the end of 2027. The governing body is tight-lipped on the terms of that specific deal with NRL club bosses yet to receive full figures of the revised package negotiated by V’landys.

The NRL last year received $324.5 million from broadcasting funds. It is understood the coronavirus pandemic has triggered a 15 per cent reduction on that figure for the revised deal for 2020-22.

Channel Nine told the Australian Securities Exchange it expected to save $27.5m in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Nine were due to pay $120m next year and $125m in 2022, but their commitment is now in the $90-100m range.

ARLC Chairman Peter Vlandys has delivered the NRL a broadcast deal believed to be worth $280m a year. Picture: Getty Images.

V’landys declined to discuss figures last night but confirmed the revised broadcast deal will give the ARLC boss sufficient funds to maintain its $13 million in annual grants to each of the 16 clubs.

“I’m very happy with the deal and it will absolutely enable us to meet our commitments to the clubs,” he said.

“In fact, clubs will get a substantial increase this year because the NRL will be paying the players’ wages, so the clubs will get more this year than that ($13m).”

A club source said last night: “The NRL briefed us on projections they would get $270m from the broadcast deal, but they have done better than that. It’s closer to $280m.”

The NRL is celebrating on dual fronts with the Broncos-Eels clash on Thursday night smashing records with more than 1.3 million viewers tuning into the season re-launch at Suncorp Stadium.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing lockout crowds at stadiums, the big winners are Channel Nine and Fox with Parramatta’s 34-6 belting of Brisbane delivering the NRL’s highest TV audience in six years.

The Broncos-Eels clash produced a whopping 29.5 per cent on last year’s average TV numbers _ a stunning silver lining for the NRL amid the COVID-19 crisis.

As the Eels ran riot in a free-flowing affair, 951,938 fans tuned in on Channel Nine, while Fox League had 366,000 viewers.

It was the highest rating regular season match since round 1 in 2014. The Suncorp blockbuster was also the best simulcast audience in Fox’s history.

“I am ectastic with the ratings and I hope they continue in that vein,” V’landys said.

The NRL return game was a record for Fox Sports with 366,000 viewers. Picture: Getty Images.

Fox Sports head of television Steve Crawley was blown away by the ratings figures.

“We did 366,000 which is a record for us,” he said. “it was a great game of football and it was good to see the one-referee and six-again rule play out in front of us.

“Our telecast went to Fox One in the US which has 60 million people and we are also awaiting the figures from their market.

“It was great to see our customers coming back in record numbers, that’s the best feeling of all. People were longing to see the footy again but to get those numbers was a phenomenal effort and shows the strength of rugby league.”