NRL news: Broadcast money set to flow after NRL and Nine finalise deal

Rugby league is enjoying a new-found era of profitability, and it is only going to get better with a huge new deal expected to be confirmed Monday.

The NRL has scheduled a meeting with Nine Network powerbrokers on Monday where they are expected to finally signed off on a new broadcasting deal, guaranteeing the game and its clubs a financial windfall in the lead-up to Christmas.

The fresh agreement will run for five years and be worth as much as $600 million, solidifying the game’s broadcasting revenue until the end of 2027.

It was initially reported in mid-October that the NRL and Nine were on the verge of agreeing to an extension, but the parties have taken their time to bridge the gap between their respective expectations.

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It is understood those impediments have now been removed and the new deal could be confirmed as early as next week, alleviating arguably the game’s most pressing issue in the lead-up to Christmas.

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo were initially scheduled to meet Nine representatives on Friday but the meeting was postponed until Monday.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and ARL Chairman Peter V'landys are expected to finalise the deal with Nine on Monday. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The ARL Commission was also due to meet on Friday but that meeting was also rescheduled for next week as the commission prepares to discuss several big-ticket items that are still to be resolved before head office shuts down for Christmas.

The broadcasting deal is the biggest of them all given it plays such a crucial role in funding the game and its clubs. The new deal, combined with the agreement that has already been struck with Foxtel, will give the commission access to more broadcasting money than at any other point in their history.

Much of that money will flow to the clubs, most of which were already in the black. The increased profitability of the clubs has made them more valuable than they have ever been and the new broadcasting terms will only cement that new-found era of profitability.

It may also lead to an influx of more private ownership – billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes recently bought into South Sydney in a deal that some have suggested values the Rabbitohs at as much as $80 million, highlighting how attractive rugby league clubs now are to the country’s rich and famous.

The game is also expected to celebrate a stadium windfall at some point in coming weeks as $800 million is directed towards existing stadiums in Penrith and Manly, as well as upgrades to Cronulla’s home ground and Stadium Australia.

In return, Sydney will be confirmed as the home of the grand final for the next 25 years. The commission will also discuss the prospect for rule changes next week, although there has been widespread agreement among clubs and players that the time has come to consolidate rather than tinker.

The only rule change that is expected to be rubber-stamped is for offences against an attacking team when they are coming off their own line. The expectation is that the team will be awarded a penalty rather than a six-again.