NRL news: Channel 7 discuss hosting a rugby league show in 2025 | Sunday Sesh
In a sign that they could be interested in bidding for the rugby league broadcast rights for 2028, the Seven Network have held discussions over introducing an NRL show in 2025.
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The Seven Network may be about to dip their toe back in the rugby league waters.
Sunday Sesh understands that the network has held internal talks over starting their own rugby league show next year in a potential pointer to entering the fight for the game’s broadcast rights in coming months.
Seven were last involved with rugby league seven years ago when they won the rights to televise the 2017 World Cup.
However, they have hitched their wagon to AFL in recent years and Nine has been the commercial broadcaster of choice for rugby league.
Seven, however, are believed to be weighing up the viability of having their own show next season given the popularity of rugby league in Queensland and NSW, where the sport is the dominant code.
It may be that the show runs during the State of Origin series as a test case.
Regardless, it shapes as a warning shot across the bow of Nine as the NRL prepares to kick off broadcast negotiations – the current deal with Nine and Foxtel runs until the end of 2027.
The ARL Commission is expected to wait until expansion is finalised – an announcement is expected in early December – before beginning any serious discussions.
Nine is unlikely to give up the commercial rights without a fight, but their audience share has been on the slide in recent years as Fox League has eaten into their numbers.
Viewership on Fox League has taken a chunk out of Nine’s share of the audience.
Where Nine used to have nearly 70 per cent of the overall viewership, Sunday Sesh understands the share is now close to a 50-50 split.
The other wildcard in the talks could be Netflix given their growing interest in sport.
The streaming service claimed that more than 100 million people watched their recent telecast of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight.
Netflix is also poised to televise two NFL games this year after purchasing the rights to a double-header on Christmas Day.
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