Australian Rugby League Commission posts record revenue in excess of $740 million in 2024

Rugby league heads to Las Vegas in the rudest of health, as the ARL Commission emerges from 2024 with record revenue surging towards the billion-dollar barrier. See the figures.

Rugby league will head to Las Vegas in the rudest of health after it emerged that the ARL Commission would post record revenue in excess of $740 million for 2024 and a surplus of more than $60 million.

Remarkably, the game now boasts more than $320 million in net assets after a concerted campaign designed to ring-fence rugby league from financial disaster.

The commission topped $700 million in revenue for the first time in 2023 but the 2024 season has left that mark in its wake as the game surges towards the billion-dollar barrier.

The clubs have been given a taste of the numbers ahead of the annual general meeting on Friday, where they will be officially confirmed. Needless to say club officials are privately showering head office in praise, a rarity in the modern game given the occasional flare-ups between the parties.

Yet even the clubs, who are often the hardest to please, are gushing over the latest figures.

“They have done an amazing job,” one club official, who asked to remain anonymous until the results were officially revealed, told this masthead.

The ARL Commission posted record revenue in 2024. Picture: Richard Dobson

“They have fireproofed the game from a disaster and the game continues to grow. It’s an amazing result.”

The ARL commission’s latest financial reports will reveal the game had revenue of just over $744 million for last year, significantly up on the year before.

The increased revenue helped the game generate a surplus of $62 million at the same time the clubs received record grants from head office.

The record revenue is a big boost for the game ahead of their second Vegas instalment. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The ARL Commission finished the financial year with more than $200 million in cash reserves, although the purchase of two hotels at the end of last year would have taken a chunk out of their kitty.

Nevertheless, it seems only a matter of time before rugby league crashes through the billion-dollar barrier given the influx of government money from the Papua New Guinea deal and impending talks over a new broadcast agreement.

The NRL recently agreed a $600 million deal with the federal government in return for adding PNG to the competition, most likely in 2028.

The broadcast deal will be even more lucrative given rugby league has been a ratings juggernaut in recent years. ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys, who has been busy trying entice US president Donald Trump to attend the season opener in Las Vegas, is expected to open talks with broadcasters in coming months as he looks to secure a new agreement – the existing deals runs until the end of 2027.

He will arrive at those talks in a bullish mood given the way the game has grown under his watch, alongside NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo.

The game’s financial coffers have soared culminating in the latest figures, which reached record heights. That has allowed head office to make a series of purchases designed to protect the game from financial upheaval – late last year the ARL Commission went on another spending spree as they purchased hotels in Port Macquarie and Brisbane.

It is understood the game now owns five hotels and continues to boost its coffers despite a significant outlay on Operation America.

The second instalment of rugby league in Sin City is expected to edge closer to break even, although the latest figures suggest the game can afford to take a chance in the hope of a pay off down the track.

V’landys and Abdo have given themselves the room to take a few risks as they preside over a golden era for the game which has resulted in a healthy boost to the bank balance.