Foxtel and Nine Network jostle over fixtures in rejigged NRL season

Another broadcast battle looms for the NRL as Foxtel and Nine squabble over the five wildcard rounds leading into the finals.

Peter V’landys has to play a delicate game in the NRL’s broadcast negotiations with Foxtel and the Nine Network. Picture: Gregg Porteous

A specially convened meeting of the ARL Commission will receive an update on broadcast talks on Tuesday but even before they are resolved, another battle looms as Foxtel and the Nine Network jostle over their preferences for the five wildcard rounds leading into the finals.

The Australian understands a meeting of the commission on Tuesday had been called to sign off on the biosecurity protocols that will govern the game’s return. However, that meeting now shapes as crucial to the broadcasting talks as ARLC chairman Peter V’landys gives his fellow commissioners an insight into the volatile talks with Foxtel and Nine that have prevented the game providing any clarity over its finances for what is left of this season.

V’landys has the security of financial backing from overseas sources in his back pocket, while commissioner Gary Weiss and chief executive Andrew Abdo have been assigned to investigate the game’s options.

Already Oakwell Capital has emerged as a potential financier — as revealed in The Australian, the private equity firm offering a $250m line of credit to secure rugby league’s future. At the same time, the game’s need for financial support will be contingent on how much money V’landys can extract from the broadcasters.

Those negotiations have become the hottest of hot potatoes for V’landys. Even when he gets the deal done, the battle will be far from over. The Australian understands the broadcasters have begun identifying the games they would like to see form part of the schedule when the new draw gets finalised, most likely next week.

After each side has played the other once, there will be five rounds left for the NRL to tinker with under revised 20-game schedule. It is understood Foxtel has already done its own research into what games will be most attractive to its viewers, taking into account past history, regional rivalries, closeness of contests and crowd interest.

It would be naive to think at some point Foxtel won’t share its preferences with the NRL given those 40 extra games shape as the cream on the multimillion-dollar cake for the broadcasters. Between them, Foxtel and Nine pay almost $300m a year to televise the NRL, the former carrying the lion’s share of that amount. Both broadcasters have been locked in talks with V’landys as they attempt to strike a revised deal for this season given the stunted competition and the prospect of a game without crowds, and as a result atmosphere.

“The broadcasters will have a say absolutely,” V’landys said.

“We have indicated that during the negotiations that they would get a say. We will certainly consult them if any further decisions are made.”

There has been talk the NRL may be forced to forgo upwards of $80m this season if it is unable to appease the broadcasters, although it can certainly help its cause by ensuring they are given some attractive viewing games in the revised schedule.

The Australian has identified 15 games that it is understood would go a long way towards ensuring the broadcasters walk away content with the draw.

Not surprisingly, Brisbane are believed to feature prominently in the research conducted by Foxtel, in particular their intrastate rivalries with North Queensland and the Gold Coast, their long-distance rivalry with Melbourne Storm and their coach-related rivalry with South Sydney.

Wests Tigers, despite being a middle-of-the-table side in recent seasons, are also a winner on Foxtel when it comes to taking on their western Sydney ­rivals.

The beauty for Foxtel is that it gets all the games regardless. The fact that two of its top five games last year were also simulcast on the Nine Network suggests it won’t be overly disadvantaged by being forced to wait to pick each round.

Under the existing broadcasting arrangement, Nine gets the first two picks each round before Foxtel chimes in.