India emerges as unlikely NRL ally in TV talks

An Indian official has poured cold water on the T20 World Cup being played in October leaving the NRL as Nine’s early summer hope.

State of Origin could prove a summer saviour for Nine Network Picture: AAP

Indian cricket has emerged as an unlikely ally in rugby league’s bid to resolve its dispute with its host broadcasters and provide some clarity to players and clubs around the money they will receive for what is left of this season.

As rugby league officials do their level-best to strike a deal with Foxtel and the Nine Network, an unnamed official from the Board of Cricket Control for India has become the latest to raise concerns over the future of the T20 World Cup, which is due to be played in Australia at the end of the year.

The chances of the tournament going ahead were slim given the impact of COVID-19 on world sport. Without India’s support, those chances drift from slim to none — the BCCI is the most powerful body in world cricket and brings with it the financial clout to dictate the T20 World Cup’s future.

The unnamed Indian official was quoted in the Gulf News saying that the tournament in October seems to be “impractical and even thinking of a gathering of people of that magnitude at this time is naive”.

That bodes well for the NRL as they continue their fraught negotiations with the Nine Network and Foxtel. The Nine Network in particular is believed to be reluctant to press the go button on an extended season, among its arguments that it was obliged to televise the T20 World Cup.

That, in turn, would have had the effect of driving down the value of rugby league to Nine beyond the October 4 date when the competition was originally scheduled to end.

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys pushed on regardless and his decision looks set to be vindicated as the T20 World Cup falters and rugby league emerges as the only code capable of filling the sporting void for the Nine Network entering the summer months.

V’landys took a chance by stretching the competition into late October, a decision that meant State of Origin would be played in November. That decision now shapes as a masterstroke, leaving rugby league with the whip-hand as it looks to enforce the terms of its contracts with the Nine Network.

While Nine have agitated at every turn — a move in the eyes of many designed to drive down what they will be asked to pay for games — V’landys has publicly played the role of peacemaker.

His equanimity is no doubt in part because he has the security of a contract in his back pocket. At the same time, rugby league could emerge as the Nine Network’s saviour in October and November should the T20 World Cup be cancelled.

Just what it is worth remains the multimillion-dollar question. At its most basic level, the reduction in the competition to 20 rounds would cost the NRL around $40 million of the near $300m they are owed for this season from the Nine Network and Foxtel.

However, the broadcasters are likely to seek greater discounts due to the lack of crowds and the notion of playing Origin in November, potentially before no spectators.

The NRL had mentioned the possibility of introducing a pair of split rounds to reduce the workload on players, which would have meant each team playing only 19 games.

There has been a belief that the players will need a rest at some point and playing a pair of split rounds would have minimal impact on the broadcasting revenue because the Nine Network would still receive its quota of games and be obliged to pay what it owes.

Foxtel would be spared some money, although the amount would be minimal. However, NRL sources on Wednesday night indicated the idea of split rounds was no longer a consideration.

It is understood acting chief executive Andrew Abdo has also spoken to New Zealand Warriors officials and their players in a bid to allay their concerns in relation to travel arrangements and support for their trip across the Tasman.