Peter V’landys to broker deal on season length for Foxtel and Nine

The Nine Network and Foxtel are more than a month apart on the proposed length of the 2020 season.

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys will meet Nine Network and Foxtel bosses on Friday to strike a compromise on the length of the resumed NRL season. Picture: Toby Zerna

The Nine Network and Foxtel are more than a month apart on the proposed length of the 2020 season, but the NRL is expected to meet them somewhere in the middle on Friday morning as the parties involved attempt to finalise the schedule for the remainder of this year.

The Australian understands Foxtel powerbrokers are pushing for a 22-round season, which would push the grand final back into early November. The Nine Network is believed to be in favour of a 17-round regular season that would mean the grand final being played on the day it was scheduled before rugby league went into hibernation — October 4.

The likelihood is that ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys will split the difference as he looks to break a deadlock that has frustrated officials, players and fans alike. The hope is that when V’landys, Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany and Nine boss Hugh Marks walk out of the meeting, the NRL may finally have some certainty over the length of the season for when the game resumes on May 28, although it is unlikely any agreement will be reached on broadcast payments for the remainder of the year.

Discussions over the financials will continue next week but the belief is that with a schedule bedded down, the NRL, its clubs and their players can start making some estimates around what sort of money they will all receive.

The sensitivity of the discussions with the broadcasters was reaffirmed on Thursday night as the Nine Network released a statement through their media outlets.

“Although we agree constructive discussions have been held between the NRL, Nine and Foxtel, we feel it’s premature to be confirming a start date at this stage,” a Nine spokesperson said.

“There is a great will to work together to an outcome but a lot of work still to do. A deal needs to be completed and the structure of the competition locked, which importantly must include how it will operate within the health and safety standards currently affecting the community.’’

Between them, Foxtel and the Nine Network pay about $300m each year to broadcast the game. The more rounds the NRL plays, the more money it will receive for the season. However, the longer the season goes, the less valuable it is to Nine because games could potentially clash with cricket’s T20 World Cup.

Even when the schedule is bedded down, there will still be much to do.

The hurdles confronting the NRL were highlighted on Thursday as state and federal government officials addressed concerns over the code’s plans.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk kicked things off on Thursday morning when she called on the NRL to provide her with a detailed plan for the game’s return. As it stands, Queensland clubs will be forced to move to NSW to begin training as a group from May 4.

The NRL remains hopeful that the Queensland government will relax its stance but Palaszczuk made it clear that she would like to see more information from the NRL that she could pass on to the state’s chief health officer Jeannette Young.

“There is no detailed plan,” Palaszczuk said. “So I call on the NRL to submit that detailed plan and I will immediately forward it to Dr Young for her consideration and to report back to me.

“I’m saying to the NRL, send the detailed plan, send all of your health information, send how it’s all going to work, put it in a detailed plan and I’m more than happy to forward it to Dr Young. Dr Young has said today she’s more than happy to consider it.

“I think they’ve been dealing with the NSW government. So I think they need to submit it to all other governments that have NRL teams. Let’s see what can happen. I don’t want to speculate until I see the detailed plan.’’