Howeverr, anticipated expansion into Perth, PNG and even NZ, as well as NRLW and womens Origin, see the NRL setting its sights on a record deal.
The Prominence and Anti-siphoning Bill, which passed Parliament recently, gives free to air broadcasters first purchase rights to major sporting events, giving them first crack ahead of subscription tv services, such as Foxtel. It does not apply however, to streaming only services such as Amazon or Netflix – or Paramount or even Kayo.
The window is right for the NRL as the new rules are due for review again in 2026 – bought forward from 2029 due to rapid changes in the media landscape.
Nine Media quotes Jon Marquard, who runs TV rights consultancy Janez Media, who also does not see the anti-siphoning loophole changing the face of sports rights dramatically.
“NRL is a fantastic sport in Australia and New Zealand and it’s got some currency in the UK,” Marquard said. “But it doesn’t have that wide-ranging global appeal as other sports do … so it may not necessarily have the appeal to the tech giants that other sports might have.”
