Channel Seven has piqued their interest in the potential of having both the AFL and NRL rights for their free-to-air television program.
Southern Cross Media, the recent amalgamation of Seven Network and Southern Cross Austereo, is keen to make an audacious bid to have the NRL change providers.
Recently announced Chief Executive Rohan Lund says he has been “thinking a lot about the NRL” which would see Seven become a premier partner in both of Australians biggest sporting codes.
“I'm passionate about sport and if we're not doing live sport and winning in live sport, I don't know what we are,” Mr Lund told The Australian.
“Australians love their sport. Fandom is more important than ever as people passionately engage with their teams.
“Media companies like Seven have an important role helping audiences and partners connect with their teams, so sports like the AFL, cricket and NRL are impossible to ignore.”
There has been recent speculation that Seven is interested in re-instating the famous Monday night time-slot if they were to make a play for the NRL.
The fan-favourite window was canned in 2016 and replaced with Thursday nights, and has remained a mainstay in the NRL since.
Despite his first few weeks in his new role as CEO, Lund is also looking at an ambitious play to secure the State of Origin series.
“State of Origin is one of the premier events on the Australian sports calendar. Of course it's something I would be interested in. If we were going to make a play for the NRL, I don't know why we would only look at one game,” Mr Lund said.
“I don't want to be caught up playing in a sandpit where just a couple of the kids are kicking sand at each other, when the real oval is over here and there's a bigger game going on.
“Like news, live sport lets us take the fight against the digital noise.”
The broadcast deal negotiations have commenced, with ARL Chairman Peter V'landys meeting with media powerbrokers to discuss their plans for a deal with their companies.
V'landys, according to The Australian, is seeking a deal worth $4 billion over five years, with Channel Seven hoping to apply some pressure on current holders Channel Nine.
Nine, the longest broadcast partner of the NRL, has increased rights to State of Origin and the Grand Final.
However, if they were to lose the rights, it would leave them in dire straits, with Seven already holding free-to-air AFL and Test cricket until 2031.
The NRL is hoping to have a contract finalised by July, with Foxtel, Nine, Seven and Paramount all major contenders for the deal.
The new contract will kick-off in 2028.
