The NRL TV rights battle is heating up, with reports suggesting Foxtel are set to throw everything at retaining the sport.
The Pay-TV service are well aware what losing the NRL would mean for their future.
As it stands, they broadcast all eight games every weekend, and that will climb to nine next year with the arrival of the Perth Bears.
The Foxtel group, a number of years ago, began to priotise what they labelled the three main sports in Australia, being rugby league, aussie rules football, and cricket.
They have lost a number of other rights over that time period, including sports like soccer and rugby union, and are well aware they must keep the NRL to keep their platform Kayo Sports as well as traditional Fox Sports on TV, alive.
It emerged last week however that the Nine Network, who have paired with Fox on previous rights deals including the ongoing ones, were looking to go it alone, using their own subscription service, Stan Sports, to ensure a split between free to air TV and paid matches remained moving forward.
According to the Australian Financial Review however, Fox Sports have returned serve, and have pitched to the NRL to claim all of the rights, before on-selling, or teaming up with, either Channel Ten or Channel Seven to ensure the anti-siphoning agreement - which ensures some matches, as well as finals and the State of Origin series - remain away from a paywall.
If the bid is successful, Nine would lose the rights to the NRL.
It was believed that both Seven and Ten have some interest in obtaining the NRL.
Ten have struggled with their sports stable for some time, and are currently linked up with Football Australia, while Seven holds the rights to both the cricket and the AFL.
Losing the NRL would be a crushing blow for Nine, with State of Origin regularly the countries most watched programme each year.
The current TV deal will expire at the end of 2027, and the NRL are hoping to have a deal done in the coming months.
Well as a NRL Fan CHANNEL 9 s#cks, really hope ch 7 gets it. KAYO is sh#t as well i like that ch7 want free2air sports, WHAT FANS PAY 4 MERCHANDISE and what it cost to take the family to a Game free2air the fans deserve. Ch9 nrl fans dont even get to watch the DMA, But ch7 show the BLM good ch7 nrl need you because CH9, KAYO & FOX SU#K.
Being a fan of a number of different sports. You only have to watch other telecast sports (international along with home grown) to appreciate the quality of camera work and others developments the current broadcasters have implemented over the years.
The associated costs and logistics of televising all NRL games, unfortunately limits the free to air viewing. Many years ago the ABC did the Saturday afternoon match of the round (with Warren Boland, Bomber Peard and Artie Beetson), Ch 7 with Rex Mossop the Sunday game and CH 10 (was it) did the mid week Amco Cup. Other sports like the NBA that have a number of broadcasting networks, makes it a nightmare to follow without a full subscription.
I would suggest that the NRL mandates the terms and conditions including the number of free to air games televised.