Fans the big winners under Channel Nine’s new NRL broadcast rights deal

The Nine Network has won the rights to broadcast NRL games from 2018 to 2022 in a deal worth $925 million.

Channel Nine has rights to broadcast Thursday, Friday and Saturday prime time matches, as well as Sunday 4pm matches.

The Nine Network has secured the broadcast rights for the NRL for another five years, beginning in 2018.

He confirmed that the league will be able to set the best games when fans want to see them and ensure all clubs to receive the exposure they deserve on free to air television.

He said the agreement would help secure the long-term financial future of the game.

The National Rugby League scrapped the Anzac Test without consulting the New Zealand Rugby League, announced the change without informing their Kiwi counterparts and, incredibly, did not even return the New Zealand governing body’s calls when it attempted to seek clarification today.

With Foxtel still to finalise how much it will pay to broadcast the remaining four matches each weekend from 2018 – and possibly simulcast Nine’s matches – the total value of broadcast rights are on track to hit the forecast $1.7 billion.

The season will be played over 25 weeks instead of 26. OptionsXpress market analyst Ben Le Brun says Nine has done a good deal, locking in a guaranteed ratings hit.

Nine Entertainment Co. chief executive David Gyngell claimed that the completed deal is a transformational outcome for supporters, rugby league, and Channel Nine.

Smith said the Sunday night Origin game would be part of a marquee representative round incorporating a Pacific Test match, helping to reduce demands on the game’s top players, while not dramatically affecting the premiership with just one split round.

Mr Smith said that, while the initial focus had been on free to air rights, the NRL had already held extensive discussions with a number of operators involved in pay television and streaming rights.

Melbourne CEO Dave Donaghy said: “The devil is in the detail but on principal it looks to be a vast improvement on the current situation for the structure of the competition and the impact it has on clubs”.

“We own our scheduling again, Thursday night football’s going to be a feature obviously of the program going forward and there’s still the upside of pay television and digital rights to come”, White said.