LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'Landys has announced that the NRL's upcoming TV deal is expected to be the biggest in the sport's history.
Negotiations for the new broadcast rights deal have not yet started, but with the NRL currently being the most watched sport in Australia and the potential addition of more teams in the next cycle, the value of the deal is projected to increase significantly.
V'Landys stated in an interview with News Corp that discussions will kick off once the exact number of teams for the next season is confirmed.
He mentioned, "As soon as we know the exact number of teams, we will start broadcast negotiations.
I would say it will be in the next few weeks." This indicates that the NRL is eager to get the ball rolling on securing a lucrative TV deal.
The influx of streaming giants such as Amazon Prime and Netflix into sports broadcasting could further drive up the value of the NRL's TV rights.
The increasing competition among broadcasters and streaming services for exclusive sports content has historically led to inflated rights fees, and the NRL is poised to benefit from this trend.
With the rapid growth in the popularity of rugby league in Australia and the anticipation of more teams joining the competition, the NRL is in a strong position to negotiate a record-breaking TV deal.
V'Landys' confidence in the upcoming negotiations reflects the optimistic outlook for the future of the sport.
Overall, the NRL appears to be well-positioned to secure a lucrative TV deal that could potentially exceed previous records.
The anticipation of negotiations starting in the coming weeks and the potential entry of streaming giants into the sports broadcasting market highlight the promising prospects for the NRL's future broadcast rights.