BeIN Media Group is considering a bid for the rights to the Australian National Rugby League, the top division of rugby league in the country, according to multiple reports.
The league will be hoping the apparent interest from beIN will drive up the price for the pay-television rights, with the free-to-air rights for five years, from 2018 to 2022, having already been awarded to commercial broadcaster Nine.
The Australian newspaper reported that beIN will definitely bid for the next cycle of rights in the country to football’s English Premier League.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, NRL chief executive Dave Smith has been criticised by News Corporation, the owner of pay-television broadcasters Fox Sports and Foxtel, for having “snubbed” the company to strike the exclusive Nine free-to-air deal.
Nine chief executive David Gyngell has defended the Smith by telling the Australian Financial Review: “I think Dave Smith did a good job with it but I saw that as someone who has made Nine pay more for rights than at any other time in the history of free-to-air television in Australia.”
As part of its deal, Nine will have digital streaming rights for the four games, which will be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoon.
Telco Telstra, which is also reportedly unhappy it was not given the opportunity to bid for Nine’s streaming rights, is interested in striking a sublicensing deal with the broadcaster, according to the Business Spectator news service.