Rugby League
Streaming wars help revive Australian market as Nine and Ten launch new services
An outbreak of ‘streaming wars’ in Australia has injected life into a sports media rights market that this time last year looked threatened by a sharp decline.
Australian free-to-air broadcasters ‘prepare to challenge’ Nine for NRL
All three of the main Australian television networks are expected to be allowed to bid for free-to-air rights to the National Rugby League, with the Australian Rugby League Commission said to be looking…
Sky New Zealand renews NRL rights
Pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand has renewed its media rights for Australia's National Rugby League for five years, from 2023 to 2027
Spark acquires RLWC rights in New Zealand
Telco Spark has acquired the exclusive media rights in New Zealand for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, becoming the tournament's first international broadcast partner
Whisper’s RLWC host broadcast to focus on accessibility, incorporate remote production
The host broadcast of this year’s Rugby League World Cup, which will be carried out by Whisper, the live sports production company, will look to draw in as wide an audience as possible, making the event m…
EXCLUSIVE: Whisper secures Rugby League World Cup host broadcast contract
Whisper, the live sports production company, has been appointed as the host broadcaster of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, SportBusiness understands
Super League rugby sees sharp headline value decline in Sky renewal
Super League’s protracted domestic sales process ended in a sharp headline rights fee decline for the rugby league competition for the next two years, SportBusiness Media understands.
Ex-Nine executive joins NRL as chief customer and digital officer
Former Nine Entertainment managing director of commercial, Alexi Baker, has been named the chief customer and digital officer at Australia’s top-tier domestic rugby competition, the National Rugby League.
Sky renews domestic Super League rights until 2023
UK pay-television broadcaster Sky Sports has renewed its domestic rights to the Super League rugby competition for 2022 and 2023
Ex-Nine commercial head Baker ‘in talks to join NRL as COO’
Alexi Baker, former Nine Entertainment managing director of commercial, is believed to be in talks to become chief operating officer at Australia’s top-tier domestic rugby competition, the National Rugby L…
RLWC2021 aims to land Australian TV deal before sales in New Zealand, North America
Organisers of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup have opted to go to market with broadcast rights in Australia, before looking to strike deals in New Zealand, Canada and the US
BeIN returns as home of Super League in France after year-long hiatus
Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has agreed a deal with rights-holder Sky to resume its French coverage of the Super League, the top tier of rugby league in the UK
ESPN picks up NRL rights across Africa
International sports broadcaster ESPN has acquired rights in Africa to the NRL Australian rugby league competition
RDA to sell Rugby League World Cup international rights
The UK-based media rights agency RDA has been appointed to sell international broadcast rights to this year’s Rugby League World Cup.
BBC keeps fee steady in Challenge Cup renewal
UK public service broadcaster the BBC has kept its outlay on rugby league’s Challenge Cup steady in its latest renewal, for the 2022-24 cycle.
BBC extends Challenge Cup deal to 2024
The BBC and the Rugby Football League have agreed a three-year extension to the public-service broadcaster’s deal for domestic rights to rugby league's Challenge Cup, keeping the competition's latter s…
RDA to distribute BBC’s GB Rugby League Lions documentary internationally
The UK-based media rights agency RDA has acquired the rights to exclusively distribute a documentary about rugby league’s Great Britain Lions’ 2019 tour to broadcasters worldwide.
Super League, RFL media-rights tender underway in UK
Super League rugby and the Rugby Football League are believed to have initiated the sales process in the UK for media rights to their respective properties