Rugby-Rugby Australia set to extend broadcast deal with Nine, AFR reports (updated)

Nine Entertainment Holdings

03/02/2025 03:25

(Adds Nine comment to Reuters in the third paragraph)
       MELBOURNE, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Rugby Australia is poised
to sign a five-year extension to its broadcast rights agreement
with Nine Entertainment in a deal worth A$210 million ($129
million), the Australian Financial Review reported.
    If completed, the deal would run from 2026-30, taking in the
2027 Rugby World Cup and the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup.  
    "We can confirm we've reached an in-principle agreement with
Rugby Australia," a Nine spokesperson said.
    "We will share more details in due course as we finalise the
contractual arrangements."
    Rugby Australia declined to comment on the report.
    The deal would mean a hike in broadcast revenue for RA
compared to the current arrangement which ends in 2025.
    Nine signed a three-year, A$100 million deal in 2020 to
broadcast Wallabies tests and Super Rugby across its free-to-air
platform and subscription streaming service, Stan.
    The media company picked up the rights for a discount after
RA rebuffed a renewal offer with long-term partner Foxtel and
failed to complete a deal with Optus before the COVID-19
pandemic shut down global sport.
    Nine signed a two-year extension in 2023.
    RA have struggled to shore up the local game's finances
since they were hit hard by COVID-19, with the Wallabies and
Australia's Super Rugby teams mostly struggling on field.
    Revenue from this year's lucrative British and Irish Lions
tour and from hosting the 2027 World Cup may help put the sport
on a firmer financial footing.
    
($1 = 1.6316 Australian dollars)

 (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Christopher
Cushing)
 ((ian.ransom@thomsonreuters.com; Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/MyRansomNotes;
 +61 3 9286 1447;))