Netflix and footy: NRL TV rights go up for sale as streaming giants pounce

For decades, the NRL and Channel Nine have had a tight-knit relationship. Dating back over 30 years, many viewers don't know any different than footy on Nine.

However, with Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman Peter V'landys confirming the potential sale of its multi-billion dollar rights, we may be catching the 2027 grand final on Netflix.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, V'landys discussed the potential sale, as he looks to secure the deal by the midpoint of this year.

“We will be negotiating the rights this year,” he admitted. “They don't start until 2027 but you need to give yourself a couple of years' lead time”.

The last time V'landys negotiated a deal for the NRL's TV rights was in 2020 when he had reportedly struck a $1.7 billion deal with Channel Nine and Foxtel. That monster deal is set to expire by 2027, and the broadcasting landscape has changed drastically since then.

With AFL signing a reported $4.5 billion deal in 2022 for seven years and Netflix paying $240 million to stream the Christmas Day NFL clashes, it's no wonder V'landys is eager to get a deal done.

Couple the league's recent expansions with the annual Vegas events, the NRL is set to receive interest from across the globe.

“We have got the most valuable rights in Australian sport. Last year we were the most viewed sport in Australia,” V'Landys said.

The ARLC commissioner is confident in the product he is producing, admitting the NRL has a clear advantage in negotiations.

“The way free-to-air TV is going – sport, reality TV and news is their whole ball game. They are not competing for the other content anymore.”

On what program the NRL will be broadcast after this deal concludes is anyone's guess, but with the sport getting more popular every year, there will be no shortage of suitors.