Rugby Australia has not struck a new broadcast deal with its local partner, Nine.
Rugby and media sources familiar with the talks, who spoke anonymously because they are confidential, said Nine offered just $29 million per annum for a new deal, which includes the 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour as well as men’s World Cup and women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2029 respectively. Waugh and Nine declined to comment on the discussions.
That figure is similar to what was offered under the previous deal signed with Nine and streaming service Stan in November 2020. Rugby Australia is obliged to exclusively negotiate with Nine until the end of next year, but a failure to strike an early deal caused a major issue.
Interesting details in this wider Rugby Australia AFR piece today.
It had been reported Nine had renewed through to the end of 2025 although this piece indicates not (not saying it’s necessarily right/wrong), also indicates that RA would have the rights to 2027 and 2029 men’s and women’s World Cups to onsell themselves. Not necessarily incorrect (World Rugby may have given them to Rugby Australia when they awarded the hosting rights) but hard to know what the truth in this piece is.
The upcoming Rugby Australia broadcast rights was discussed at the top of 3AW’s Wide World of Sports last night, in which Sam McClure talked to The Roar website’s rugby union editor Christy Doran. Doran did mention the $29 million figure and Harvey Norman’s decision not to renew its sponsorship of Super Rugby Pacific. He said that Nine and Stan actually devalued what is worth of the current deal by only paying $29 million a year, and Super Rugby received little exposure on FTA TV.
Seems odd that Nine would sign a new deal and no one makes any real noise about it (even if its a one-liner), so you’d have to think there could be some truth to the AFR article.
The assumption seems to be that Nine had secured an extension.
And I think this was part of Fox’s strategy - ditch sports that they weren’t all that interested in spending big money on (in order to chase sports they were interested in) on the thinking that there is a good chance that some will come back seeking a deal with Fox (but on more amenable terms to Fox)
This kind of all adds up, in the Murdoch press over the last 3mths it’s been about the admin of the sport, the chairman, the CEO, writing the game down, classic Murdoch.
Enable enough negativity, so the sport cuts and runs from the top people, than have a few fluff articles about potential new CEO etc, which just happen to be already sucking on the tit of Murdoch.
They are installed, than boom the rights end up on Fox.
Will Nine/Stan run from Union to save them money for League when the rights come up? $30m isn’t much of a savings when league could be upwards of $1.4b
If Stan lose this, what really happens to their sports arm, they would have lost Motorsport, Rugby, and be left with Tennis.
I think this is a bit off base. The sport has been a basket case on and off the field this year (at least with the Wallabies. In fact, worldwide their issues have been well canvassed.
Fox will have to partner with 7 if they want the rugby rights back. 7 could air one Super Rugby game a week on FTA TV on its multichannels and Wallabies on the main channel
9/Stan has the rights to the Olympics and I don’t see them letting this go.
