Cashed-up and cock-a-hoop, there’s one big winner from the NRL deal (and it’s not Kayo subscribers)

July 7, 2026 — 6:00pm

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After all the bluff and bluster, all the talk of new streaming giants threatening to shake things up, and all those doubts about whether Peter V’landys could walk the talk, negotiations over a new mega NRL rights deal landed where they were likely always going to: the status quo.

That doesn’t mean the mammoth agreement between the NRL and broadcasters Nine and Foxtel is boring. Far from it. The $5.3 billion, seven-year deal unveiled on Tuesday has serious ramifications for the code, its players and fans.

Nine will pay $145 million in cash each year, offset by $10 million in promised advertising spend by the NRL. In return, Nine, the owner of this masthead, gets to broadcast up to three games each week, and retains exclusive rights to the crucial State of Origin and grand final.

By contrast, Foxtel will stump up about $520 million per year – roughly double its current deal. Nine’s $145 million contribution is only 25 per cent more than its current outlay.

Given that sharp difference, there was a weird vibe at Tuesday’s deal signing. Foxtel boss Patrick Delany, who is coughing up a fortune and has a huge job ahead in bringing in enough subscriber revenue to justify it, was beaming as he hugged NRL executive chairman Peter V’landys.

Nine chief executive officer Matt Stanton looked less enthusiastic. It didn’t help that V’landys initially mispronounced his........

© Brisbane Times