It’s game on in media players’ brutal battle for the NRL

June 2, 2026 — 4:23pm

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Last week’s NRL State of Origin series opener broke the proverbial broadcasting box office for the Nine Network. In an increasingly crowded subscription media market and a structurally declining free-to-air TV industry, having the rights to the NRL games can be a company maker or breaker.

The bidding has now started for the next round of broadcasting rights, with the NRL ambitious to score more than $4 billion for a five-year contract kicking off in 2028. It’s game on!

Rugby league is considered the world’s most brutal and gladiatorial mainstream football code. No surprise, then, that negotiation with the NRL’s supremo Peter V’landys for the industry’s television and subscription rights is a strategically brutal match for media companies, and every bit as risky.

The lead-up to what will likely be the largest sport broadcasting auction in Australia feels like a pre-game video of players limbering up in the sheds with sprints, ball tosses and tackle pad ramming.

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