Next TV deal discussion 2028 -

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

20 thousand Aussies, 10k Kiwis and 10k soap dodgers once a year isn't suddenly worth millions to TV

Fair point about 20k convicts.

10k English gentlemen and ladies might whet some appetites.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

In all likelihood the gap between the two deals is somewhere in the $120-130mill a year range from 2025-2027. No small change.

So with the fumbles having 8 more first grade players per squad over 17 teams and then add the 18th team 38 players, total 174, equivalent of about 6 NRL first grade squads, not to mention the same with the women plus the extra teams more than the NRLW (and the fumbles pay them more) all of a sudden that prob $100m difference isn`t so large.

 

[The_Wookie]

So with the fumbles having 8 more first grade players per squad over 17 teams and then add the 18th team 38 players, total 174, equivalent of about 6 NRL first grade squads, not to mention the same with the women plus the extra teams more than the NRLW (and the fumbles pay them more) all of a sudden that prob $100m difference isn`t so large.

The AFL already distributes less to the clubs than the NRL

 

[Iamback]

The AFL already distributes less to the clubs than the NRL

Yeah but they handle development for the extra teams. So the above still applies

 

[Perth Red]

So with the fumbles having 8 more first grade players per squad over 17 teams and then add the 18th team 38 players, total 174, equivalent of about 6 NRL first grade squads, not to mention the same with the women plus the extra teams more than the NRLW (and the fumbles pay them more) all of a sudden that prob $100m difference isn`t so large.

Not sure of your logic on this? In 2023 payments to clubs was:
NRL $360.8mill
AFL$393mill

Earning more money allows you to spend more on your core business, ie clubs, particiaption, marketing etc. They are not for profit companies and don't have shareholders to pay profit dividends to.