Next TV deal discussion 2028 -

[Wb1234]

Foxtel owner’s French crisis on NRL’s radar as it kicks off broadcast bidding war

UK-based sports streamer DAZN, which took control of Foxtel this month, is locked in a dispute with France’s top-flight football league, and the NRL is watching.

www.smh.com.au

Does anybody have the text for this article.

The NRL is keeping a close eye on a breakdown in relations between pay TV provider Foxtel’s new owner – DAZN – and France’s top football competition as it gets ready to seek its own multibillion-dollar broadcast rights deal.

DAZN, which took control of Foxtel this month, is locked in a dispute with France’s top-flight football league after a majority of clubs voted to prematurely terminate the league’s broadcast contract with the UK-based sports streamer.

The stoush is being closely watched by top NRL executives, a senior NRL source with direct knowledge of the matter, who did not wish to comment on the record, said.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo (left) and Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo (left) and Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys.CREDIT: DEAN SEWELL
The NRL will now take its next rights package to market, Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’Landys confirmed on Sunday, after approving last week an expansion bid in principle to include an 18th team, in Perth.

While the dispute between DAZN and France’s premier football league does not directly affect Foxtel, it has put the NRL on notice as it looks to vastly increase the value of its own media rights deal this year to apply from 2028 onwards.

The NRL’s top executives, V’Landys and league chief executive Andrew Abdo have sought to position the NRL as the larger and more valuable competition compared with the AFL.

It took representatives from several Australian media companies, including Nine, News Corp and Seven, to its season launch in Las Vegas in March.

The Panthers celebrate in Las Vegas in March.
The Panthers celebrate in Las Vegas in March.CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
The AFL’s contract, renegotiated in 2022 with Foxtel and Seven, is much more lucrative than the NRL’s. However, V’Landys has been upfront about seeking to bridge the revenue gap.
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V’Landys and Abdo have said they expect the world’s largest streamers to show interest in the rights, arguing they control the most valuable product in the market, in the hope of promoting a cross-market bidding war.

This masthead does not suggest Foxtel is considering a review of its current contracts with the NRL, AFL or any other sporting body.

Current NRL rights holders Foxtel and Nine are expected to be the key players in the next set of negotiations. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, two of the largest streamers in the market are not considering a bid, a source with knowledge of the process but not authorised to speak publicly said. Netflix and Amazon declined to comment.

While Foxtel remains a profitable business, its new parent company has faced scrutiny over its financial sustainability following several years of successive losses as it continues to expand globally. It posted a loss of close to $2.5 billion in 2023.

DAZN’s majority owner, Sir Leonard Blavatnik, has invested more than $10 billion in the business over the past decade. The Saudi Public Investment Fund’s SURJ Sports Investment took a minority stake in DAZN this year.

DAZN is backed by British-Ukrainian billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik.
DAZN is backed by British-Ukrainian billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik.CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
Ligue 1 is one of Europe’s largest domestic competitions and includes the likes of Paris Saint Germain and Olympique Marseille.

The €1.6 billion ($2.84 billion) rights agreement between it and DAZN is in doubt less than a year into the four-year deal.

DAZN has alleged the league fraudulently misrepresented the value of the competition in its negotiations, claiming its losses have so far amounted to €200 million to €300 million. It said it would not respect the contract because of the losses and the league’s failure to bring in subscribers, according to The Financial Times.

Four months of discussion and six weeks of mediation failed to bridge the gap between the outcomes the two parties sought, a DAZN spokesperson said.

“It has therefore not been possible – at this stage – to reach an agreement for an amicable resolution of the situation,” they said.

The NRL would not agree to subscriber or revenue targets with any potential broadcast partner as part of its next contract, this masthead was told.

 

[Wb1234]

Foxtels profitability would evaporate with the new afl tv deal and losing the nrl tv rights

 

[Perth Red]

DAZN's got a pretty poor rep in Europe by all accounts. A lot of SL fans have commented on how they hope SL never goes over to them.

DAZN charge equiv of $70 in France for their sports streaming service compared to $40 for premium Kayo
$53 for basic DAZN compared to $25 for Kayo.

 

[Canard]

They are not loved by Americans either.

 

[Wb1234]

DAZN's got a pretty poor rep in Europe by all accounts. A lot of SL fans have commented on how they hope SL never goes over to them.

DAZN charge equiv of $70 in France for their sports streaming service compared to $40 for premium Kayo
$53 for basic DAZN compared to $25 for Kayo.

France has like 70 million ppl though so the price of pay tv will reflect it

The fact they aren’t making for top level soccer and withholding money is a concern

Maybe if Stan get the nrl rights and Dazn defaults on the af they would have nowhere else to go

 

[Perth Red]

France has like 70 million ppl though so the price of pay tv will reflect it

The fact they aren’t making for top level soccer and withholding money is a concern

Maybe if Stan get the nrl rights and Dazn defaults on the af they would have nowhere else to go

Uk has 68million and sky sports is $45 a month. seems dazn is pricing itself out of the market, still easier to blame French football I suppose.

 

[The_Wookie]

Foxtel owner’s French crisis on NRL’s radar as it kicks off broadcast bidding war

UK-based sports streamer DAZN, which took control of Foxtel this month, is locked in a dispute with France’s top-flight football league, and the NRL is watching.

www.smh.com.au

Does anybody have the text for this article.

Foxtel owner’s French crisis on NRL’s radar as it kicks off broadcast bidding war
Calum Jaspan
April 28, 2025 — 5.00pm

The NRL is keeping a close eye on a breakdown in relations between pay TV provider Foxtel’s new owner – DAZN – and France’s top football competition as it gets ready to seek its own multibillion-dollar broadcast rights deal.

DAZN, which took control of Foxtel this month, is locked in a dispute with France’s top-flight football league after a majority of clubs voted to prematurely terminate the league’s broadcast contract with the UK-based sports streamer.

The stoush is being closely watched by top NRL executives, a senior NRL source with direct knowledge of the matter, who did not wish to comment on the record, said.

The NRL will now take its next rights package to market, Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’Landys confirmed on Sunday, after approving last week an expansion bid in principle to include an 18th team, in Perth.

While the dispute between DAZN and France’s premier football league does not directly affect Foxtel, it has put the NRL on notice as it looks to vastly increase the value of its own media rights deal this year to apply from 2028 onwards.

The NRL’s top executives, V’Landys and league chief executive Andrew Abdo have sought to position the NRL as the larger and more valuable competition compared with the AFL.

It took representatives from several Australian media companies, including Nine, News Corp and Seven, to its season launch in Las Vegas in March.

The AFL’s contract, renegotiated in 2022 with Foxtel and Seven, is much more lucrative than the NRL’s. However, V’Landys has been upfront about seeking to bridge the revenue gap.

V’Landys and Abdo have said they expect the world’s largest streamers to show interest in the rights, arguing they control the most valuable product in the market, in the hope of promoting a cross-market bidding war.

This masthead does not suggest Foxtel is considering a review of its current contracts with the NRL, AFL or any other sporting body.

Current NRL rights holders Foxtel and Nine are expected to be the key players in the next set of negotiations. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, two of the largest streamers in the market are not considering a bid, a source with knowledge of the process but not authorised to speak publicly said. Netflix and Amazon declined to comment.

While Foxtel remains a profitable business, its new parent company has faced scrutiny over its financial sustainability following several years of successive losses as it continues to expand globally. It posted a loss of close to $2.5 billion in 2023.

DAZN’s majority owner, Sir Leonard Blavatnik, has invested more than $10 billion in the business over the past decade. The Saudi Public Investment Fund’s SURJ Sports Investment took a minority stake in DAZN this year.


Ligue 1 is one of Europe’s largest domestic competitions and includes the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille.

The €1.6 billion ($2.84 billion) rights agreement between it and DAZN is in doubt less than a year into the four-year deal.

DAZN has alleged the league fraudulently misrepresented the value of the competition in its negotiations, claiming its losses have so far amounted to €200 million to €300 million. It said it would not respect the contract because of the losses and the league’s failure to bring in subscribers, according to The Financial Times.

Four months of discussion and six weeks of mediation failed to bridge the gap between the outcomes the two parties sought, a DAZN spokesperson said.

“It has therefore not been possible – at this stage – to reach an agreement for an amicable resolution of the situation,” they said.

The NRL would not agree to subscriber or revenue targets with any potential broadcast partner as part of its next contract, this masthead was told.

 

[Wb1234]

The two reasons why the NRL is looking into a takeover of the Super League
By Michael Chammas
April 29, 2025 — 7.33pm
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There has been plenty of talk over the past couple of months about the future of the Super League and where the NRL fits into that.

The speculation intensified on Monday night with the news Sydney Roosters supremo Nick Politis has been on the phone to powerful figures in Australia and the UK about the prospect of buying Salford and rebranding them as the Manchester Roosters.

It’s great for the international game that suddenly people in the Southern Hemisphere have realised that rugby league exists beyond the Pacific, but will all this talk result in anything substantial?

At this stage, probably not.

So why is the NRL entertaining this idea of buying into the Super League, prompting a billionaire NRL club boss to consider the potential purchase of a club like Salford Red Devils?

There are two things the NRL sees in any potential buy-in or takeover of the Super League.

Super League fans outside of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Super League fans outside of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas earlier this year.CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
The first is an opportunity to ensure the future of the sport in England because it is paramount to the international success of the game to have a strong presence outside the Pacific.

If the NRL leaves the game to its own devices, there is a genuine fear that the game will continue to lose relevance to the point of no return. That severely impacts the NRL’s long-held desire to become relevant on a global stage.
The recent success of ticket sales for the upcoming Ashes Tour in England – selling out both the new Everton Stadium and Headingley, and with strong sales for the opening game at Wembley – has only heightened the NRL’s enthusiasm.

There’s a belief that the ticket sales for the tournament, which saw more than 60,000 tickets sold on the opening day, speak to a dormant rugby league fan base ready to be activated under the right governance structure and leadership.

The Kangaroos celebrate their World Cup triumph in Manchester in 2022.
The Kangaroos celebrate their World Cup triumph in Manchester in 2022.CREDIT: GETTY
The second thing the NRL sees is the capacity to package up the sport and sell it to international broadcasters, increasing the revenue in the sport substantially.

The last Super League broadcast deal suffered an almost 50 per cent reduction in value. The underbidder in negotiations with Sky Sports was DAZN, who recently purchased Foxtel off News Corp.

DAZN are getting ready to enter the market in Australia, and the NRL sees them as a major player in negotiations. The NRL could have more to offer the international streaming giants if it has a product to sell off in Europe, where DAZN already has a significant audience.

One option that has been discussed is the possibility of shifting the Super League back to a European winter - providing the NRL with a year-round product to provide broadcasters and a feeder system for player talent between the two competitions.

NRL bosses Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys.
NRL bosses Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys.CREDIT: NICK MOIR
The reason it was moved to a summer competition was to avoid lengthy periods of competition with the English Premier League. While the NRL can see merit in the change, they understand such a move will be met with resistance and are unlikely to pursue it.

With the Super League competition and its clubs on their knees financially, NRL bosses agreed to a secret meeting with Wigan owner Mike Danson and Warrington owner Simon Moran in Las Vegas at the start of the season.

The wealthy owners want the NRL to rescue the competition, and are speaking to all Super League clubs before submitting a formal proposal to NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys.

The NRL has made it clear that it will not approach the Super League to buy a stake in the competition, but would be open to striking a deal if the clubs are keen for the NRL to take over the running of the game.

South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly.
South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly.CREDIT: NICK MOIR
The conversation was a result of previous meetings between the NRL and South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly and Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson, who have been working behind the scenes to give the NRL a better picture of the landscape.

The NRL sought the views of the influential duo given their time working in the Super League.

While Richardson’s blueprint involves a 10-team competition (eight teams from England and two teams from France), the NRL is open to exploring all options and is not wedded to the idea put forward by the Tigers boss, who is currently in the US on annual leave.

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Solly, who previously worked as the general manager of the Super League, said there was a rare opportunity for the game to align itself for the greater good of the sport.

“It makes sense for the two competitions to be more aligned and working together,” Solly said. “The management and ownership of the clubs at the moment has never been better or stronger resourced, and I think a strong NRL competition, a strong Super League competition and a strong international game is a really compelling commercial offering to broadcasters and sponsors.

“I think if the NRL does get management control of the competition, a lot of NRL clubs will look at ways in which they can work closely with Super League clubs. That might mean official partnerships, equity investments or even ownership. The first part of that conversation has to be the NRL taking control. Clearly, there’s a huge opportunity for rugby league in the UK based on the success of the Ashes Tour ticket sales.”

The NRL has no desire to invest capital in a project that is doomed to fail.

It already has enough on its plate with expansion into Perth and Papua New Guinea to become a player in a civil war that presently seems more likely to wipe out all parties involved than end with a ceasefire.

Part of the problem is that the lower-tier teams have the same rights as the more prominent clubs. Solly believes it’s time that changed, and the NRL’s appetite to rescue the sport is the catalyst to making that happen.

“There’s always tension in the game over there between the Super League clubs and lower divisions,” Solly said.

“The best way the NRL can avoid that is by largely focusing its energies into the Super League. That will allow the Rugby Football League to focus its attention on where it’s best, which is the grassroots, the pathways of the game and a strong England international program.

“The commercial engine for rugby league in the UK is Super League. The stronger that is, the more money there is to be invested into the pathways, participation and the England national team.”

Nrl might push to have super league back in winter to offer broadcasters a year round product (article says it’s unlikely)

Didn’t realise Dazn were the underbidders of the last tv deal

Also brings back the possibility of genuine old school ashes tours and also for Aussie players to play half a season in England like they did in the old days which will also strengthen their league and gives players a nice bonus financially

 

[Perth Red]

Haha winter rugby is never returning!

 

[BuffaloRules]

Haha winter rugby is never returning!

Something needs to change…. But it’s starting to look like nothing will over there …how long before the game is an amateur irrelevance in the UK?

 

[Wb1234]

Something needs to change…. But it’s starting to look like nothing will over there …how long before the game is an amateur irrelevance in the UK?

Things are going ok outside of Salford and huddersfield

Just need the tv deal to go back up and they will be fine

 

[BuffaloRules]

Things are going ok outside of Salford and huddersfield

Just need the tv deal to go back up and they will be fine

With respect mate ..the TV deal is the issue …its peanuts

 

[Perth Red]

With respect mate ..the TV deal is the issue …its peanuts

Its not like SL hasnt been here before. Pretty much every tv deal has been in this range except one. Problem has always been clubs wanting to spend more than they earn. That's been happening as long as I have followed the game in UK (45 years) and no doubt before that.


On top of the $21.5 PTV is FTA and revenue from SL+ streaming service

Rugby codes: Tackling the fall in media rights value - Sportcal

UK media rights values have failed to reach pre-pandemic levels for rugby competitions in recent years.

www.sportcal.com

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Its not like SL hasnt been here before. Pretty much every tv deal has been in this range except one. Problem has always been clubs wanting to spend more than they earn. That's been happening as long as I have followed the game in UK (45 years) and no doubt before that.

View attachment 101600
On top of the $21.5 PTV is FTA and revenue from SL+ streaming service

Rugby codes: Tackling the fall in media rights value - Sportcal

UK media rights values have failed to reach pre-pandemic levels for rugby competitions in recent years.

www.sportcal.com

The thing that strikes me about Super League is that despite the pitiful broadcast deal they still manage to have marquee and other top players on very good money. I figure they must do a very good job raising funds through other means, something perhaps they could teach us a thing or two about.

 

[Perth Red]

The thing that strikes me about Super League is that despite the pitiful broadcast deal they still manage to have marquee and other top players on very good money. I figure they must do a very good job raising funds through other means, something perhaps they could teach us a thing or two about.

Not really, the top players will be on around $600-800k compared to $1.2mill+ in NRL. SL's cap (without 3 marquee allowances) is only $4.3million. SL clubs are where NRl clubs were a few years ago when LC's used to top up the shortfall, in Sl its rich owners covering the gap.

 

[Wb1234]

Not really, the top players will be on around $600-800k compared to $1.2mill+ in NRL. SL's cap (without 3 marquee allowances) is only $4.3million. SL clubs are where NRl clubs were a few years ago when LC's used to top up the shortfall, in Sl its rich owners covering the gap.

What every Sky Sports deal for Super League coverage has been worth since 1996 – Total Rugby League

www.totalrl.com

The current tv deal is on par with the 1996 tv deal

There’s a huge gap between the salary cap and what clubs receive as a central distribution

That gap was eliminated in the nrl around 10 years ago

Club losses have skyrocketed post COVID and tv reduction with the bigger clubs losing multiple million pounds pa

I doubt any current super league club is profitable

If the tv deal went back to 40 million then that would allow clubs to be ok financially

Edit Leigh Wakey and hudds show profits

 

[Wb1234]

The thing that strikes me about Super League is that despite the pitiful broadcast deal they still manage to have marquee and other top players on very good money. I figure they must do a very good job raising funds through other means, something perhaps they could teach us a thing or two about.

Nah it’s just rich owners

Clubs lose up to 2 to 3 million pounds pa and many own their own grounds and are still basketcases financially

Leeds Warrington st Helen’s and hudds all own their own ground and lose million pa

Super League financial losses revealed in club-by-club breakdown

Super League clubs are losing more money than ever before - something which is amplified by the latest set of financial results across the league.

www.loverugbyleague.com

A list of club finances

Why are the bigger clubs showing large losses whilst the smaller clubs show profits or small losses ? Not spending full cap

Wonder how Wakey are showing a profit that’s an eye opener

 

[BuffaloRules]

I was hoping that DAZN might have been leveraged by the NRL as part of the next deal to put some more money into the ESL rights … but with what’s happening with the French soccer they are looking very ropey…

Interesting times ahead …it looks like the NRL possible involvement in the ESL is starting to be talked down in the media … I think the NRL needs to be cautious putting their own money in

 

[Canard]

I was hoping that DAZN might have been leveraged by the NRL as part of the next deal to put some more money into the ESL rights … but with what’s happening with the French soccer they are looking very ropey…

Interesting times ahead …it looks like the NRL possible involvement in the ESL is starting to be talked down in the media … I think the NRL needs to be cautious putting their own money in

It would be a huge money pit, so clubs are going to baulk hard at it.

 

[Perth Red]

What every Sky Sports deal for Super League coverage has been worth since 1996 – Total Rugby League

www.totalrl.com

The current tv deal is on par with the 1996 tv deal

There’s a huge gap between the salary cap and what clubs receive as a central distribution

That gap was eliminated in the nrl around 10 years ago

Club losses have skyrocketed post COVID and tv reduction with the bigger clubs losing multiple million pounds pa

I doubt any current super league club is profitable

If the tv deal went back to 40 million then that would allow clubs to be ok financially

Edit Leigh Wakey and hudds show profits

1996 was the Sl deal when News ltd bought the game. Hardly a comparable time.

The cap to grant gap is about 800k pounds ($1.7mill) (minus marquee payments)

They wont be if they keep spending more than they earn.

It would be but it wont just magically double. Im not even sure why it jumped to 40mill in 2017 given the size of other deals before and since. Cant think of anything special leading in to 2017 unless there was some competition for the rights back then?