'SUPER Sunday'' could become a reality in rugby league's next broadcasting contract, with four games across three time zones in two countries over a six-hour period.
The success of last Sunday night's Storm versus Rabbitohs match on pay TV, together with the possible introduction of a Perth team during the life of the forthcoming TV rights deal, could result in wall-to-wall football on the traditional day of rest.
Free-to-air TV hates the idea of Sunday night games, given it is traditionally a big ratings night for the networks - particularly for incumbent rights holder Channel Nine with its flagship show,
60 Minutes.
However, Fox Sports' Storm versus Rabbitohs match was pay TV's most watched program on Sunday, drawing 279,500 viewers.
A super Sunday would be dependent on adding two additional teams - including Perth - and creating a ninth game.
It would mean a game in New Zealand shown at noon on the Australian eastern seaboard and starting at 2pm in Auckland or Wellington; a 2pm game hosted by a NSW club or Melbourne; a 4pm match, as is the custom with Nine's Sunday coverage, finishing with a 6pm game from Perth where the local kick-off time would be 4pm. All four games would be live and back-to-back.
Like many inventions, the unique Sunday night game between the Storm and Rabbitohs came about by accident. When the round one draw was prepared, the game was scheduled for 5.30pm last Saturday. However, A-League team Melbourne Heart, which shares AAMI Stadium with the Storm, had already booked the ground.
The Heart were prepared to change their game to Friday night, provided Football Federation Australia agreed. After initially showing no objection to the change, FFA refused permission.
The Storm believe this followed pressure from Fox Sports, which holds the pay TV rights to the A-League and NRL.
Fox Sports and the NRL were then adamant the game be played on Monday night, following the recent Eels versus Warriors match.
However, the Storm objected to a double-header with a midnight finish in the dressing room. A 7pm Sunday night slot was negotiated.
The Storm understood a Fox Sports official declared: ''We tell the clubs when they play, not the other way round.'' But now Sunday night football is on the agenda in the new TV broadcast rights deal and it will be the ARL Commission telling Fox Sports when they televise games.
Should Perth enter the competition, it is almost certain another Queensland team would be added to create a ninth game.
Nine is believed to be supporting the introduction of a second Brisbane team in order to create more flexibility with programming opportunities in the fiercely parochial rugby league city.
Ratings for Nine's Sunday game have been soft because, with only three NRL clubs in Queensland, the network is often forced to show a game involving Sydney clubs.
Nine and Fox Sports are preparing their proposals to the ARL Commission for the renewal of their broadcast deals.
While Nine has conceded it must pay more to retain the free-to-air rights following interest from Channel Seven and Channel Ten, Fox Sports is seeking to lower expectations of a combined free-to-air and pay TV billion-dollar deal.
Fox Sports' new boss, Patrick Delany, and media rights negotiator Ian Frykberg have been visiting NRL clubs and while the feedback has been positive on Fox's need to develop a closer relationship, the clubs don't like the money talk.
Foxtel paid $658 million over five years for AFL in order to lift subscription rates in the southern and western states.
Fox Sports' rationale for not increasing significantly its $220 million over five years for almost the same number of NRL games is that Foxtel subscriptions in NSW and Queensland are already in line with their AFL expectations.
In other words, why pay more for what you already have?
However, one NRL club boss said: ''Fox Sports should ask the question the other way around … How many subscriptions will they lose if they don't have NRL?''
