Nine has threatened to walk away from the NRL, leaving the door open for Seven to secure free to air rights to the code.
Speaking at the Macquarie Australia Conference 2020 on Tuesday, Nine CEO Hugh Marks [feature image] indicated the network is willing to discontinue its long-standing relationship with the NRL.
“It’s not a given that NRL has to be part of our future,” he said. “It has to just pay its way like all of our content does, and if it doesn’t, well … again, we are less reliant on that as a revenue source.”
Marks’ comments are the latest barb in what is fast becoming a rocky relationship between the NRL and Nine.
Last month Nine released a stunning attack on the code, accusing it of “mismanaging the game for years” and wasting money on “a bloated head office”.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg departed his role shortly after the comments were made.
Nine and broadcast parter Foxtel have been in talks with the NRL in recent weeks, as the competition prepares to return.
It has been reported the broadcasters are pushing for a reduced fee, owing to the shortened season and games without crowds.
“At this point in time, we’ve agreed to nothing,” Marks said yesterday.
“There’s been no agreement yet on value, what the future rights might look like or for how long. These are things that still remain to be resolved.”
If Nine were to walk away from the NRL – whether that be this season or in the future – it would open up a number of options for rival broadcasters.
The Herald has reported Fox Sports is now eyeing off the coveted State of Origin and Grand Final fixtures, which Nine currently has exclusive live rights to.
Should Nine not be in the picture, Foxtel would have to find a FTA broadcaster to simulcast the matches with.
A pre-existing relationship between ARLC boss Peter V’landys and Seven West Media CEO James Warburton has some speculating the NRL could soon be heading to Seven.
Seven’s current financial woes and broadcast deal with the AFL would be an obstacle for such a deal to go ahead.
