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Foxtel snatch back Saturday NRL, new channel to debut: report

26th November, 2015
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The Independent Commission appears to be ousting John Grant. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
26th November, 2015
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Reports have surfaced today that Foxtel have turned their NRL fortunes around by negotiating to acquire the Saturday night NRL fixture from Channel Nine, and that a new dedicated NRL channel will debut in 2017.

It marks a stunning turnaround for the code, which only a matter of a months ago was thought to be struggling in negotiations with Foxtel and News Corp.

Words from News chairman Rupert Murdoch only fuelled the fire, as he sought to pump up the National Rugby League’s main competitor, Australian Rules, after the announcement of a $2.5 billion broadcast rights deal.

“We’ve always believed this (AFL) is the premium code in Australia – it’s the national game,” Murdoch told reporters at the time.

“We believe in the strength of the game and we will do everything we can to make it stronger.”

After the NRL announced their $925 million deal with Channel Nine, many believed the move had ostracised News and Murdoch, and were dubious as to whether a deal could be salvaged, with talk of beIN Sport and Optus also circling the sports broadcast rights market.

It was touted as one of the key reasons CEO David Smith left his post a month ago.

But the latest from Max Mason at Fairfax is that the NRL board are currently meeting to sign off on transferring the Saturday game back to exclusive broadcast on Foxtel.

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Under the deal, streaming partners Nine and Telstra, as well as Foxtel, will share simulcasting rights for all matches on their various platforms, and Foxtel will start a new NRL channel for the 2017/18 seasons.

Overall, the TV deal for the NRL is shaping to be valued at $1.8 billion, including digital and pay TV rights, which is a jump of $100 million from earlier estimates this year.

With as much as $200,000 to be gained in sponsorship, it could push the overall value of the deal to more than $2 billion over five years.

Both Fairfax and The Australian are reporting that the deal could be signed off and announced as soon as today.

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