State of Origin returns to its Wednesday night time slot for all three games as part of an extended rights deal with Nine announced by the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) on Monday.
Gus Gould and the gang will be on your screens until the end of the 2027 season at least. The ARLC had previously extended deals with Fox Sports and Sky TV New Zealand, claiming a record rights deal for the sport over $400m per year.
Nine’s deal was due to end after the 2022 season but has now been extended from 2023-2027.
Nine has retained the exclusive live broadcast rights of the Grand Final and State of Origin series with all three Origin games will be played on Wednesday nights.
Nine will continue to broadcast a live Premiership game on Thursday and Friday nights as well as Sunday afternoons and a Saturday night game for the final five rounds before the commencement of the finals series.
ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys AM said the new deal was a strong outcome for fans, the game’s clubs, and players. He said the agreement would take advantage of Nine having multiple media platforms.
“Nine has been a loyal partner for 30 years and I’m delighted that that partnership will continue until at least 2027,” he said.
“The Commission has now secured increased commitments from all three broadcast partners until the end of the 2027 season. These long-term deals highlight the strength of our game and the confidence broadcasters have in investing in rugby league.
“Broadcast deals generate the largest revenue for our game and having all three broadcasters committed until 2027, at a record level for the game, provides long term financial certainty to invest and plan for the game’s future and the futures of our clubs.”
criag
Roar Rookie
And remember game-day directors.....when a player makes a break, the best camera angle is from above, like you're in the middle of the grandstand - not like you're a fly about to crawl up the guy's nose!
criag
Roar Rookie
What I'd like most from Channel 9 is a countdown clock to the start-time of each game - particularly State-of-Origin - so I don't have to watch their pre-game!
ThighSlappinBalls
Roar Rookie
Terrible commentary on 9 I am glad to have fox but I am even questioning having that if the scores in games are going to be like last year not enjoyable at all
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Does it have INDYCAR?
Adam
Roar Guru
Punch him in his face hopefully
Adam
Roar Guru
Yeah and they do have a daily MLB game, though I normally get 5 or so free a week with MLBtv
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Channel 9 is so bad it's a shame the showpiece games are handled by a team that have no idea what they are doing. I still cringe at Fatty's awkward exchange with a female league player from last year asking her how she would handle herself if she saw him in his prime
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Kayo is fantastic. Not only is the league coverage vastly superior you also get a bunch of other major sports NFL, NBA cricket and others. They also have classic league games if you want your footy fix over summer
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
“Guns Gould”? Has he been working out? - must be, his melon certainly gets bigger each year
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
great – another 5 years of having to listen to “wow……wow…………………..WOW!” and how “Penriff are dominating the game” (even though they are down by 27 points) – but that bias will now change to the Bulldogs. Vlandy clearly has no idea how bad Gould is behind the mike (he’s probably too busy watching the horsie races). Looks like another 5 years of watching NRL with the sound turned down & Pink Floyd pumped thru the stereo – that’s gotta be a good thing (apart from the GF & Origin where i amp it up a bit with some Metallica)
Son of Coco
Guest
Can't exactly imagine Canterbury are getting too many FTA games this year. You've got to be Souths, Roosters, Brisbane or vaguely competent.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Why have Peter V & Addo not announced Perth as the 18th Club in the NRL? If we have only 17 teams we will have a bye each week and they will probably keep the state of origin byes. An 18th team, surely Perth, would fix this anomaly and allow a 17 round competition with a fair draw. Five weekends, with three before SoO, we could play a Southern Hemisphere Cup with the 18 NRL teams and fourteen teams from the State Cups and Pacific Islands. Fair draws and more prize winners. Why not?
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Gus still running the game I see.
Adam
Roar Guru
Yeah there really are no other options when it's boiled down. It just pains me to listen to what passes as commentary while watching the game.
Phil
Roar Rookie
It's worth getting. After years of watching nine I'd had enough.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
promoting = showing ads
no one in particular
Roar Guru
There are only 3 options. Seven don't have much change left over after the AFL, Cricket and Olympics. Ten have bundles of cash, but it may have been that they were not happy with Fox showing the games at the same time (understandable if so). It really only left the status quo
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Trouble is Adam who else would take it . NRL have locked themselves into this situation and were stuck with it . Nothing changes and there's nothing to suggest it will change .
Ferret
Guest
I note part of the deal for both Ch 9 and Fox is to promote rugby league at all levels. Will be interesting to see if the journos and commentators stop being purely crisis merchants and talk about the game and not gossip.
Nat
Roar Guru
Sub to Kayo and dub the radio. Best of both worlds.