Rugby Australia has celebrated its new $240 million broadcasting agreement with Nine Entertainment Co., describing it as a "highly exciting and successful" result. However, they have noted that there’s no assurance Super Rugby Pacific will continue to air on free-to-air television after this season.
On Wednesday, both sides introduced a fresh five-year pact encompassing performance-driven bonus objectives. This arrangement has the potential to elevate the assured enhancement of the contract established in 2020 from a 30% to 40% rise, provided that the Wallabies and Super Rugby teams achieve their goals.
"it's truly thrilling, with an expected boost of over 40% above the present cycle. This includes the assured component, elements aimed at promoting the sport, and also the motivational bonuses within the partnership," stated Rugby Australia’s CEO, Phil Waugh.
Therefore, what we aim to achieve is delivering a product into the market that resonates with viewers and increases interaction not just among them but also with our broadcasters and broadcast collaborators. This has been an incredibly thrilling and fruitful result, undoubtedly beneficial for Rugby Australia, and we must enhance this benefit for Nine. Additionally, it’s rather distinctive due to the innovative bonus feature included.
In 2021, after serving as the launch partner for Nine’s Stan Sport streaming platform, rugby has remained one of the key attractions drawing subscribers. The service includes an extensive range of content—from Wallabies and Wallaroos test matches all the way to local games such as those in the Shute Shield [in Sydney] and the Hospital Cup [in Brisbane]. It also covers under-16 and -18 national championships along with various academy programs. Additionally, viewers have access to international rugby competitions at both the test match and regional levels, plus comprehensive coverage during the major test series held in July and November.
Nonetheless, the situation where Nine is no longer bound to broadcast one Super Rugby Pacific match weekly on free-to-air TV represents a drawback, especially considering that just this Tuesday, SRP CEO Jack Mesley disclosed a 30% rise in Nine’s viewer numbers compared to the previous year at the midpoint of the 2025 championship.
"Competing with each other, our aim is to deliver swift, dynamic, and thrilling rugby that captivates the audience's interest," Mesley stated.
This season is generating amazing on-pitch excitement each week with tightly contested and high-scoring games, stunning turnarounds, surprising outcomes, and underdog teams consistently breaking records."
The statistics from broadcasts and attendance at venues, combined with our increased interaction via Fantasy games and social platforms, indicate that we’re moving in the correct trajectory."
However, this "right direction" hasn’t convinced nine executives, or perhaps the media firm is under pressure from other sports partners, or maybe they aim to boost their Stan Sport subscriber numbers even more. After the announcement of the deal during the media event, Nine’s head honcho, Matt Stanton, chose not to face any queries.
When asked about the possible absence of Super Rugby Pacific broadcasts on Nine after 2025, Waugh stated: "We don’t have any contractual requirement in our current deal. Our focus is ensuring that we deliver an excellent game for viewers. We believe that our partnership with Nine is quite positive."
We remain highly optimistic about Nine’s progress towards better platform integration, and thus we must make sure that our offering is one both parties can be immensely proud of. We will collaborate closely with their management team to determine whether this content should be available on free-to-air or exclusively on Stan. Our main objective is to enhance the value for both Nine and Stan.
Waugh emphasized that for next year, one match per round from both the Shute Shield and Hospital Cup competitions will revert to free-to-air television; these games will be broadcast on Saturdays in New South Wales and Queensland.
When asked about RA’s shift from promising Super Rugby's return to free-to-air TV in the earlier agreement, Waugh further explained, “It comes down to striking a balance between value and visibility. We operate in a highly competitive landscape when it comes to retaining talented players. Therefore, making sure that both the financial aspects and overall worth support us in keeping our talents within the nation enables us to deliver a game that audiences here will enjoy watching and engaging with.”
So we’re finding the right equilibrium between providing value and increasing visibility, and I believe you would be quite familiar with the current trends in viewer numbers and content consumption. With most homes nationwide having access to streaming services, we don’t see this as a change in behavior.
Just thinking about getting the equilibrium correct among providing good value, delivering our top products into the market, and making sure that we maintain solid financials for a robust gaming experience.
In 2020, Nine was commonly seen as having landed an excellent deal when Rugby Australia found itself in a precarious position halfway through the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the governing body opted to part ways with their longtime partner, Foxtel.
However, even with the disappointing performance at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where the Australian team failed to advance beyond the group stages for the first time ever in tournament history, followed by the dismissal of Wallabies coach Dave Rennie and the subsequent issues surrounding Eddie Jones, the sport began to regain traction. This year’s encouraging statistics from Super Rugby Pacific, which reflect well-considered progress both within matches and behind the scenes, have added further impetus to rugby in Australia as they prepare for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour.
Although Waugh didn’t provide specifics about the target-oriented incentives, one major objective appears to be securing victory over the touring team mid-year. Additionally, another significant aim would presumably be breaking the long-standing Bledisloe Cup losing streak that dates back to 2003.
It’s an innovative idea, yet we recognize in our market—the highly competitive Australian market, arguably more cutthroat than anywhere else globally—that success and victories are crucial," Waugh stated regarding the incentives included in the agreement. "This holds true for us just as much within the realm of gaming; audience involvement counts too since viewers have access to numerous sporting events. It’s essential for us to perform well and secure wins because this will essentially boost the value for Nine.
The broadcasting agreement for 2026-2030, pending final approval from SANZAAR, encompasses:
• All international rugby fixtures for the Australian national team against Wallabies and Wallaroos up until 2030, excluding those occurring during the Rugby World Cup •
• Every game from both the Super Rugby Pacific league and the Super Rugby Women’s competition
• All SANZAAR tests along with the newly established Nations Cup competition (upon official confirmation)
• All Shute Shield and Hospital Cup games will remain at least until 2027