Some History of NSWRL/ARL/Superleague/NRL TV Rights
Work in progress, Ill add to this as I get time.
- 1952. The Australian RugbyLeague team refuses to allow the BBC to broadcasts its tour matches against England for fear of hurting gate attendances.
- 1969 -1970. Channel 9 has exclusive NRL rights.
- 1971. Seven offers $160,000 and Nine $150,000 for exclusive rights to the NSWRL season. The NSWRL refuses both bids, deciding to make them bid jointly hoping fr $200,000 – this backfired resulting in a bid of only $75,000.
- 1971. Commercial tv refused to direct broadcast the 1971 NWSRL Grand Final until 1972 negotiatians were done, so the rights were given to the ABC who showed it in NSW country areas – but were too busy to do so in Sydney and itself.
- 1972. Sydneys 4 tv stations offer $60,000 for the season.
- 1978. Seven retains its rights to show Sunday Rugby League, despite a $700,000 bid from Nine. The NSWRL also decided that in future broadcast contracts would not allow the replaying of controversial incidents.
- 1981. The Queensland Rugby League reports tv and radio income of $108,000
- 1984. Nine posts a record fee for rugby league rights, estimated at 1.5m over 3 years, beating bids from Seven and Ten.,
- 1989. Ten pays 48 million for a 3 year deal to broadcast the NSWRL competition.
- 1990. Nine took this over to pay 6.5m p.a. for 3 years for both Origin and the NSWRL – selling back the NSWRL to Ten for 4m a year. (International Sports Economics Comparisons, Fizel pg 111)
- 1990. Ten fails to make its payments for League rights, which are then given to Nine. Test matches were on 7 and the ABC showed the match of the day,
- 1991. Capital Television in the ACT ceases to broadcast league, rights picked up by WIN.
- 1992. The ABC opts to take another year for its match of the day.
- 1993. Nine signs a 7 year, 10 million p.a deal for the NSWRL including Friday nights, Sunday afternoons, Challenge Cup, Commonwealth Bank Cup and all representative matches. This includes Pay TV rights.
- 1993. NZ TV3 takes legal action against the NSWRL for not providing a highlights program.
- 1995. Federal court is told of a “keep off the grass” arrangement between tv networks enabling Nine to get the 1994-2000 ARL rights almost unimpeded, and for less than they might otherwise have paid.
