Rugby League
Red Bull signs wide-ranging NRL sponsorship
Having agreed a flurry of Premier League club sponsorships in the last month, Red Bull has turned its sights to Australia and signed an expansive new deal with National Rugby League
Making the grade: Super League’s fight to win hearts and minds
Super League will enter a new era in 2025, with a 'grading' system replacing promotion and relegation. The change won't be a panacea, but RL Commercial and IMG hope it will spark life into a competition in danger of losing relevance.
Deal ‘agreed’ for NRL’s new PNG franchise
Australia’s National Rugby League is set to expand into Papua New Guinea after the federal government reportedly finalised an agreement for a 10-year funding plan for a new franchise in the country.
NRL set for two more teams by new rights cycle
The National Rugby League will be confident of securing an uplift in broadcast and commercial revenues in the next cycle, after it emerged an 18th franchise spot has been awarded to Western Australia.
NRL’s Sharks needs new stadium sponsor amid tougher Australian betting rules
The Cronulla Sharks of Australia's National Rugby League is on the hunt for a new stadium naming-rights partner to replace sports betting company PointsBet, amid a country-wide clampdown on gambling advertising
NRL’s Dolphins cuts back Alternaleaf sponsorship over advertising breach
The Dolphins National Rugby League team has been forced to downgrade its sponsorship agreement with medicinal cannabis sponsor Alternaleaf over breaches of Australian advertising laws,
NRL’s Rabbitohs and Bulldogs extend betting sponsors block
Two Australian National Rugby League teams, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs, have agreed to extend a block on betting sponsorship for a further three years.
Dolphins marks Australian first with medicinal cannabis shirt sponsor
National Rugby League (NRL) team The Dolphins has become the first sports team in Australia to have a medicinal cannabis sponsor in Alternaleaf.
NRL ready to close gap on AFL in next rights deal after record 2023 revenues
Australasia's National Rugby League will find itself in its strongest-ever financial position when it comes to negotiate its next domestic media-rights deal, after reporting record revenues topping A$700m (€424m/$458m).
RLC claims record global broadcast footprint for Super League
English rugby league's top-tier Super League is to receive its largest ever international exposure for the forthcoming 2024 season through the addition of six broadcast agreements.
BBC to show live Super League matches in landmark three-year deal
Super League, the top tier of rugby league in the UK, will receive live coverage on the BBC for the first time after the public-service broadcaster struck a new three-year deal with Rugby League Commercial, the league’s commercial rights-holder.
Rugby League Commercial unites with Endeavor Streaming for SuperLeague+
Rugby League Commercial (RLC), the joint venture between Super League and the Rugby Football League (RFL) that acts as commercial rights-holder, has unveiled a new global, direct-to-consumer streaming service for the sport’s top division in the UK.
AFL, NRL net strong Finals audiences but Matildas still lead the way
Two of Australian sport's annual showpiece events drew bumper television audiences over the weekend, but neither the Australian Football League nor the National Rugby League Grand Finals could supplant…
Super League sticks with Sky after protracted domestic rights process
Super League, the top tier of rugby league in the UK, is close to striking an exclusive pay-television rights deal with Sky in its domestic market for a further three years, closing the book on a sales process in which the league explored every possible option to secure a better offer.
NRL locks in four teams for historic double-header in Las Vegas
The National Rugby League (NRL) has detailed plans to start its 2024 campaign in Las Vegas, in what will mark the first regular-season games held outside of Australia and New Zealand.
Southern Hemisphere to stage next RLWC amid change for international rugby league
International Rugby League (IRL) has announced that the next edition of the Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) will take place in the Southern Hemisphere in 2026, with wide-ranging reforms detailed, including the sport’s first formal international calendar, in the wake of France dropping hosting rights to the 2025 RLWC.
ARLC strikes another short-term deal for NRL Grand Finals to remain in Sydney
The Australian Rugby League Commission and New South Wales Government have agreed a fresh one-year deal for this season’s NRL and NRLW Premiership Grand Finals to remain at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, with the long-term home of the events remaining uncertain.
Nine commits to blanket coverage of NRLW
Australian commercial free-to-air broadcaster Nine has ramped up its commitment to the National Women's Rugby League by announcing it will make all 48 games from the expanded 2023 season available live…