The Nine Network has unleashed a stunning attack on the National Rugby League, accusing the governing body of “mismanaging the game for years”. The comments come as the NRL battles for survival amid the COVID-19 outbreak, which has temporarily halted the competition. With the initial outbreak coinciding with the start of the 2020 season, the NRL appeared desperate to continue to play for as long as possible, to ensure it honoured the broadcast agreement is has with Nine, Foxtel and Telstra,...

News Corp has warned the COVID-19 outbreak has “created significant volatility, uncertainty and economic disruption” for the media conglomerate. In a statement issued to the US Securities Exchange Commission, News Corp outlined how the disease and relevant safety protocols has impacted the business so far. The global halt of live sport has negatively impacted News’ sports streaming service Kayo, with economic uncertainty also believed to be harming the service. Additionally, the closure of...

Nine will meet with Foxtel to discuss a potential renegotiation of the existing NRL broadcast deal, as the code prepares for an ambitious May 28 relaunch date. As the deal stands now, Fox Sports has access to all eight games of the round, with Nine broadcasting Thursday and Friday night fixtures, as well as one game on Sunday. This means certain games appear live and exclusive on Fox Sports. But with News Corp having yesterday flagged “a material adverse impact on the Company’s business” from...

Channel Seven is reportedly looking to swoop in and steal the broadcast rights for the NRL in 2020, according to reports. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting Seven has reached out to the NRL about the possibility of broadcasting NRL matches, should Nine wish to relinquish one of its three live games. Whether or not Seven’s hopes to broadcast the NRL in 2020 comes to fruition rests heavily on today’s broadcast meeting between Nine boss Hugh Marks, Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany and ARLC chairman...

Social isolation has led to a sharp spike in video streaming around the world. According to data from software company Zuora, OTT video streaming subscriptions grew 7x in the month of March compared to the previous 12 months. At the same time, the annual subscription growth rate for sports services fell significantly as professional leagues around the world pressed pause. “These are telling figures,” said Zuora VP and GM of APAC region Iman Ghodosi. “As everyone around the world spends more...