23 June 2021
New Zealand Rugby League and NRL action will be live on Sky for many years to come. Today Sky confirmed an exciting partnership with NZRL and it’s so much more than a broadcast deal.
Sky will continue to bring sports fans every fantastic match of the NRL and State of Origin, and all the NZRL-run matches involving the Kiwis and the Kiwi Ferns. But it’s more than this.
Through this partnership, Sky have committed to working even more closely with the NRL and NZRL to grow the game of Rugby League in New Zealand.
Sky will promote and support wāhine toa, and do everything to engage with and develop the next generation of League fans and players from grassroots to high performance. Together there is a keen focus on the future of the game.
This digital partnership means together all entities can deliver great fan moments and experiences to all New Zealanders in ways that work for them.
Sky have also committed to making some important matches available free-to-access, to ensure as many Kiwis as possible can enjoy the wonderful game of Rugby League.
Andrew Abdo, NRL Chief Executive says: “This is an exciting deal for rugby league fans in New Zealand and highlights Sky’s ongoing commitment to growing our game. It ensures every Premiership and NRLW game will continue to be broadcast live, along with the Finals Series and State of Origin.
“Sky’s increased commitment for the duration of this deal will assist in expanding our reach in New Zealand including coverage of our emerging development competitions. There’s around 1 million Kiwis who follow rugby league and partnerships like this play a vital role in growing our fan base and ensuring even more coverage of the one of the world’s most entertaining and exciting competitions. We have some of the best athletes in the world and a growing number of those players are from New Zealand.
“This deal also highlights the importance of the New Zealand Warriors. Despite the Warriors not having played in Auckland for over a year, Sky were committed to not only extending their deal, but significantly broadening it.”
Greg Peters, NZRL CEO says: “Sky has been a long-term supporter of Rugby League for over 25 years now, and the nature of this renewed partnership enhances and deepens this to a new level.
“Against the backdrop of our current sponsorship agreement, coupled with added value over the next seven years, this enables us to support the game in ways we haven’t seen before, from grassroots to high performance.
“This kind of partnership signifies a new era and is a real milestone for Rugby League. Thank you to Sky Sport for sharing our vision and supporting us in such a significant capacity.”
More than 1.1 million[1] New Zealand fans have tuned into the NRL this year alone. In 2020, League lovers and occasional sport fans alike enjoyed 276 matches, across NRL, the Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns, State of Origin, the NSW and QLD Cups and the National Premiership Men’s and Women’s.
Sky, NZRL and the NRL will continue to support the game in New Zealand – together we can do great things.
[1] Source Nielsen TAM, 2021 Year To Date 22/06/21, AP5+ including Prime
