Welcome to the Home of League, Sky. A message from Sophie Moloney, Sky CEO. - Sky

Welcome to the Home of League, Sky. A message from Sophie Moloney, Sky CEO

•    Sky announces a long-term partnership with the NRL and New Zealand Rugby League through to the end of 2027
•    More than a broadcast deal, it’s a partnership with a focus on nurturing and growing the game at all levels, and delivering great experiences to New Zealand fans in ways that work for them

We have some great news.

The NRL and New Zealand Rugby League action will be live on Sky for many years to come.  Today we confirmed an exciting partnership with the NRL and NZRL and it’s so much more than a broadcast deal.  

Yes, we’ll 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 our partnership we have committed to working even more closely with NRL and NZRL to grow the game of Rugby League in New Zealand, like the roadshow we have on this weekend in Christchurch with the Vodafone Warriors and NZRL. 

We’ll promote and support our wāhine toa, and we’ll do everything we can to engage with and develop the next generation of League fans and players from grassroots to high performance. Together we have a keen focus on the future of the game.  

Our digital partnership with NRL and NZRL means together we’ll deliver great fan moments and experiences to all New Zealanders in ways that work for them.  Look out for some cool new initiatives embracing digital opportunities to spin the wheels of young Kiwis who live in the digital world.

There’s so much more to come with fan experiences too, with some exciting ideas in the wings to help our sport partners bring stadia and sports grounds alive.  We’re looking forward to sharing more soon.

We also commit to making some important matches available free-to-access. That way we can ensure as many Kiwis as possible can enjoy the wonderful game of Rugby League.

We are grateful for the support of our partners; the NRL and NZRL and all who stand behind them, and we’re thankful for the support of fans and our customers. 

I’d particularly like to thank NRL Chief Executive Andrew Abdo for the clear and collaborative approach he and his team have taken as we negotiated the extension of the partnership.  Our shared goal to nurture and grow the great game of Rugby League has been evident throughout.  We are also grateful to NZRL Chief Executive Greg Peters for his constructive and passionate approach to extending our longstanding partnership.

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.”

We love League and so do New Zealanders. 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. That’s pretty awesome. 

We love that we can continue to support the game in New Zealand – together we can do great things.

Ngā mihi nui
Sophie

Sky CEO