Three-year deal keeps free-to-air window
Sky Sports has been named the preferred bidder for the Super League’s broadcast rights.
Following a meeting of RL Commercial, IMG, and Super League (Europe) shareholders, the broadcaster will now have a 30-day exclusive negotiating window to complete the deal - which would run until the end of the 2026 season.
IMG agreed a 12-year partnership with the RFL and Super League last year, creating a joint venture between the trio. It aims to work on competition restructuring, content production and innovation, domestic and international distribution of media rights, digital transformation, brand strategy, and streaming.
Sky Sports has shown the Super League since its inception in 1996, and this deal would take them to the 30th anniversary in 2026.
The three-year deal would see every Super League game broadcast in the UK and worldwide, and see video match officials used in every fixture. In addition, the free-to-air window, which saw Channel 4 pick up the rights to ten live matches-a-year - including two playoff games, is set to continue.
Speaking to Love Rugby League after Sky Sports was announced as preferred bidder, RL Commercial managing director Rhodri Jones said: “Ultimately, when we compared the offers on the table, the Sky one stood out and as such, that was our recommendation to clubs,” and noted, “We had multiple offers on the table in the end.”
He added: “I think, with retained rights we’ve secured through our initial negotiations with Sky, we’d be hoping we’ll end up at a similar point to where we’re at currently.”
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