TLSCD Telstra Corporation Ltd

   By Robb M. Stewart 
 

MELBOURNE, Australia--Australian rugby has scored a five-year broadcast deal worth 1.8 billion Australian dollars (US$1.3 billion) with the local arm of media firm News Corp. (NWS) and partners Nine Entertainment Co. (NEC.AU) and Telstra Corp. (TLS.AU)

The deal with the National Rugby League is one of the largest sports-broadcast agreements to be signed in Australia, rivaling a six-year A$2.51 billion broadcast deal secured earlier in the year by rival sports body the Australian Football League.

The NRL on Friday said the package, which will run from 2018, was worth 70% more than the existing rights. Including international and radio rights, the value is expected to top A$1.9 billion, it said.

A new schedule for rugby matches will see more games broadcast live, with some of the changes beginning in 2016.

Under the deal, New Corp. Australia's Fox Sports pay-TV subsidiary will show every game ad-free from next year. Fox Sports also will launch a dedicated NRL channel in 2017, New Corp. said.

Telecommunications firm Telstra will retain naming rights to the NRL premiership, extending a 17-year partnership, and offer telecasts of games digitally on its mobile network. It will also offer customers highlights and replays of games online.

The Nine network, meanwhile, will broadcast live free-to-air games on Thursday and Friday nights and Sunday afternoons from 2016.

"This is a truly outstanding deal that will for the first time in the history of the game give fans coverage of every game of every round," News Corp. Australia Chief Executive Peter Tonagh said in a statement.

News Corp. also owns Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires.

The Australian Football League in August signed a broadcast deal to show Aussie rules football games from 2017 to 2022 with Seven West Media Ltd.'s (SWM.AU) Channel Seven, Telstra and Foxtel--the subscription-TV network equally owned by Telstra and News Corp. That deal was worth 67% more than the current agreement, which expires at the end of the 2016 season.

Write to Robb M. Stewart at robb.stewart@wsj.com

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 27, 2015 00:10 ET (05:10 GMT)

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