CEO Andrew Abdo says NRLW is a “value driver” in the next round of NRL rights deals

Chief executive Andrew Abdo said NRLW competitions would be a key selling point for the National Rugby League’s next media rights deal following the success of the 2024 Women’s Interstate Origin Series, which attracted more than three million viewers across three matches.

NRL Coming Soon Next Broadcast Agreement The company hopes to hit that target by the end of this year, even though its current $400 million per season contracts with Foxtel, Nine Entertainment, Sky New Zealand and other partners don’t expire until 2027.

With the NRLW set to expand to 12 teams by 2025, bringing in the Warriors and Bulldogs, Abdo said the growth of the women’s game would be an attractive and lucrative part of the negotiations.

Abdo said: “Next year we will increase the number of participating teams from 10 to 12. The committee has always said that they are committed to development, sustainable development and will not sacrifice quality for quantity.”

“But having said that, we do have a bold goal to continue to grow the number of women’s football teams and to provide all clubs and their communities with the opportunity to complete that journey, but do so in a sustainable way. Women’s football will be extremely strategic for us as we move into the next rights cycle – it’s a value driver that’s already delivering great results for the sport and our partners, and for us being able to monetise it means we can put more money back into the sport, players’ salaries and, of course, grassroots football.”

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However, the NRL has yet to confirm a timeline for how many NRLW and NRL teams they hope to have when the new rights deal comes into effect in 2028 – with the men’s league expected to have an 18th team in 2028 or 2029. Papua New Guinea or Perth after 2027.

“The (Australian Rugby League) commission has a bold vision for growth and expansion, that is men’s and women’s rugby, but what is the right number and when to increase it, that’s what we’re working on now, we want to make sure we have all the data, we’ve got to the RFP (request for proposal) stage for expansion bidders,” Abdo said.