Australia's National Rugby League Signs Five-Year, Int'l TV Deal With IMG Media

The National Rugby League secured a new int'l TV deal with IMG Media that will guarantee access to all Telstra Premiership matches, as well as State of Origin, Test matches played in Australia, AAMI City-Country and the Harvey Norman All Stars. The five-year partnership covers free-to-air TV, subscription TV, IPTV, mobile, in-ship, in-flight and gaming rights, as well as access to the NRL Films archive. Furthermore, it will provide fans with:

• Guaranteed TV coverage in markets such as the U.K., U.S., Pacific and Asia.
• Access to all games in HD either through TV or online platforms, as well as access to a 30-minute weekly highlights show.
• A free digital NRL Channel for int'l fans featuring match vision and a mobile NRL app.
• All NRL and State of Origin matches available on a live or near-live basis via TV or online, mobile apps, smart TVs or other media platforms.
• Int'l fans in regions where there is no TV or IPTV rights deals in place will be able to access matches for free on a leading web destination, such as YouTube or USTREAM.

The int'l rights do not include NRL properties in Australia and New Zealand, nor do they include World Cup matches or Tests overseas (NRL).

MORE COVERAGE: Meanwhile, ESPN and Euroleague Basketball announced a new agreement for hosting live and delayed coverage in the U.K. Under the new deal, fans will have access to the Turkish Airlines Euroleague with a weekly "Game of the Week." ESPN's coverage will begin on Dec. 27 (Euroleague Basketball).