Channel 9 paid A$625M ($446M) for National Rugby League free-to-air TV rights yet cannot "secure an interview" with Kiwi player Shaun Johnson, according to Phil Rothfield of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Fox Sports paid "even more to televise every game live yet cannot get a chat" with Melbourne Storm player Billy Slater. Such is the "fierce rivalry" between Nine, Fox Sports and even Sky TV in New Zealand, the networks spent the summer months "securing the NRL’s biggest stars on exclusive contracts in a ratings battle that is as aggressive as any of the on-field action." Nine's Footy Show recently sent a crew to New Zealand to interview Johnson, but "had to settle for skipper Ryan Hoffman because Johnson had signed a contact with Sky TV to appear exclusively on the network aligned to Fox Sports." The contracts "range from on-air appearances to also cover marketing and promotional work." Fox Sports' Gary Burns said, "Australian TV has a long history of great rivalries. This is another one. There has been lots of toing and froing. You want certain players identified to your brand and you pay a bit of extra money for that." Interestingly, two of the game's biggest players, Johnathan Thurston and Paul Gallen, "are not aligned to either network." Thurston "knocked back approaches from both stations and will appear whenever available." Gallen is "on both networks because of his role" as New South Wales State of Origin captain (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 2/29).
