When the National Rugby League was "thrashing out" its A$1.8B TV deal with Fox Sports and Nine, "one of its main requests was a dedicated 24-hour rugby league channel," according to Christian Nicolussi of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Come Monday, that "dream of an around-the-clock rugby league channel will become a reality" when Fox League is launched on Foxtel. The pay-TV network has "poured millions of dollars into the initiative" -- more cash than its Australian Football League counterpart Fox Footy -- with Fox League to be shown on channel 502. Fox Sports Head of Live Sport Steve Crawley said, "This channel means rugby league coverage is now in the same class as the EPL and NFL." Some of the "key features" of Fox League include:
- More than 32 hours of live content each week, "including all eight NRL matches."
- Nine magazine shows, including an "additional four pre-match and post-match programs."
- A "Queensland-only program," which will be hosted by Robert Craddock with "exclusive content from north of the border."
Fox Sports CEO Patrick Delany said that the NRL "made a point of wanting a 24/7 league channel when negotiations were ramping up more than 18 months ago." Delany added, "This was a significant thing when we did the deal" (
DAILY TELEGRAPH, 2/15).
