Leading club bosses have backed departing NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo to deliver the game a record broadcast deal before signing off on what has been described as the “longest and strongest legacy” of any CEO in the NRL era.
Less than 24 hours after confirming his shock code-switch to take charge as Tennis Australia CEO, the NRL’s current rights holders Nine, publishers of this masthead, and DAZN-owned Foxtel sought and were given assurances that Abdo would still lead key broadcast negotiations this week.
Broadcasters, including Channel Seven, Nine and Foxtel, will begin presentations to the NRL on Tuesday. ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys has long targeted a $4 billion, five-year deal that would trump the AFL’s last broadcast contracts.
The AFL negotiated a record-breaking $4.5 billion, seven-year deal in a significantly healthier advertising market four years ago, blowing the NRL out of the water in the process.
The Australian Financial Review reported on Monday that global subscription service Amazon is planning to submit an offer to the NRL, a move which would help create the competitive tension needed to drive up rival offers.
Abdo will stay on as NRL chief executive until July 15 and V’landys stressed repeatedly during a Monday press conference that the game’s broadcast deal beyond 2027 will ideally be wrapped up before Abdo departs.
South Sydney chairman Nick Pappas backed Abdo and V’landys to “tick off that last box because they’ve ticked every other box on their list, and the clubs have absolute confidence in them.”
Raiders CEO Don Furner, the longest-serving club boss in the game, said that “if anyone’s going to get that [record] deal done, it’s Peter and Andrew”, while Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp predicted the NRL’s run of record TV ratings would translate into the cash windfall V’landys has regularly foreshadowed.
Last year’s Broncos-Storm grand final – watched by a record audience of 4.46 million – was the highest rating in NRL history and trumped the AFL’s Lions-Cats decider (4.18 million viewers) a week earlier.
The NRL reported a 9.5 per cent increase in total viewership in 2025, figures which the governing body says have been replicated so far this season with the State of Origin series – regularly one of the highest-rating broadcasts on Australian TV – set to off on Wednesday.
“I think if you go purely on the numbers, and the fact we have two new clubs coming in during this broadcast deal, then we have to do better than that of the AFL,” Tripp said.
“Purely on viewership and the growth in the game over the course of the last few years of the broadcast deal, then I think everyone would be disappointed if we didn’t do better than the current AFL deal.
A lot of that comes down to the moves made during Andrew’s tenure. A lot of those moves took courage and it’s been an ambitious time for the game.
“People were sceptical about [the NRL’s season-opening ventures in] Las Vegas, and it’s worked. There’s scepticism around expansion, and I think both Perth and PNG have great prospects… I think as a whole, the game is in a much better place over the past six years under Andrew’s watch.
“With no disrespect to anyone else who has been CEO, I think he leaves the longest and strongest legacy.”
Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta lauded Abdo for “nurturing the relationship with clubs that is now in a much better position” than when he took charge from predecessor Todd Greenberg in early 2020, a sentiment echoed by Pappas.
Privately, multiple club bosses contacted by this masthead said it would not surprise if V’landys pushed to take charge of the game as an executive chairman, a move which would require a change to the ARLC constitution.
Rabbitohs chief Blake Solly and Broncos counterpart Dave Donaghy have both been touted as potential contenders to replace Abdo should the status quo CEO position remain.
Having seen club and NRL bosses emerge from both within the game and be parachuted in during his 19 years in charge at Canberra, Furner believes a rugby league background is essential for the game’s top position.
“I think you certainly have to know sport, and I think it helps to know rugby league,” he said. “You could be the CEO of a big successful business and get eaten alive in our business. I’ve seen people from outside the sport come into rugby league and get a rude shock, so I’d stress that it really helps to know rugby league.”
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