Brands of all magnitude have flocked to Foxtel and Kayo Sports for its coverage of the 2026 NRL season.
As round one came to a conclusion over the weekend, Foxtel Media has unveiled a line-up of new sponsors as well as returning brands for this season.
New sponsors Red Bull, Bunnings, Club 4×4 Insurance and Youi join returning brands including Westpac, AAMI, McDonald’s, Chemist Warehouse, Sportsbet, Aussie Broadband, Harvey Norman, KFC, Ford, Toyota and Ashley & Martin for the 2026 season.
Engaged audiences saw Fox League deliver for brands last year. Over the 2025 NRL season, niche advertisers scored a 154 per cent uplift in ad recall, while established brands posted a 12 per cent increase, alongside a 13 per cent rise in brand perception and seven per cent growth in consideration.
In this impact arena for brands, momentum is building in 2026, with 39 per cent of advertisers new to the opening round compared to 2025. Foxtel Media’s expanded programmatic inventory has also allowed a variety of brands to enter the game, opening up premium buys for local and regional small businesses such as GlanEry (VIC), Vital Strength (NSW), Montgomery Homes (NSW), Bank WAW (WA), Funlab (VIC) and Toscano’s Authentic (VIC).
“NRL is not only one of the largest and most loved sports by Australians, but a high-impact arena for brands ready to compete,” said Nev Hasan, chief sales officer at Foxtel Media.
“Foxtel invests $1 billion in sports rights and production each year, helping leagues to drive growth in participation and improved community facilities and programs, which is why we are seeing a surge of new brands joining the game, alongside the continued investment of our long-term partners.”
New technology, including FOX AI (which has caused some confusion amongst fans), will be introduced across Fox League coverage for 2026. In partnership with Red Bull, FOX AI will deliver real-time player analysis and data-driven insights across all live matches, pre and post-game shows, Sunday Night with Matty Johns, and Fox League’s social and editorial platforms, enhancing fan engagement and creating deeper storytelling for commentary.
Bolstering Fox League’s commentary team in 2026, are recently retired star-premiership winner and Kiwi international Kieran Foran and three-time premiership player Jared Waerea-Hargreaves who will bring fresh, off-the-field perspectives to the coverage.
“At Foxtel Media, we live and breathe this game just like the fans do. From expert analysis to production, Foxtel Media provides a market-leading premium environment for brands and viewers alike. Will the Panthers stay on top, or can teams like the Roosters, Broncos, or Raiders make 2026 a historic year? Our watchability makes the games all the more exciting and we can’t wait to see what season 2026 has in store,” concluded Hasan.
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