NRL boasts historic attendance and ratings as new TV deal approaches

These are the leaked figures that have set-up the NRL for a record TV rights deal in excess of $4 billion.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys is armed with the greatest TV ratings and attendances in the code’s 118-year history as the NRL prepares to field formal offers from up to five broadcasters.

“We’re setting more records – it just shows when the game is united, what we can do,” V’landys declared.

Exclusive data obtained by this masthead shows a record 25 million viewers have watched the opening month of the 2026 premiership, while match attendances have exploded as fans flock to see NRL superstars Reece Walsh, Nathan Cleary and James Tedesco.

A bumper crowd of 49,813 watched Souths champion Latrell Mitchell spearhead his side’s 32-24 defeat of the Bulldogs on Good Friday.

V’landys revealed the sport’s next TV rights deal will be completed within three months and he and NRL boss Andrew Abdo will ramp up negotiations in an unprecedented position of bargaining power.

The NRL has come under fire over the six-again rule, but official figures show the Telstra Premiership has never been more popular with a fresh surge in viewership and attendance numbers.

The data gives the ARL Commission serious ammunition as it looks to double the value of its TV rights deal, with up to five networks – Channel Nine, Channel Seven, Amazon, Paramount and DAZN-owned Fox Sports – weighing up formal offers for NRL product.

The NRL’s current TV rights deal, which expires next year, is valued at $2 billion.

But the ARLC could secure north of $4 billion over five years as V’landys lauded the latest figures which reaffirm his view that rugby league has emphatically dethroned the AFL as Australia’s most-watched sport.

The NRL recorded total viewership of 224 million across Australia and New Zealand last year and V’landys believes the code will smash the 300 million mark by 2028 when the competition expands to 19 teams.

“Once Papua New Guinea and Perth come in, we’re looking at that (300 million viewers),” V’landys said.

“The numbers are extraordinary and credit has to go to the players who have met the challenge of the game being sped up.

“The players have lifted considerably in the adapting to the new rules. The game has come together and produced pure entertainment and the fans have voted with their feet.

“We’ve copped criticism for the six-again rule but only Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble don’t like the six-again.

“The figures speak for themselves.

“We’ve now got the perfect recipe for success and we’re determined to keep growing.

“When PNG comes in, NRL players will be rockstars – Reece Walsh really will be Justin Bieber.”

While AFL crowds are down marginally (around 1.5 per cent) from the same period last year, NRL attendances have enjoyed a stunning spike of almost 20 per cent.

After four rounds last season, the NRL’s average crowd was 18,856. At the corresponding stage this year, that figure has risen to 22,591 – an increase of 19.8 per cent.

For the first time in NRL history, more than 700,000 fans have attended games over the first four rounds.

“What’s really important for us is how our fans and our customers respond,” Abdo said.

“We’ve had a huge response from fans across the country and in New Zealand as well.

“Really strong attendances is also a credit to the players and clubs who connect really with the community and spend hours in the community.

“Despite all the challenges going on in the world and the high-cost of living, people are just enjoying the game and we’re seeing new, casual fans coming into the game, which is terrific to see.”

At a delicate juncture of the NRL’s broadcast negotiations, TV ratings continue to rise.

A total of 25 million viewers have watched the first four rounds on Fox and Channel 9, who have been witnessed increases of 4.6 per cent and 8 per cent respectively.

Incredibly, compared to the corresponding period of the 2019 season, Fox League’s viewership is up a staggering 86 per cent.

The average TV audience over the first month of the 2026 season is 784,000.

The numbers will strengthen the NRL’s position as TV rights talks gather steam in the coming weeks and V’landys believes the sport will be celebrating a record broadcast deal by July.

The AFL’s current deal is worth $4.5 billion over seven years – around $642 million per season – but V’landys says the viewership figures are evidence of the NRL’s broadcasting appeal.

“The broadcast deal will be done in the next two to three months,” V’landys said.

“All the broadcasters are ready to make offers.

“We’ve been in talks with the broadcasters, but we’re just taking our time because want to get the price-point right.

“At Vegas (last month), we had the owner of DAZN and the chairman of Channel Nine at the games. We had Amazon. We had Paramount.

“They were all there to see the great game at Vegas.

“You can add Channel 7, too, because they’re definitely interested.

“I have no doubt we will have a record deal. But I’ll stress this – we’re not going to burn our fans because eventually the consumer pays whatever the broadcaster pays for the rights.

“The broadcaster will pass the cost on, so we’re trying to do a deal where the consumer is not hurt and the fan is not going to find the cost prohibitive to watch the game.”

Of the booming TV ratings, the ARLC chair added: “This has been a deliberate strategy by us. We had to increase our audience to get more money.

“So we’re in the best position now that we’ve ever been to get the best broadcast deal.

“We’ve now got figures that every streamer and every broadcaster is interested in.

“There’s unprecedented interest in our game.”

Since 2019, viewership in Australia and New Zealand has increased by a remarkable 90 million viewers, fuelling a push for a second NRL team across the ditch as part of a 20-team league.

“New Zealand in itself is a great story for us,” Abdo said.

“Not only have the Warriors been doing incredibly well, we’ve also seen a huge increase in viewership of all NRL fixtures and all teams in New Zealand.

“Expansion for us is and has always been about bringing new fans into the game and creating new elite pathways.

“There’s some incredibly exciting additions in Perth and PNG to a competition that is healthy, strong and growing.”