Super League could move back to a winter competition to allow year-round global broadcasting of rugby league if the NRL agrees a deal to take control of the British game.
Andrew Abdo, the CEO of the NRL, told the Guardian the Australian governing body would consider the calendar switch as a key part of a potential multimillion-pound takeover and investment package that would also include a strong focus on a London-based club and major governance reform.
Talks between the NRL and Super League about a deal have ramped up further this week, with Abdo flying to England to speak about how feasible a deal may be. Any successful investment would be significant for Super League, who would essentially cede administrative control to the NRL in return.
Abdo said London Broncos would be central to the NRL’s vision and insisted no deal is possible without the clubs currently giving up the power they have in the British game. The NRL is run by an independent commission but in Super League club owners have almost all the power.
With the prospect of a global broadcast deal for both competitions also a possibility if the NRL had administrative control, Abdo has opened a discussion about Super League switching back to a winter season for the first time since 1996 in order to allow the NRL to sell rights all year round.
When asked if it was an option, Abdo told the Guardian: “It’s a really good question. These are the things that need to be worked out. And the thing is there are clear pros and cons for it in both cases. Obviously playing in the summer here like Super League does, you’re not clashing with the hugely popular Premier League.
“But equally, creating a global calendar is pretty compelling. So as I say, there are pros and cons. That’s not something we really have a fixed view on yet though. Those are the things that need to be worked out. But ultimately the answer will be: what is going to be what our customers want and what’s going to service our existing fans and help us win new ones.”
No formal offer has been submitted yet, with Abdo and the NRL likely to return next month to speak with clubs in more detail. However, he has warned those clubs must relinquish control in order to convince the NRL to part with their riches and to allow the sport to flourish under the leadership of a newly-formed independent commission that the NRL would have a major say in.
In return for that, Super League club owners – who collectively are losing almost £20m per year – would gain access to riches the competition has never seen before, which would almost certainly cover the cost of the salary cap for all clubs and allow them to reinvest their own wealth in other areas.
“I think you definitely need the ability to have independent decision-making,” Abdo added. “So yes, there would need to be a governance change if we were going to become partners in the game here. There needs to be separation between allowing an independent governing body to make those tough calls.”
The NRL is a huge advocate of London being centrally positioned in the game, and are even weighing up the prospect of bringing major Australian fixtures to the city themselves. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Abdo has endorsed the need for a strong London-based club in Super League to be part of their vision if an agreement can be finalised.
“London offers a lot for the game,” he said. “It’s a diverse community. It has many of the aspects that we think can bring a whole other dimension to the game. I think having a London team in the Super League is going to add a whole other dimension in terms of acquisition of fans, acquisition of sponsors. I think it’ll benefit the league if it’s done appropriately and executed well.”
Abdo will now return his findings to the NRL board and Australian clubs before any offer is placed, but he accepted that with Super League’s broadcast deal with Sky Sports expiring at the end of this season, there are time sensitivities attached to any potential deal – especially with the prospect of the NRL globalising its own TV rights.
“The objective is to grow the game and globalise it and broadcasting is how you reach people,” he said. “Broadcast is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle and we’re at a critical stage in relation to the rights cycle. If we are going to do something together, then it’s really important we’re able to influence the growth of the game. That needs to happen over the course of the next few weeks and months.”
