‘Pacific’s No.1 sport’: NRL trumpets record $845m revenue ahead of broadcast negotiations

The NRL has trumpeted record revenue, viewership and participation figures from 2025 as a launchpad into critical broadcast negotiations and expansion ventures.

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys described rugby league as “Australia’s – and the Pacific’s – number one sport” following Monday’s annual general meeting, citing a record operating surplus of $64.8 million in 2025. The ARLC registered a $62.3 million surplus in 2024.

The game’s record $845.6 million revenue is up almost $101 million on last year’s figure, one boosted by a 20 per cent increase in net assets.

The NRL’s financial windfalls come at a critical juncture, given V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo are ramping up talks on the NRL’s broadcast deal beyond 2027, with pressure to deliver beyond the $4.5 billion TV rights struck by the AFL in 2022.

Key to the NRL’s bargaining power in a rapidly shifting TV landscape will be the 9.5 per cent increase in total viewership touted by Rugby League Central.

Last year’s NRL grand final between powerhouses Brisbane and Melbourne made for a record 4.55 million viewers across key metro markets in Australia’s three biggest cities.

V’landys lauded the game’s financial improvements alongside participation figures that the NRL said surpassed the 1 million mark for the first time after more than 200,000 participants from “recreational formats of the game”, including touch and beach football, were included.

“The season delivered extraordinary performance outcomes for rugby league, cementing our now established position as Australia’s – and the Pacific’s – number one sport,” V’landys said in an NRL statement.

“The strategies of the Australian Rugby League Commission and strong financial management has enabled funding for players, clubs, states and grassroots to continually grow, while also increasing our capacity to invest further into new revenue generating assets.

“Financially, the game has never been stronger … And the future is even brighter, with the Perth Bears to join the NRL Premiership in 2027 and the Papua New Guinea Chiefs to enter from 2028.

“These new market expansions will build lasting connections with communities, growing the grassroots and giving kids the best start in life through the transformative power of rugby league.”

The majority of the NRL’s $100.7 million in increased revenue last year was distributed to clubs, players, states and development programs.

Each of the existing clubs has been given a $3.5m to $4m from the $600m funding windfall the Australian Government has contributed to financing the new PNG side, with NRL grants now exceeding the $11.95 million salary cap by the best part of $5 million per club.

In total, the NRL distributed $562.3 million of its record 2025 revenue, reflecting an $85.2 million increase on the previous year.

The NRL’s balance sheet included an extra $83.8 million out of events in 2025, largely through sponsorship, ticket sales and government income. Record turnouts for last year’s finals series were particularly lucrative for the governing body.

The NRL’s 2026 season will kick off on Sunday with its now annual Las Vegas opener, a venture the game will explore replicating further around the globe in new markets, as first revealed by this masthead late last year.

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