Nine Entertainment and Rugby Australia have confirmed they are extending their broadcast partnership, signing a new multi-year agreement that keeps Nine as the home of Australian rugby until the end of 2030. This deal builds on their existing relationship and aims to provide extensive coverage across Nine’s platforms.
Here’s the Lowdown: The renewed agreement, pending SANZAAR ratification, ensures Nine’s Stan Sport service remains the primary platform for rugby fans, showing every Super Rugby Pacific match and major international fixtures. Critically, all Wallabies and Wallaroos home Test matches, along with the entire Bledisloe Cup series, will continue to be available live and free on the 9Network and the 9Now streaming service. The deal also includes coverage of the new biennial Nations Cup tournament, pitting SANZAAR nations against Six Nations teams.
What This Means Now: For rugby supporters, this means continued access to a wide range of rugby content. Stan Sport subscribers get the most comprehensive offering, including Super Rugby Women’s, The Rugby Championship, and tours featuring the All Blacks and Springboks. However, key national team games remain accessible without a subscription via Nine’s free platforms, ensuring broad reach for major events. Nine also plans further behind-the-scenes content and analysis shows.
The Bigger Picture: This long-term agreement provides stability for Rugby Australia and reinforces Nine’s strategy of securing major sports rights across its free-to-air and subscription platforms. Since 2021, the partnership has seen rugby audiences grow (11% on Stan, 17% on Nine year-on-year). Both Nine CEO Matt Stanton and Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh highlighted the deal’s importance for growing the game and delivering quality coverage to fans nationwide.
