"Our focus is still on getting the deal done and we are confident that is a realistic proposition," he said. "We are deep into the negotiation process."
The unconfirmed recruitment of Australian veteran Andrew Voss as a lead commentator for Warriors matches is another signal Sky is confident it will secure a product that is a major subscriber driver.
Sky would not comment on Mr Voss's status, however his presence at the microphone in Dunedin for the trial match against the Broncos was a strong indicator he is next in line to fill a commentary role that has changed hands three times in as many years.
Mr Voss appears to have fallen out of favour at Channel Nine after pursuing a defamation suit against fellow commentator Ray Hadley following a public spat over a statue of fellow commentator Ray Warren.
A Sky spokeswoman said the network could not comment on the commentary situation, or any league matters, until a broadcast deal was signed.
Sky's deal with the NRL has previously been reported as worth $14 million a season. The ARLC is understood to have been seeking an increase on that figure in line with what was achieved in Australia, however Sky is understood to be resistant to a major increase.
Asked if Sky and the newly-formed [ARLC] were close to finding some middle ground on the value of the broadcasting rights, Mr Fellet said: "hope so".
While Sky acknowledged the NRL's importance to its customer base, it was wary of paying too much for a product that suffered a ratings decline following the Warriors' poor performance last season.
"If you get it at too high a price an asset can quickly switch to a liability, which is what the summer Olympics was for us," Mr Fellet said. "That burned us. Our subscribers want us to go out and get all content, I get that, but they also want us to get it at a reasonable price."
The protracted negotiation had affected Sky's ability to promote its coverage, a factor that likely impacted on last season's ratings when that negotiation also went down to the wire. The move to negotiate just a one-year deal for 2012, resulting in further uncertainty this year, was at the NRL's insistence, Mr Fellet said.
"If it was up to me we would have had a [long-term] deal a year ago," he said. "A similar sort of thing happened last year. If you're an avid watcher of Sky you'll see all the promotion we are doing around rugby - we'd like to have done that on the league as well. We always say earlier the better but these are big deals with a lot of money involved."
While a deal now appears likely, Mr Fellet said no announcement was imminent.
"Trust me I will climb the highest building and shout it to the top as soon as I get a deal."
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