The NRL's new billion-dollar deal

Under the new deal, the superstars of the game such as Shaun Johnson could expect to earn upwards of $1.5 million a season. Photo / Dean Purcell

The NRL could receive up to $1.7 billion in a soon-to-be-secured record broadcast deal with Fox Sports.

News Corp reported today the deal between the NRL and Fox Sports for league broadcast rights from 2018 to 2022 could see major changes to match scheduling, including a Thursday night game and possibly ending Monday night football.

Battling clubs and the game's premier players will reap the rewards, with the $1.7-billion broadcast windfall a 70 per cent increase on the current $1-billion deal.

Annual club grants are tipped to increase from $7.8 million towards $12 million for each club and enable the NRL to raise the salary cap from $7.5 million to $11 million.

The increase in funding should appease all 16 clubs and quell concerns that the 12 clubs independent of the NRL could refuse to extend their NRL licences and possibly initiate a breakaway competition.

Under the new deal, the superstars of the game such as Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis and Shaun Johnson could expect to earn upwards of $1.5 million a season.

The future of Monday night football is in doubt under the new negotiations because the games are so poorly attended, with an average crowd figure of only 11,250 this year.

Only one match would be held on Friday night under the new deal, with three on both Saturday and Sunday and the new Thursday night football fixture.

All eight matches would be shown live to Australian audiences for the first time, on Fox Sports, with an additional three games to be broadcast live on free-to-air television.
New Zealand audiences already enjoy live coverage of every game via Sky Sports' coverage.

State of Origin, said to be more valuable than even the NRL grand final, will remain on free-to-air in Australia.

New Zealand audiences already enjoy live coverage of every game via Sky Sports, who will need to renew their contract once their current deal ends at the end of the 2017 season.

- AAP