NRL and Telstra announce extended title sponsorship partnership

The NRL has announced a five-year extension of its long running naming rights partnership for its men's and women's rugby league competitions with telecommunications company Telstra.

The renewal, which the parties have stated focus on fan experience and technology innovation, will also see Telstra remain as the naming rights partner of the NRL Women’s (NRLW) competition until 2027.

The announcement was made today at the launch of the NRL Telstra Premiership Finals Series, at Telstra’s George Street Headquarters in Sydney.

The NRL says the latest Telstra agreement is the most lucrative deal in the history of the sport with Fox Sports saying it is worth $90 million over its duration.

Fox suggested that $60 million of that fee will be provided in cash, with the remainder comprising of a number of value in kind elements from the telecommunications firm.

Announcing the extension of the 21 year old agreement, one of the oldest in Australian sport, NRL Chief Executive, Andrew Abdo stated “together with Telstra, we will continue to grow the men’s and women’s Telstra Premierships, ensure more people are connected to rugby league and continue to improve the overall experience for fans, participants and volunteers.

“We are particularly excited about our new agreement including a dedicated innovation fund for Telstra and the NRL to collaborate on technology to transform fan experiences.

“We look forward to applying the country’s best and brightest minds to finding new ways to bring fans closer to the action.”

Telstra Chief Financial Officer, Michael Ackland added “we know our customers love the NRL so we are excited to play our part in helping to grow both the men’s and women’s games for the next five years.

“Together with the NRL, we will use technology to enhance fans digital connection through the NRL app with great content, full match replays, live scores, stats, highlights and more.

“The new deal also includes an innovation fund, giving the NRL access to new and emerging technology services to create new avenues to grow the sport from grassroots to the elite level.

“We are excited for the growth of the women’s game, continued success and expansion of the men’s game, and the innovation we are anticipating over the next five years.”

Image: NRL captains mark 20 years of the sport's partnership with Telstra in 2021. Credit: Telstra.