Sky close to signing new broadcast deal with Super League

Sky Sports is set to sign an extension to its broadcast deal with the Rugby Football League (RFL) to televise the sport until 2016.

Sky Sports: readies new deal with the Super League
Sky Sports: readies new deal with the Super League

Media Week understands that a deal, in principle, to extend Sky's current broadcast agreement is near completion.

The current deal is due to finish at the end of the current Super League season.

The new deal, which is believed to be worth as much as £90m, is proposed for five years and will replace the current three-year deal.

It is anticipated to broadly reflect the current deal that allows Sky to broadcast two live games each weekend – on Fridays and Saturdays – along with the League Grand Final and a number of other one-off marquee events.

The current deal also includes Sky broadcasting games from the Championship – the second tier of rugby league.

A formal decision is not expected for two or three week as the finer details of the agreement are thrashed out. However, the RFL would not confirm that a deal had been arranged with Sky.

An RFL spokesman said: "The negotiations that are ongoing with all broadcasters remain very positive and we are hopeful of something coming in the near future."

The expected five-year deal to keep Super League on Sky would extend the sport's run on the network to 21-years by completion, making it one of the broadcaster's longest running competitions.

Sky has held the rights to the Super League since the league's inception as the RFL took the decision to switch from a winter to a summer competition in 1995 in a deal worth around £85m.

A separate negotiation between the rugby authorities and the BBC over the rights to broadcast the Challenge Cup is expected to conclude later in the year.

Sky Sports declined to comment.

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