NRL to officially expand to 17 teams 50m profit posted

The NRL will officially expand its competition to include a 17th team, although the clubs are calling for a bigger share of the spoils after the game announced a $50 million surplus.

The Redcliffe Dolphins are expected to beat the Firehawks and Jets to become the next franchise in 2023 after broadcasters felt the inclusion will add value to their product.

The clubs were told the cost of having an additional club would be $15 million per year, which would be offset by the $20 million per annum that Foxtel were prepared to pay with an extra Brisbane team.

That would allow the 16 existing teams to receive additional funds in the future, allaying fears the size of the revenue pie would be sliced up thinner between them.

The new club will be required to have a $10 million bank guarantee per annum over the next five years to ensure it can stand on its own feet. The 17th team will not get any additional funds over the existing ones in order to start up.

There will be 12 additional games per season as a result of the inclusion of an extra team, with every side to get two byes.

Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys have addressed the clubs on Thursday.Credit:NRL Photos

The clubs were also told Rugby League Central was close to securing a new free-to-air deal, understood to be with the Nine network, the publishers of this masthead.

Had COVID-19 costs of $30 million not been incurred, the game would have made $80 million over the last financial year.

The NRL cut costs by $55 million to be able to distribute $376 million across the game. However, some clubs believe they should be given more money in order to grow their own businesses.

More to come

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