on the back of increased crowds
& 4 of the 5 most watched TV shows in Australia in 2014
the NRL has turned over record revenues & banked record profits
the NRL has now recorded profits of 100 million dollars in the last 2 seasons .... considerably more then the next closest code
the VFL
& many many times more then the FFA or ARU who both lost money over the last 2 years
simply outstanding performance from our nations most watched sport & it would appear the sky is the limit for RL
with experts estimating its next media rights deal .. due in 2018..could hit the 2 billion mark easily surpassing the VFL's
wow
just wow
THE NRL is expected to announce this week that the record-breaking 2014 season had a revenue increase of more than $30 million and the code delivering a net profit of $50m.
NRL chief executive Dave Smith has already presented the results to the clubs and could make them public on Friday — a day after the release of the league’s 2015 advertising campaign.
The Australian can reveal that revenue swelled last year to $345m — an increase of just over $30m from the $314m figure posted for 2013.
It is believed revenue spiked on the back of the very successful State of Origin series, the finals series and grand final plus the inaugural Auckland Nines tournament.
NSW ended an eight-year Origin series drought and the second game on the Nine Network was the highest rated program for the year with 4.1 million viewers.
South Sydney’s grand final win over Canterbury, which ended a 43-year premiership drought, also on Nine, was the third most watched program of the year with 4 million viewers.
The game also benefited from a record number of club memberships, a rise in ticket prices and increase in crowd figures, and a spike in participation largely fuelled by the decision to merge with touch football.
The latest figures put the NRL well ahead of schedule after revealing last year that it was hoping to achieve a central revenue target of $300m by 2017.
While the AFL is still ahead on revenues, it is understood the NRL is closing the gap and heading towards a strong position for the next broadcast rights deal when the current arrangement finishes at the end of 2017.
It is believed half of the net profit will be put towards a sustainability fund which already has $50m as a financial buffer for the code.
The NRL announced last year it hoped to have $80m in savings by the end of 2017.
Last year’s net profit figure of $50m is around the same as 2013 — it was $49.6 million in 2014 — and could have been higher but expenditure also increased.
In 2013 the game outlaid $265m and it is believed that figure swelled last year to $295m due to a number of factors including an increase in club funding and development, more funds for state leagues and affiliates, and the addition of senior management positions at Rugby League Central.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...-1227236247576
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