The longest naming rights partnerships in Australian sport will progress into a new era after the National Rugby League and Telstra committed to a new five-year agreement.
Telstra will continue to be the NRL’s naming rights sponsor for both the NRL and NRLW Premierships until 2027 – taking the partnership to 26 years.
The announcement was made today at the launch of the NRL Telstra Premiership Finals Series, at Telstra’s George Street Headquarters in Sydney.
ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys AM said Telstra and the NRL have shared a 21 year partnership, one of the longest-running in Australian sport, and now the largest sponsorship in the game’s history.
“Telstra has made a tremendous contribution to rugby league, from the grassroots to the elite, for both men and women, and we are very excited about the next phase of our partnership,” Mr V’landys said.
“Telstra is Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company and we share a passion for connecting communities across Australia and the Pacific.
"With this being the largest sport sponsorship in our history, we will work together to help create the most connected sporting community in Australia."
NRL Chief Executive Andrew Abdo said: “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.”
Michael Ackland, Chief Financial Officer and Group Executive, Strategy & Finance, Telstra, added: "The new deal takes our long and successful partnership with the NRL past a quarter of a century, a milestone of which we are extremely proud.
“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 5 years.”
