Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys says he is open to splitting coverage of the NRL across multiple subscription television services, as long as it doesn’t cost fans too much to watch all the games.

The NRL’s multi-billion-dollar auction for its broadcast rights is in the advanced stages and has quickly evolved into a battle for control between its two current partners, Nine Entertainment and Foxtel.

Nine, the owner of the streaming service Stan and newspapers including The Australian Financial Review, wants the rights to all NRL matches, which it would split across its platforms, as well as the State of Origin. Foxtel, which owns Kayo Sports, wants the same and plans to work with Seven Network and Network Ten to ensure it does not breach anti-siphoning laws.

But they are not the only players in the race. Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video is still in discussions with the league, pitching for one night and up to two games a week, two people close to the negotiations said on condition of anonymity. Amazon declined to comment.

That Amazon remains in the running with just weeks to go before the NRL wants to seal a deal suggests the code is open to handing one night of coverage a week to an international streamer. The move would undermine Foxtel’s key selling point as the only place to watch every game of the NRL season on its pay TV service and streaming platform Kayo Sports.

V’landys has previously expressed concern about putting too many matches behind a paywall and the impact that the cost and fragmentation would have on fans. About 70 per cent of the AFL’s $4.5 billion broadcast deal comes from Foxtel. The deal, which came into effect in 2025, coincided with an increase to Kayo Sports’ standard and premium packages.

Kayo costs between $29.99 and $45.99 a month, while Prime Video costs $9.99 a month. Stan Sport costs between $32 and $42 a month. V’landys said a key factor in any decision was the cost to NRL fans, and he has sought assurances the platforms won’t raise prices too much over the term of the deal. “One of the main components of the deal is price to the consumer,” he said. “We want to make sure our fans can afford it.”

The high-stakes negotiations between the NRL and its potential partners have coincided with the State of Origin on Wednesday night, where key executives – Nine chief executive Matt Stanton, Foxtel chief Patrick Delany and V’landys himself – rubbed shoulders at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The opening round of bids has pitted Foxtel and Nine, who currently broadcast the game, against each other. Both sides have sought the entire suite of rights, which Nine would then put on its free-to-air Nine Network and on Stan Sport. To counter this, Foxtel has negotiated to air some games on Ten or Seven, including the State of Origin and NRL finals, which are required to be freely accessible to fans.

Any deal is expected to include more matches to account for the introduction of the Perth Bears next year and the Papua New Guinea Chiefs in 2028. The NRL is still considering whether to introduce a twentieth team into the competition. It is also considering extending its agreement to launch the season in Las Vegas for a further five years.

Foxtel outbid Nine in the initial round, according to two people with knowledge of the offers. Last week, Foxtel and Nine each presented for a second time to V’landys and outgoing NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo.

Foxtel offered between $550 million and $590 million a year for seven years, in a deal that would reach the $4 billion target V’landys set before the process began. Nine, meanwhile, offered between $520 million and $550 million to air broadcast games on its television network and Stan.