How to watch the NRL and State of Origin

Rugby league is the dominant football code in New South Wales and Queensland, and the NRL is one of the country's most watched competitions. Nine and the Foxtel Group have shared the rights for many years, and in July 2026 the NRL announced a new seven-year deal with Foxtel Group, Nine and Sky NZ starting in 2028.

Free-to-air: Nine and 9Now

Nine shows three NRL matches a round live and free on Nine and its free streaming app, 9Now, along with the finals series and the NRL Grand Final. Nine is also the home of State of Origin.

In states where rugby league is less dominant, such as Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, Nine's free NRL coverage may be shown on a secondary Nine channel. Check your local TV guide or the 9Now app.

9Now

9Now is free and streams Nine's live coverage on smart TVs, streaming devices, phones, tablets and web browsers. You need to be in Australia to watch live sport.

Every match: Fox League on Kayo and Foxtel

Fox League is the dedicated rugby league channel on Foxtel and Kayo Sports. It shows every NRL match of every round live, apart from State of Origin and the Grand Final, which are Nine's. Fox League matches have no ad breaks during play.

Kayo Sports streams Fox League with monthly plans and no set-top box. Foxtel includes Fox League in its sports packages. Both are owned by the Foxtel Group.

State of Origin

State of Origin, the interstate series between New South Wales and Queensland, is played over three matches in the middle of the year. It is live and free on Nine and 9Now. Under the new deal from 2028, Nine will have exclusive coverage of both the men's and women's Origin series. The women's Origin series was added to the government's anti-siphoning list in 2024.

NRLW

The NRL Women's Premiership is shown on Nine and Fox League. Under the new deal from 2028, Kayo and Foxtel will have exclusive live NRLW matches, and Nine will continue to show three weekly NRL and NRLW fixtures. NRLW finals are on the anti-siphoning list.

The new deal from 2028

The NRL's new agreement runs for seven years from 2028. Under it:

• Foxtel continues to show all NRL and NRLW premiership matches, including finals.
• Nine provides exclusive coverage of the NRL Grand Final and both men's and women's State of Origin, and simulcasts three weekly NRL and NRLW fixtures.
• Foxtel Group says the number of matches exclusive to Kayo and Foxtel will rise as the league expands, with an expanded Super Saturday.
• The ARLC regains control of scheduling.

The NRL is also expanding, with the Perth Bears joining in 2027 and the PNG Chiefs in 2028, which will add matches to each round.

Radio

ABC Sport and commercial stations call NRL matches, particularly in Sydney and Brisbane. The ABC listen app streams ABC Sport coverage.

Watching your team every week

1. Check the NRL draw for kick-off times.
2. Check whether Nine is showing the match in your state.
3. If not, you will need Fox League on Kayo or Foxtel.
4. For Origin and the Grand Final, tune in to Nine.

Avoiding spoilers

If you are watching on delay, mute score notifications from NRL and club apps until full time.

Going to the game

Buy tickets through the NRL's official ticketing partners or your club. Club memberships often include tickets and priority access to finals.

Season dates

The NRL season usually runs from March to the Grand Final in late September or early October, with State of Origin in the middle of the year. See our sports calendar.