AusLeisure

Following lengthy speculation about the future of Australia’s elite netball competition, Netball Australia has confirmed that the Australian league is to split from its trans-Tasman relationship with New Zealand, with the respective national competitions set to part ways for the first time since 2007.

A revamped national league will be expanded to eight teams, featuring the five Australian teams currently competing in the ANZ Championship - the Adelaide Thunderbirds, Melbourne Vixens, NSW Swifts, Queensland Firebirds, and the West Coast Fever – along with three new franchisees.

The NRL’s Melbourne Storm and the AFL's Greater Western Sydney Giants and Collingwood Football Club have been confirmed as the new preferred bidders.

The new competition will also see two games a week broadcast live under a lucrative broadcast deal with Nine Entertainment and Telstra.

Netball Australia says the historic five-year broadcast rights and revenue sharing agreement with Nine, bringing the sport to prime-time free-to-air television, will generate higher salaries for athletes and lays the groundwork for netball to turn professional.

The deal, which begins in 2017, includes a Saturday night live double-header on the Nine Network, as well as two delayed games. Telstra will broadcast two exclusive matches per week live via Telstra TV as well as simulcast Nine's two live matches, and all games will be available live on a ‘Netball Live’ mobile app.

Of the new teams, the Melbourne Storm's licensed team will be based at their Sunshine Coast facilities in south-east Queensland, while the GWS Giants have allied with Netball NSW in their bid for a Sydney team. Collingwood's licensed team will be based in Melbourne.

Announcing the new plan, Netball Australia Chief Executive Kate Palmer stated "it's time for our sport to take another leap forward, to challenge the norm, to be innovative and to take more risks.”

Palmer said the broadcasting deal would provide improved pay for players, and better sponsorship and cash distribution for clubs, adding “it is truly transformative. It lays the foundation for the full professionalisation of elite netball and the cementing of Australia's reputation as having the prime netball competition in the world.

"At the grass roots, it will encourage participation and allow girls and young women to realise their dream of a career in netball."

Welcoming the new deal, Queensland Firebirds star Laura Geitz “this allows more girls to be out on court ... as a result, we'll see a stronger Australian Diamonds side.”

Images: ANZ Championship action at Qudos Bank Arena (top) and Kate Palmer (below).

25th February 2016 - NETBALL FOUNDATION APPOINTS INAUGURAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE

4th April 2016 - NETBALL AUSTRALIA PRESIDENT TO STEP DOWN AFTER 10 YEARS

31st March 2016 - 11 CLUBS INTERESTED IN JOINING EXPANDING TRANS-TASMAN NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

1st March 2016 - ANZ CHAMPIONSHIPS SET FOR 2017 RESTRUCTURING

12th February 2016 - NETBALL AUSTRALIA EXPECTS JOINT AFL/NETBALL FRANCHISE TO JOIN TRANS-TASMAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2017

4th January 2016 - ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP SET TO EXPAND AS NETBALL AUSTRALIA BEGINS SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL TEAMS

15th January 2016 - ANZ NETSETGO BOOSTS NETBALL PARTICIPATION NUMBERS

17th December 2015 - LEADING NETBALL NATIONS LAUNCH NEW FOUR NATION TEST SERIES

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.