Spark may be less willing to continue to invest in its Spark Sport streaming service after Sky TV secured National Rugby League broadcasting rights until at least 2027, a top analyst says.
Sky announced on Wednesday that it had renewed its broadcast rights to the code and would work with the NRL to help grow the sport in the country.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The deal leaves few major sports rights still on the table for Sky and Spark to fight over in the near term, though it is understood New Zealand rights to A-League football will soon be in play.
READ MORE:* Sky TV secures NRL broadcasting rights through to end of 2027 season* Spark Sport secures broadcasting rights for Rugby League World Cup
Jarden analyst Arie Dekker suggested it was possible the outcome could weaken Sparks appetite to continue to bid against Sky for sports rights.
The big question we see for Sky remains around Spark’s resolve to continue to try and build a sports media platform in New Zealand, and whether the inability to secure these rights impacts on that resolve, he said.
Spark Sport could stay in the battle for some time, Dekker said.
But he did not believe Spark Sport was profitable and said it now faced a reasonable wait before it could make a play for New Zealand’s other key winter sporting code, rugby union, given Sky was just one year into a five-year deal for that code.
Spark Sport announced last week that it had won a tender for rights to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup but NRL could have been a useful tier-1 sport to flesh out its winter line-up.
Spark has continued to chip away at Skys sport rights, as eyes now turn a possible A-League tussle.
Spark spokeswoman Samantha Smith would not comment on the NRL rights, including on whether it was disappointed not to have them.
Nor would she comment on what it meant for Spark Sport.
But she said it had a wide variety of tier one content on its platform.
Sky chief executive Sophie Moloney said it had made it a priority to secure NRL, pointedly describing it as a much-loved winter sport.
A priority is the strengthening of the womens game and for tamariki and rangatahi throughout Aotearoa, she said.
Moloney said Sky had committed to making some important matches available free-to-air so as many Kiwis as possible can enjoy the wonderful game.
Sky shares closed up 1.8 per cent at 17.1 cents, while Spark shares closed up 0.5 per cent at $4.77.
