Nine’s Wide World of Sports has made a major investment in the growth of women’s rugby league, with every game of the 2023 NRLW season to be broadcast live and free in HD on the Nine Network and streamed on 9Now.
The expanded 48-game NRLW season kicks off on Saturday, July 22. The 11-week season sees four new teams joining the NRLW competition from the Cronulla Sharks, Canberra Raiders, North Queensland Cowboys, and Wests Tigers.
The 2023 NRLW broadcast schedule features four Saturday triple-headers, regular Sunday double-headers leading into NRL Sunday Footy, three prime-time games on Channel Nine HD, and two stand-alone Thursday night games during the 2023 NRL finals series.
From the first week of August there will be nine weekly free-to-air games across the NRL and NRLW.
Wide World of Sports will also broadcast a dedicated weekly women’s rugby league show on Channel Nine and 9Now, plus a weekly NRLW podcast.
Nine’s commentary team for the NRLW season and Women’s State of Origin will feature former Jillaroos Ruan Sims and Allana Ferguson, hosts Emma Lawrence and Danika Mason, defending NRLW premiership captain Millie Boyle along with support from the entire Wide World of Sports rugby league team. There will also be new announcements in the coming weeks.
NRL CEO, Andrew Abdo, said: “In 2023, there will be new rivalries and new timeslots with every match being broadcast on the Nine Network nationally and primetime coverage for the first time ever.”
Head of Partnerships and Strategy at Nine’s Wide World of Sports, Simon Fordham, said: “In partnership with the NRL we are dedicated to growing the women’s game, and what better way to do that than making every game of the NRLW available live and free to existing and new fans across the country.
“The new broadcast agreement for the expanding NRLW competition required all stakeholders to unite and make decisions based on the growth of the sport. We look forward to showcasing the talents of these incredibly gifted athletes on Nine in what has become the most entertaining women’s football code in the nation.”
Every game will be available to stream on 9Now.